A new Audible investigative series will examine how one man convinced a Virginia school that he was related to filmmaker Steven Spielberg.
SPLBERG is hosted and executive produced by award-winning journalist Charlie Webster and follows the story of Jonathan Taylor Spielberg, who persuaded an entire Catholic high school in suburban Virginia that he was the nephew of the Hollywood director.
The eight part Audible Original traces events that unfolded in the late 1990s through interviews with former classmates, detectives, lawyers and others connected to the case.
What begins as an investigation into deception develops into a wider examination of power and the abuse of trust.
As Charlie revisits the case, she uncovers new information and perspectives that challenge how the story was understood at the time.
The series combines original reporting with access to key figures involved, including Jonathan Taylor Spielberg himself.
Charlie Webster said: “This story may on the surface seem like a quirky 90s, weird and funny thing that happened in a school. Strange, but harmless.
“SPLBERG is one of the strangest stories I’ve ever told and my attempt to close the gap between the version that gets told, and the version that is true, on behalf of people who deserved better.”
Audible says the series mixes investigative journalism with a coming of age story set against the backdrop of 1990s America. It explores what happens when the pursuit of fame blurs the line between fantasy and reality.
SPLBERG is produced by Telltale Industries and Charlie Webster for Audible. The series will be available exclusively on Audible from 25 June.
