Acclaimed audio journalist and podcaster T.J. Raphael is hosting a new Wondery investigative podcast, Liberty Lost.
The series exposes a maternity home for unwed teenage mothers at Liberty University and the unbelievable stories held within its walls.
Across six-parts, the history of the Liberty Godparent Home, within the grounds of one of America’s most powerful Christian universities, is uncovered. Through first-hand accounts and detailed reporting, the series reveals how young women were made to feel pressured into giving up their babies for adoption.
Four women who lived in the Godparent Home between 1991 and 2008 share their experiences, describing a regime that punished them for premarital sex while offering a scholarship incentive for completing the programme.
The series also examines how the facility has influenced wider pro-life strategies following the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
This marks the first major piece of reporting on the Godparent Home, which has operated since 1982 and continues to do so today. Raphael investigates how its existence and methods reflect broader debates about reproductive rights, power, and control.
Liberty Lost launches on Wondery+ on 9 June and be available across all podcast platforms from 23 June, just ahead of the third anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade.
