On Christmas Eve Day, The Daily Whatever Show got the best gift: we were joined by the unstoppable Ellie Leonard. And if you’re following all the Epstein files drops this week, you already know why this conversation mattered.
Ellie has been doing the kind of work that’s increasingly rare: careful, methodical reporting in the middle of a media environment that rewards speed over accuracy and outrage over understanding. With the latest Epstein documents circulating everywhere, she walked us through what actually matters — and what doesn’t — when it comes to evaluating high-profile releases.
We talked about the pressure to react in real time, why that pressure is often a trap, and how misinformation spreads fastest when people skip the unglamorous step of verification. Ellie explained how she approaches massive document dumps: slow reading, cross-checking, and resisting the urge to speculate. Not because she lacks curiosity — but because credibility is built on restraint.
The conversation also touched on the human cost of this work. Ellie spoke about hearing from survivors, about the responsibility that comes with being trusted, and about why she refuses to treat trauma as content. In a media culture that often mistakes volume for truth, her approach feels both grounded and quietly radical.
We also talked about the broader implications: how AI and social media have complicated fact-checking, how easily false narratives take hold, and why learning to pause before reacting is now a civic skill.
Ellie didn’t offer hot takes — she offered clarity. And above all else, authenticity.
It was a smart, focused, and genuinely useful conversation, and one of those episodes that reminds you why this show exists in the first place: to slow things down just enough to think clearly in a world that’s constantly trying to rush us past the truth.
It was also our largest show to date, with nearly a thousand of you joining us in the live and offering your insights in the chat. Huge thanks to each and every one of you who chimed in and listened along, including This Will Hold, Nick Paro, Neurodivergent Hodgepodge, Dr. Amber Hull, Stephanie G Wilson, PhD, and well, over 900 others.
We love you all—truly!—mean it!
