Raleigh man's 'Pretend' podcast explores deceptive world of true crime

Javier Leiva has lived in the Carolinas for the past decade.

In 2017, the Raleigh man began hosting the "Pretend" podcast.

"Pretend" is a documentary-style, true crime podcast about real people pretending to be someone else.

In 2024 alone, he surpassed 5 million audio downloads.

Plus, a Spotify billboard featured "Pretend" on a Times Square billboard in New York City.

Leiva spoke with WRAL News' senior multiplatform producer Mark Bergin about how he’s covered con artists, cult leaders and even debunked claims made in the movie “Catch Me If You Can.”

The WRAL Daily Download is an in-depth conversation about a single news story. WRAL covers news across North Carolina every day, but this podcast focuses on one story at a time, bringing context to each conversation. The in-depth, localized podcast takes you into the latest stories from Raleigh, Durham, and the entire Triangle region on North Carolina. This is community news aimed at keeping you informed about the more subtle stories that are happening around you. Hosted by WRAL News journalists, episodes post weekdays by 4:30am.