In some ways, There's Something About Miriam was an average reality TV dating show. In a villa in Ibiza, six men competed for a cash prize and the love of a gorgeous Mexican model named Miriam Rivera. But there was also a deeply cruel twist: The show producers had Rivera wait until the final episode to reveal to the contestants that she was a trans woman. Although Rivera was the one who suffered rejection, the contestants collectively filed personal injury lawsuits against the production company post-filming. Still, the show aired on the UK's Sky1 in 2004.
Premiering on November 29, “Harsh Reality,” a new six-part podcast series hosted by Transparent's Trace Lysette, investigates the backstory and controversy behind the show, and tells Miriam Rivera's story in a new light. Listen to a newly released trailer below.
Rivera, who died in 2019 at the age of 38, was the first ever openly trans reality TV star.
“Like many trans women from the 90s era and before, Miriam was a woman ahead of her time; a diamond in the rough that the world couldn’t appreciate in the way she deserved," Lysette said in a press release. "I had the pleasure of knowing Miriam through NYC nightlife and the ballroom scene. She was a part of the House of Xtravaganza when I was earning my stripes in the House of Angel in the early 00’s. She was always kind to me and I feel honored to help bring this podcast about her life to the listeners. I hope she can finally be celebrated and appreciated for the pioneer that she was.”
Harsh Reality is written by Agnes Borinsky and produced by Eleanor Biggs. It's executive producers are Max O’Brien and Morgan M. Page for Novel and George Lavender, Marshall Lewy and Jen Sargent for Wondery. If you want to listen to it sooner than November 29, the show is out now for Wondery+ subscribers.
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