Season 14, Episode 3
Samantha C.
Age: 24
Location: Battle Creek, Michigan
Addiction: Heroin
What’s memorable: The horrifying things she went through as a girl, her not knowing that Hep C is sexually transmitted, and that long and brutal intervention. The fact that Ken actually let her shoot up just so she could sit through the intervention, and then when he got real pissy at her for making them miss 2 flights because of her disruptive behavior. The follow up was a relief, and very unexpected.
Official Synopsis: The anguished family of a former soccer prodigy hope an intervention is the push this 24-year-old needs to stop using drugs and giving up a dangerous lifestyle that includes prostitution.
Original Air Date: April 2015
Interventionist: Ken
What really bugged me the most about this episode in terms of the family and their awful, awful response to this catastrophic failure of parenting — was the father. He was basically disowning any responsibility for the whole incident with Samantha’s soccer friends, and saying that it wasn’t his fault, and that he didn’t do anything wrong and that he “tried” to tell her to stay away. He had the nerve to imply he never indulged in talking to that little girl and deflected all the blame on her and claimed it was all one-sided, which I find just really questionable, but I guess we will never know the full story. I just don’t understand how an adult can allow that to happen in the first place and put blame on a child.
But ho-lee moly, this poor girl. I hope she’s doing alright. That disease she has, left untreated, will do some serious damage. Hoping she’s on some sort of medication to keep it at bay. That’s terrible.
I’m the last person in the world to stick up for a pedo, but I disagree that he was disowning ALL responsibility. It seemed to me like he knew he fucked up and was ashamed and apologetic about it. I do agree that he’s pretty sick to be putting any blame at all on the girl though, which he definitely did. “She kept pulling me back in.” Creep.
Agreed… He even apologized for his actions during the intervention.
More people need to step up and be responsible instead of blaming everyone and everything else.
Hey I just hope Sam if I can call u that I just hope u r doing good and staying sober I’m a recovering addicte too not heroin meth it’s still a drug I just want to here from Sam I just hope u r doing good
He blamed the child involved for his actions. Watch his interview again. He is not accepting responsibility.
No, he downplayed and deflected in his interviews when Samantha wasn’t there. He does not really think what he did was wrong. He’s just mad he was caught and upset that it had an effect on the people around him. Selfish jerk.
He said what he had to say to Samantha to help her but yeah, he’s a pig through and through.
I think it took huge courage for him to speak on it at all and be judged by the entire world
Brittany, it didn’t take courage. He didn’t choose to speak on it, he was directly asked and knew he had no choice because everyone else had already talked about it on camera.
HARDEST disagree POSSIBLE. That part where he said, “it was twisted into something that it wasn’t” and “there was plenty of evidence where I said we couldn’t talk (to the SEVERAL girls he was talking to) anymore” should tell you all you need to know about how much responsibility he took. He mathematically couldn’t have taken LESS responsibility. Any and all apologies after that are null and void for me at that point. I respect your right to have an opinion, but I have some problems with how you worded this.
Omg me too that’s sad how he blamed her she was only 12 years old
I liked Samantha, she seems really cool. After what she went through, it’s easy to see how she ended up where she did.
I kind of liked Ken’s hissy fit. But even after all the drama with the plane, I thought it was really telling when she got to rehab and said that the people there were so nice, it was just that she didn’t want to be there. That comment struck me as very mature. She’s a brave girl and I wish her the best.
Also, when the intervention itself starts with like 25 min of run time left, you know it’s gonna be brutal!
SO TRUE
Also, can we talk about her shooting toilet water when she was at the airport?! And two flights missed?! If Candy were handling this intervention, she wouldn’t have put up with any of that!
It was shocking back when I saw Charles do it (season 4?)…this time I was just like, I guess this is a thing??
Well, Sammy probably used the toilet to keep out of public view. If she had used the sink, anyone could see the syringe and see what she is doing. Still, she could have gotten water elsewhere.
When you’re hooked on dope…nothing matters…not even your own health…people will do anything for their next fix (not all people) but when it comes down to being desperate.. You’ll likely throw all morals out the window
Definitely a thing, brought on by prohibition and criminalization. Injection is a process, and when your options for privacy are slim (especially when being spotted could mean getting thrown in cuffs), you’re more likely to take the risk of exposure to biohazards because it’s not as immediate of a threat (and if you’re badly addicted to opiates, short term rewards are kind of your life). In the absence of supervised injection clinics, people tend to rush through injections and subsequently wind up with all kinds of bacterial infections which often don’t get treated because drug users are fearful of medical professionals, if they have access healthcare at all. All this to say that yes, it’s gross; yes, it reflects a certain level of desperation; but before blaming the drug or scorning the addict, let’s examine the social conditions that drive people to such extreme acts in the first place, versus maligning their moral character.
Laura – I really appreciate your insight into the societal issues involved with addiction that doesn’t often reach the surface on intervention. I personally believe that all drugs need to be decriminalized if we as a world society ever expect to end the stigma, shame, humiliation surrounding addiction that lead to a lack of healthcare – both physical and emotional – for addicts. Many drug addicts have psychological issues first, drugs second, commonly used as a coping mechanism to deal with the pain that they are facing. I know this first hand. I have been suffering with many psychological issues since I was about 8 years old. Opiates finally gave me a much needed sigh of relieve. I have tried about 25+ medications of various sorts to help with my ADHD, anxiety, depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and panic attacks, with little to no success for nearly all meds. Some even make me worse. Of course the ones that do help are controlled substances such as klonopin, which comes with stigma and shame of its own. So I choose between relieve from my anxiety, PTSD, and social tension, or the stigma and shame of being a heroin addict on medications like klonopin, as well as methadone, which also comes with stigma and shame of being unable to kick opiates without the help of medications. I appreciate your viewpoint and realistic yet understanding point of view.
I almost felt like I should have changed my handle for this comment, haha. Anyway, I really feel for this girl. And I really feel for Ken. Pretty sure I’ve seen it mentioned before, but he always gets the doozies! It was also interesting to me that her and I share a name, are the same age, and both come from MI. Truly, I hope that she is doing well and wish her nothing but happiness in her life.
This was as bad (if not worse) than Crazy Cristy…another famous Ken Seeley doozie! At least Cristy made it on the plane on the first try (although she had to be drugged!)
I have watched every single episode of Intervention – some more than once. And I am no prude, believe me. But I was super uncomfortable with the audio of Samantha having sex. I can’t recall another episode where this occurred. And it was twice in this one. Anyone else bugged out about this? I don’t really know why I am as I get the show is about letting us see what these people’s lives are really like and it’s what makes it so valuable. I think I was just surprised as that was a new angle I wasn’t expecting.
I also was disturbed by the level of co-dependency on display by Samantha’s mom. Her letter at the end made me cringe. The end note saying that mom and Samantha’s sister were going to move to Texas didn’t hit me as a positive step. I hope that the whole family is able to engage in the work of recovery.
I’m with you. That was disturbing and unnecessary. They definitely haven’t done that before.
Totally agree… It was highly unsettling hearing those sounds. Especially on the second one.
Her dad was definitely minimizing what he did wrong during that interview. He was not taking responsibility, but placing blame on a 12 year-old, for God’s sake! I agree with the comments that the soundtrack of her with her John was completely unnecessary and disturbing. I hope she is doing well.
SERIOUSLY, what was that all about? The sad truth is that so many of the female addicts portrayed on these shows have turned to sex to support their habit but you rarely see or God forbid HEAR the clients. I feel like Samantha was probably one of the most raw, exposed intervention episodes I’ve ever seen. I’d hate to think that would be humiliating for her after she got sober…
I’m glad I’m not the only one who was totally creeped out by that. Just knowing how low they’ve had to stoop to feed their addiction is sad enough, the noises were just unnecessary.
I know this is a delayed comment, I like to watch the DVR’d epi’s with wife and 12 yo daughter, however I screen them first so the more salient live audio of her in the room was FFwd. Anyways, cannot agree more, A&E really needs to exercise some discretion here, these producers know damn well what they are including, and excerpting. They really should be ashamed for retraumatizing her by airing those sounds. Absolutely disgusted. But, that’s reality TV, no person is too good to NOT be exploited for whatever scene. Perhaps the producers could GET A CLUE, and realize that people who watch these episodes, and are “emotionally invested”, watch because it is real what they are going through, and real what they are overcoming, and how they are overcoming, because the prognosis for victims of sexual abuse (like myself), who medicate to avoid the pain (like myself), is dismal.
I would give anything for a rehab like that, no intervention required, so am so very happy when people “make it”, whether it’s one day, one year or a decade, every day is a new day, and for those of us who spent years crying out to God, for just one-more-chance, well, we really do appreciate and relish every moment of sobriety, and making decisions and doing things with a clear head, and a clear conscience.
And not being ashamed to look your children and wife in the eye, and to be able to say, at least for right now, the ONLY time on Earth that matters, that all is well and we are truly blessed, and thank you God, for just One. More. Chance.
Because it is not how many times you fall or have fallen. Just get up and start anew. All you will ever have is today. Godspeed Samantha! Thank you for sharing with us….
” Mike”
Agreed. TMI! it became less about the causes of her addiction, and more about “shock” 🙁
I completely agree with you. We all knew what Samantha was doing. We didn’t need the sound effects to go along with it.
I think Kristen from West VA/Baltimore may have had some audio while prostituting but I can’t 100% recall- either way, it was definitly unexpected..and uncomfortable.
100 percent! I really can’t help but feel, after watching the earlier seasons and now on season 14, that things took an unnecessarily tawdry turn. I mean the show is still head and shoulders above every other “reality” type show but yeah. Totally unnecessary.
If there ever was a woman in need of an intervention, it was Samantha. I hope she is doing well. According to the Intervention facebook, a friend of her said she has been clean since the intervention. I also looked at her new facebook compared to her old facebook (which she seemed to use to help find Johns) and it looks like she is doing much better. I think I spent most of the episode in shock …the fact that she shot up with toilet water, snorted drugs openly in the airport, that she didn’t know Hep C could be spread by sex, her “monthly specials”, and the sounds of her trickin…wow. that episode was the realest.
I loved this episode! I’m so proud of this girl. I would love to see how she is now! Can someone post her face book link please!
Samantha had a certain fight inside her that I so admire. Yes, Ken felt it’s sting at the airport. But she wasn’t going to hide anything, sugar coat one thing, about her addiction, her family or her abuse.
I wonder sometimes if that sheer determination to fight for self, even if all that self wants is drugs, might be what ultimately saves many addicts during recovery. If that fight can be switched towards healing rather than using, then the battle is mostly won. It’s surprising to see how many of these Intervention addicts who fight the hardest against going to rehab end up the biggest successes.
Unlike so many Intervention addicts, Samantha didn’t build a fantasy world to make her queen of her kingdom of addiction. She was a true realist. I sort of love her for that. You go girl!
One other thing, in response to the above about Samantha’s father, he both did and didn’t recognize the effect of his previous actions on Samantha. He said during the intervention that he knew that his sexual texts with her team mates were linked to Samantha’s rape. No shit, dude. But he obviously, personally, thinks that it was no big deal – blown out of proportion. Having a father myself who would flirt with my friends, comment on their bodies, from the time I was 12 or 13, it warped my sense of healthy sexuality. No, I wasn’t raped, but hanging out with an older man who offered me Jager bombs would have been in my wheelhouse at the time. Thankfully, I was so angry, so against any overt expressions of any prettiness or sexuality as a defense, that I would have scared anyone who tried to touch me. It could have just as easily gone in another direction, as it did with Sam, where male predation seemed the natural course of things. Isn’t this what all men do, just like daddy?
No, that is not “what all men do”. Some of us are honorable. Some of us despise what others do to take advantage of the vulnerable. I know plenty of men who would do no such thing.
She wasn’t saying that’s what all men do, I believe she was commenting on how victims of childhood sexual abuse by men often go through their lives believing that men just want to use them sexually and that their body is all they have of any value.
Thank you for being the kind of man that would not hurt or take advantage of women sexually or otherwise. I wish there were more males who would be willing to stand up and say that. I know most guys would never do that but they don’t stand up for it either. I could relate so much to this episode. I am a rape victim and after that, felt I couldn’t say no and arguably was raped multiple times after that. I turned to heroin myself to self medicate. I’ve since realized that my childhood was very traumatic in part because of my moms narcissistic personality disorder. She flirts with any guy she can, including teenagers and her 30 year wedding anniversary is in less than a month. Her abuse is so insidious and conniving. I’m on methadone which has helped my heroin addiction tremendously but my mental health is still really in bad shape. I’ve had depression and ADHD since I was 8 and PTSD since before the rape but I wasn’t diagnosed until after the rape. I hope Samantha is doing well! I really can feel for her and will keep her in my prayers.
Nicole, thanks for sharing pieces of your story. I’m so glad you found this site. I encouraging you to keep commenting, and I really hope that you find your way to a path that makes you happy and hopeful.
Hey Dizzy, I just saw this message you left me from when I found this site 1.5 years ago. I want to thank you for putting it together. It has allowed me to get out a lot of the thoughts I have on addiction in an uplifting and constructive environment without judgment. Since my views don’t always align with the pervading method of treatment, I don’t always feel comfortable sharing. It’s also helped me to share my story with people who have been through similar things. Again, thank you for your support and for putting together this site 🙂
As I watched this I was totally shocked at how much this poor girl was predated by men. It was sickening how she was treated. But there is something really creepy about that mother of hers.
When she was talking about the rape, she seems to glib or nonchalant in how she explained it. It just wasn’t a normal reaction for any normal mother. If that ever happened to any of my sisters my Mom would never, EVER be able to hide her rage while talking about it, no matter how long ago it happened. And this is the same with every woman that I know as well.
There’s something about Samantha’s mother that bothers me at a gut level in her reaction to Samantha’s rape for Christ’s sake.
I don’t think it was a good idea for Samantha to have that mother and her sister living around her.
I think it was more of a “and if enough bad s*** didn’t happen to her, then this”. Like that was the straw that broke the camel’s back; just when you think it couldn’t get worse, it did, FML. That’s how I read into her reaction.
I am a rape victim and my entire family blamed me for being raped because if i “could’ve would’ve should’ve” done this then that never would’ve happened. It is shocking how many victims are blamed for being raped. It took me two years to realize it was a “real” rape and I wasn’t just making it up and over exaggerating and it took my family until literally two weeks ago (7 years) to finally acknowledge it was real. I turned to heroin myself after that to numb away the pain and that is why I can relate to this so much.
After all this girls been through was all that cleavage necessary on the follow up? It seems the crew treated her as bad as all the other men, sex sounds, cleavage, etc
Funny, the shirt caught my attention too. It wasn’t few sizes too small, when she obviously had put on some weight (no judgement, she looks good), but I was like…do they not give you new clothes in rehab? At least for your TV interview, jeez.
She sure gave Ken a hard time at the airport. I feel like it wasn’t necessarily handled well, but at least they finally got her to treatment.
I didn’t see the whole episode. Did her father molest her? I never was able to ascertain what acts the father committed.
No, her father didn’t molest her. He had an inappropriate relationship with a very young girl on Samantha’s soccer team, I think around the time Samantha was 12. She was later raped by the father of one of her friends.
This episode kinda made me realize this show is a show….how the hell did they let her in the airport with “paraphernalia” She got high in the airport terminal. and then produced a needle and used the toilet water? How did she get past security? oh wait, she had a camera crew and producers…mmmm?
overall, I liked that episode, because SHE finally went to rehab:) on her own:)
On my way to rehab, I unknowingly boarded a plane with several syringes and heroin paraphenilia in my luggage and it made it through security no problem…thankfully! I had hidden it so well I forgot I had it in a shoe and accidentally packed it.
People sneak all kinds of drugs through airport security and get away with it.
I realize this is 3 years too late but I just wanted to say that there are bathrooms BEFORE you go past security. I’m assuming that’s where she did the last of her dope. You’d be surprised at what some people do in those bathrooms sometimes.
Hi! I hope ur ok
Poor little sister, Kennedy. My prayers go out to her. I hope she doesn’t follow the same path her sister took.
can’t find the follow up on this girl. Would love to see how she is doing, she seems like one of the one that will make it despite of all her obstacles. She is a fighter. Can anyone link the follow up for me. Thanks.
Was anyone else confused as to how this girl was able to not only sneak heroin and a syringe into an airport but also publicly snort heroin and not get arrested? Also am I the only one who thinks Ken is hot?
Where she shot up at in the airport was before she went through the TSA security checkpoint.
We’re here parents Mormon??
What led you to that question?
I have to agree with the above posters on being disgusted by the audio of her having sex with a John. I thought about it while watching and honestly as gross as it was for us, in a way I think it was more for the lost young girls out there who might be watching and are in the beginning stages of drug use. It’s raw and unfiltered footage of how bad addiction can get and what you truly go through selling your body. We are so desensitized these days on even a word as rough as prostitute that I think a lot of these young girls don’t realize how gritty that lifestyle really is. Hearing that audio really gives you an idea of what these lost souls go through when selling their bodies for money. It’s not sweet, nice, glamour pjs. It’s not how sex should be. It’s disrespectful, rough and completely lacking in love and feeling. That’s just my .02
Anyone know how samantha is today?
Walter E. Kurtz ????
What was with her digging in her butt for a confusingly long time after her “day 2” interview at the treatment center? Lots of grossness in this one. Good luck, Sam. Miracles happen.
I was wondering that too. I honestly thought she was going to pull some dope out of there.
Do we know if she’s still alive? Hoping she is, and praying she’s enjoying life and giving back to others.
She is alive… I wouldn’t say she is giving back. But she isn’t on a great path. Back and forth
How do we know this? Do you know her? She was so near death or worse… would really like to know what came of her.
I just have to say this: I am a recovering opiate addict. I have almost 2 years. I hear a lot of addicts say the reason they use is because of their childhood. I have a very sad
childhood story. But the truth is I would have used even if
I had a super childhood. I have the addiction gene. I
blamed my parents when I was using. Truth is it became
an excuse to use! I hope Sam stays sober & gets real
with herself! The drug life was looking really harsh for
her! I think if she relapsed, she would die!
I love Samantha C.
Hope this girl stayed clean. It was hard watching her episode and seeing her lashing out at her family along with the prostituting.
Found her Mom’s FB and it looks like she is not doing well. Her posted something that she hadn’t seen her since 2016, according to a picture.
Does anybody have an update on Samantha? Her story really had an impact on me as I was on the same exact path…shooting heroin and cocaine, drinking like a fish and also tricking to support my habit. I eventually was arrested for prostitution and the cops were literally LAUGHING at me as I screamed “I WANT TO SPEAK TO A LAWYER ASAP!” and they dumped my purse out on the bed and found my needles and spoons. I was dope sick as hell and had a GUT FEELING at the hotel door that this trick had something up his sleeve but I was so beyond sick and wanted the money so badly, I ignored all signs he was a decoy for the cops and proceeded on. The cop actually let me go down on him and it was all on tape so I got off with a years probation and surprisingly no drug testing. I got on suboxone shortly after and it saved my life. I’ve had a few relapses over the years but currently have 4 years clean and I’m back on suboxone. I also take Valium and Xanax for PTSD due to childhood trauma as well as rape trauma. I wish Samantha nothing but the best!
Found her Facebook in the hopes that I would find her doing much better, sadly that doesn’t quite seem like the case. I was rooting for her hard and hopefully her life will become better before she loses it to drugs.
https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100039028515837
Wow! She looks like she’s been hitting hard since her intervention. I’m sad to see her like this and the fundraiser she set up for people to give her money. With all that she said, she seems to be a lot worse than she was. I hope she finds a way out soon before it’s too late.
Omg I feel so bad for her sister and yet, I just checked out her Facebook and you can already tell she is super wild for her age. So sad.
https://m.facebook.com/kennedy.rupert.98?pn_ref=ec_friends_card
Oh man that’s super sad, looks like she is taking right after her big sister. I mean, I would say barely open eyes would probably be a good sign she’s using some sort of dope. And, just based on looks alone, are we at all certain the mom wasn’t using?
My thoughts exactly!
Honestly her profile picture looks like a lot of teenagers. Eyes closed/half open is a trend
Most recent Facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/sammyc1720
She is not doing so hot. So sad to see, wish I hadn’t even looked her up after watching her episode. Looked inter her younger sister too, not sure how old she is, maybe 15? Looks like she smokes a lot of weed but is doing alright otherwise. Saw a weird update about her dad going to jail last year and want to look into that more!!! Seems like this girl relapsed really hard, which sucks, but also seems like she wants to get better now. I hope she gets help, I really do.
I would’ve liked to seen Seth handle this one and call out Samantha’s disgusting father. That being said, Ken is amazing and handles these explosive interventions very well.
She looks super rough. It’s sad seeing someone who is about my age look so old and worn out.
This was the most disgusting episode I’ve ever watched. I’m not surprised in the least that she’s relapsed. Very sad.
Comments like that is why addicts lose hope, don’t be so fucking rude and judgmental. You can obviously tell you have no experience with these issues first hand!
Amen! Everyone deserves a second chance, sometimes a third and fourth. If an addict is alive, theres hope!
Wow your really negative. If you have nothing but negative things to say then maybe you shouldn’t comment cause if you were her and read your comment I’m sure you wouldn’t feel too good.
https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100065289110830&pn_ref=friends_search
Her new Facebook
https://law.justia.com/cases/michigan/court-of-appeals-unpublished/2004/20040615-c247514-33-247514-opn.html
Found the case involving her dad. Sickening.
So sad. She looks worse now than she did on the show. She didn’t seem to want to get clean at all though. She was perfectly content with her life as it was.
I’m so sad for her. She looked so good and sounded so positive when she talked to Ken post-Intervention. Now she looks 50 and just done. I hate the comments from guys on her FB telling her she’s be “tasty” and she’s “so beautiful”. What a bunch of scum bags. I wish she’d been able to stay clean.
she is/was on probation in Arkansas. Name changed to Samantha Wiginton. https://www.ark.org/dcc/absconder/index.php/search/detail/0327644
Where can I watch this episode?
On A& E website it is for free. Just watched it. So sad she isn’t better.
Episodes like this are the reason I refuse to watch anything past season 13. The audio of her having sex, the graphic descriptions that producers chose to include of her account of what happened to her, the whole intervention and how it went down, the fact the dad was even INVITED AT ALL? Nope, not having any of it at ALL.
That audio was beyond triggering. It was so upsetting. They should have known better.
I saw this episode years ago. But am now rewatching because I saw Samantha labeled as one of the most unlikabke addicts. I don’t find her unlikabke at all! The devastating trauma she’s experienced breaks my heart. Between a young divorce of her parents, her father being a creep, and then being raped at 12?!!! My heart is shattered for her. She deserved so much better. Then when they show her little sister? Ugh, I hope the sister can turn out okay. But the odds are stacked against her. I really hope Samantha is doing well today. She deserves happiness.