Jacob Haendel has been handed a death sentence. He has a terminal progressive disease that's eating away at the white matter of his brain. In six months, he'll be dead. As the months progress, Jake slips into a coma, laying there in total darkness. But something odd has happened... Jake is fully conscious. Nobody knows that he can hear them. They’re certain he's no longer in there. With the promise that Jake will never recover, friends and family visit less and less. Until there is just one person left. A person who begins to whisper strange admissions in his ear. It is here, helpless in his hospital bed, that Jake realizes what may have gotten him here in the first place. The scariest thing in the room is no longer the potential of dying, but rather, the person sitting right next to him. This is Blink, the untold true story and survival of Jacob Haendel.
Blink is part of The Binge - subscribe to The Binge to get new episodes of Blink one week early and all episodes completely ad-free.
From serial killer nurses to psychic scammers – The Binge is your home for true crime stories that pull you in and never let go.
Follow The Binge Crimes and The Binge Cases wherever you get your podcasts to get new stories on the first of the month, every month. Hit ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Blink show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com.
The Binge – feed your true crime obsession.
Chart trend
Position in the True Crime chart (US), last 90 days.
#1#75#148JunJulAugSep
#1
all-time peak
34
days in the top 3 since Feb 2025
Latest episodes
Showing 20 · updated from the feed
The Snare, from ABC News
Today, we have something a little different for you: it’s the first episode of The Snare, from ABC News and 20/20.
The Snare examines the gruesome murder of 18-year-old
Jul 7 30 min
Out Now: Crime Scene Weekly — Unforgettable True Crime Stories
From The Binge, Crime Scene plunges you into stories you can’t stop thinking about—revisiting cases that deserve a second look.
Join Jonathan Hirsch (My Fugitive Dad,
Mar 26 1 min
BLINK Q&A: You Asked, Jake Answers Part 2
Hannah Smith sits down with Jake Haendel to answer the questions listeners have been waiting for—what really happened behind the scenes, why the show suddenly paused, and
Dec 23 2025 58 min
BLINK Q&A: You Asked, Jake Answers Part 1
Journalist Hannah Smith hosts an intimate BLINK Q&A with Jake Haendel, responding to listener questions submitted across platforms. Jake revisits locked-in syndrome, the
Dec 23 2025 52 min
Work in Progress
In the final episode of Blink, Jake brings us into his world today, offering a raw, powerful look at what healing truly means—and what comes after survival.
Content warn
Jun 8 2025 49 min
The Proxy Trap
Jake’s search for answers pulls him into the unsettling world of Munchausen by proxy—a rare, insidious form of abuse where illness is manufactured for attention. And as h
Jun 1 2025 42 min
Bad Batch
Jake’s long-held theory—that his illness wasn’t accidental—takes a jarring turn when a Facebook message arrives from someone he’s never met.
Content warning: Drug use/ab
May 25 2025 48 min
One-Hundred Pound Baby
As old memories resurface and old connections are rekindled, Jake starts to suspect that someone in his inner circle may have been orchestrating far more than just his ca
May 18 2025 39 min
An Update on Blink
A brief update on our upcoming episodes, tips for accessing past episodes, and how to send in your questions for our Q&A episode.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
May 4 2025 1 min
The Silent Witness
Jake’s case exposed an unsettling reality: countless patients may be fully aware, yet locked inside unresponsive bodies—misdiagnosed and dismissed. But just as medicine s
Apr 27 2025 39 min
Signed, Sealed, Silenced
What started as a straightforward effort to move on spiraled into a bitter and complicated divorce—one that called Jake’s right to share his own story into question. As t
Apr 20 2025 34 min
Dude, Where’s my Sperm?
As Jake lay locked-in and unable to move or speak, a sperm sample was taken without his explicit consent, sparking a complex legal and ethical battle that would stretch f
Apr 13 2025 33 min
The Resurrection of Jake
Alone and abandoned in a hospital, Jake is forced to focus on his recovery. That is, until a single phone number suddenly pops into his mind. A phone call sets off a chai
Mar 16 2025 39 min
Blink Twice
Against all odds, Jake was alive. In the depths of suffering, he discovered an extraordinary power within himself—the will to survive. But survival wasn’t the only battle
Mar 9 2025 49 min
Making Peace with Death
Jake was given just six months to live, and now that deadline is closing in. As his body is wracked by a series of violent autonomic storms, his hospice nurse fears the w
Mar 2 2025 34 min
Heroin or Heroine
Jake meets the woman who would soon become his wife. The two embark on a whirlwind romance, but life is anything but easy. Jake is an addict, and his addiction to heroin
Feb 23 2025 41 min
Wayward Son
How does a man like Jake find himself with only six months to live? Friends and family give us a glimpse into Jake’s past—a childhood that seemed ordinary until everythin
Feb 16 2025 51 min
Locked-In
If the disease doesn’t kill Jake, the medical system just might. As his condition worsens, he endures brutal treatment and increasing isolation while tensions explode bet
Feb 9 2025 39 min
Blink
Jake Haendel knows something isn’t right—his body and mind feel disconnected in a way he can’t explain. That realization hits hardest at the worst possible moment... in t
Feb 2 2025 35 min
Blink - Coming February 2nd
Heroin. Secrets. Deadly Betrayal. The untold story of Jake Haendel. Unlocking February 2nd.
https://www.blinkthepodcast.com/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podc
Nov 14 2024 1 min
Chart positions
Where Blink | Jake Haendel's Story ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 12, 2026).
A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.
Truly unique, captivating, and incredibly well told. I shared this with so many people, which has not been something I’ve felt the urge to do in a very long time. On ep.10 and can’t even imagine what else there is.
Jake- you are a wonder 🩷
Bethieliza · Jun 2025
I appreciate their honesty and vulnerability throughout the episodes. Well written, inspiring story - even without the whole Ellen situation.
6887elmt · Jun 2025
It’s a great podcast, at first. Really fascinating and a very interesting story with an amazing central character. But it veers into click bait, teasing and teasing each new episode but it feels like it ended several episodes ago but they’re intentionally drawing it out. At this point (episode 13) I just don’t care enough to continue following.
gregorhalenda · Jun 2025
jake has an amazing story and i really appreciated how raw he could be and how he didn't try to polish up the truth. that said, host corrine seemed like she was doing a bad impression of journalistic objectivity which often came across as actively defending jake's ex. having an experience with postpartum and making the choices this woman did are not the same and it was wild to hear her continue to compare the two. i hope jake meets a real journalist i would listen to this entire story again but with a better cohost.
ohgodireveiwedsomething · Jun 2025
Very sad to rate so low but COME ON. This was advertised as true crime, was heavily hinted at that his wife was poisoning him and confessed to it while he was “locked in” but there’s no such crime. Medically interesting but I’m frustrated that I’ve spent so much time on this for zero true crime drama or even an interesting twist. Sadly can’t recommend.
Shmandace8675309 · Jun 2025
I visited Gatlinburg as a kid and stumbled across Earthquake: The Ride -- a rickety attraction hyped by a "customer" outside as thrilling and terrifying. Turns out it was a slow 3-minute shuffle down 10 feet of track while a guy manually shook the floor and TVs played earthquake footage. We were duped.
This podcast is the same. Big promise, slick marketing, zero payoff.
Despite its compelling premise and dramatic setup, it meanders endlessly. Whole episodes drift into Wikipedia-like tangents (locked-in syndrome, Munchausen-by-proxy) that add nothing to the plot. The host constantly marvels at how "crazy" Jake’s life is, and to be certain his medical journey was extraordinary, but it feels like a slow misdirection of the podcast's promised premise.
And here's the kicker: THERE'S NO ACTUAL CRIME. Only nebulous accusations. I'm 13 episodes in and still waiting for charges, evidence, anything to justify the "true crime" label.
The narrative leans heavily on the testimony of a former heroin addict and his equally troubled father, with little to no corroboration. The editing is sloppy, the storytelling lazy, and the whole thing feels more like gossip than journalism.
Unless you're looking for background noise or aimless speculation, skip it.
bls_ · Jun 2025
We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.
More podcasts like Blink | Jake Haendel's Story
Popular shows in True Crime, for your next listen.
Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of Blink | Jake Haendel's Story, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.
