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Allen Salkin

@allensalkin

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Creator of the Investigative Podcast Gerbil

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Attended by @glennclose @cf_losjavis_ and @sophie.pelosi , The premiere of @labolanegrafilm @newfest featured a full screen ad for #GERBIL from me and @hollywoodreporter

La Bola Negra is a @netflix @netflixfilm premiering with a long theatrical run. by @allensalkin

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2 days ago

Love @pratts_pets_mesa ! But beware biting hamsters!

hollywoodreporter Gerbils have been illegal in California since 1924. So how did this species of rodent become central to an infamous urban legend?
In this week's episode of THR's podcast series,
'GERBIL,' investigative reporter Allen Salkin @allensalkin) road-trips to Arizona to meet real gerbils, becomes a casualty of a nasty hamster, consults Sigmund Freud, and calls up New York's "Rat Czar" to sort out smuggling logistics.
Listen to episode 6 on all podcast networks, with new episodes every Thursday.
8 minutes ago by @allensalkin

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Got to have the amazing journalist @allensalkin on the pod today to talk about his new podcast Gerbil which is one of my favorite pods of the year. I really loved this conversation and i hope you’ll check it out and then go listen to his pod. It’s so worth it. Also, we start with a mini roundup talking about Selma Blair and more! Link to the epsiode in my stories. Image by @maritza.gif by @allensalkin

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What is "gerbiling?" In episode five of 'GERBIL, @hollywoodreporter new podcast series, investigative reporter Allen Salkin (@allensalkin) dives in to determine what is urban legend what is an actual medical phenomenon.

Listen on all podcast networks, with new episodes every Thursday. by @allensalkin

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9 days ago

Who was that silver fox at Allen Salkin's party celebrating his hit @hollywoodreporter podcast GERBIL? It couldn't have been a certain pretty man, could it? The party at @writers_room near NYU certainly was in the Greenwich Village neighborhood where Richard Gere lived for decades, not far from the old St. Vincents hospital... curious!

Guests included many contributors to the 12-episode investigative series and other media luminaries including #alexandrapelosi, @vcr.ideasmyth @jsancton @cassieslaneofficial @iamrachellithgow @jamesbraly @mcaldecutt @rexsorgatz @jenmacgil @freedomwarriortribe taken in The Writers Room by @allensalkin

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13 days ago

Back on the East End for @hamptonsfilm #hiff34 #hiff2026 taken in East Hampton, New York by @allensalkin

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15 days ago

🎙️🐹When one of your best friends executive produces a new podcast, you go to its launch party in NYC! (Even if she’s in LA.) Congratulations Aliza Rosen @ayr_media on another brilliant project - and so great meeting you @allensalkin . Hollywood Reporter is also part of this “Gerbil” podcast.

Yes, it’s THAT gerbil…lol. Allan is a seasoned journalist who investigates how rumors start and why we believe them—it’s fascinating and hilarious. I highly recommend. (Just don’t listen with kids in the car.)😂

#hollywood #gerbil #podcast #rumors #journalist taken in The Writers Room by @allensalkin

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17 days ago

When you hear the word 'gerbil,' what's the first thing that comes to mind?⁠
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In this week's episode of 'GERBIL,' THR's new podcast series about the rumor that went viral before the internet, investigative reporter Allen Salkin (@allensalkin) takes on "Gerbil Rumor Infection Syndrome."⁠
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Listen on all podcast networks, with new episodes every Thursday. by @allensalkin

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Hollywood Rumors Can Kill A Career! Juicy Crimes up now! I’m joined by journalist Allen Salkin to dive into his new Hollywood Reporter podcast, Gerbil, which investigates the origins of the infamous, long-running Hollywood urban legend surrounding Richard Gere. We trace my own vivid memory of hearing the wild ER rumor back in the summer of 1989 and break down how pre-internet viral rumors, celebrity gay panic, mass media psychology, and deep-seated Hollywood jealousy fuel these unstoppable urban legends. Along the way, we connect it to the mechanics of public lies, touching on his Vanity Fair work behind Bad Vegan, Hilaria Baldwin’s accent controversy, and even my own personal experience facing a career-damaging, completely false tabloid rumor during my Chelsea Lately days. #juicycrimes #rumors #lies #hollywood #scandal @allensalkin by @allensalkin

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Our guest this week is Allen Salkin, creator of the new podcast series “Gerbil.” He and Dan analyze the persistence of the insane sex myth that you’ve probably heard about. Do people still believe it? They go into the dark motivations that allowed such a preposterous rumor to live on and on. "Gerbil" is out now, and you should drop everything to listen to it RIGHT AFTER listening to this week's Lovecast! by @allensalkin

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19 days ago

Wow! Obama, Tom Hanks and me. Wow. ... Listen to GERBIL from @ayr_media and @hollywoodreporter and me. by @allensalkin

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19 days ago

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word "gerbil?" If you're Gen X, chances are it involves Richard Gere.

I interviewed @allensalkin about the making of Gerbil, a new podcast made in collaboration with @hollywoodreporter. His epic 12-episode project digs deep into Gen X's most notorious urban legend and emerges with a story about sex, anxiety, and lies—and the culture that feeds the beast.

Geezermagazine.substack.com/p/gerbil-yes-that-gerbil by @allensalkin

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