Ep 375 Mica Francis: Profiling John-Paul Miller with Rich McHugh, Part 6

Mica Francis died trying to leave John Paul Miller. She documented what was happening to her, called the Police at least 14 times, retained an attorney and filed for divorce. Less than a day after Mica’s death, John-Paul Miller stood before his congregation and announced her death, while simultaneously shaping a narrative about Mica and her mental health. Serious alarm bells went off for both Laura and award-winning investigative journalist and NewsNation correspondent, Rich McHugh. 

Former NBC investigative producer Rich McHugh, working with Ronan Farrow, exposed Harvey Weinstein at great personal and professional cost. You will hear more about that in this episode as well as how Rich quickly gained the trust of Mica’s family and ultimately secured an extraordinary sit-down interview with John-Paul Miller in July 2024. 

In this episode you will learn:  

How Rich’s previous investigations into Harvey Weinstein and Hillsong influenced his response when Mica’s story first emerged 

Why victim-centred reporting matters and how Rich approached Mica’s family 

The starkly different narratives Rich heard from Mica’s family and John-Paul Miller 

How Rich secured the interview with Miller after months of communication 

What Miller sent Rich privately before the interview 

Why Rich decided to let Miller talk rather than begin with confrontational questions 

What Rich noticed about Miller before he had even asked his first question 

Why Miller may have wanted to speak publicly and control the narrative 

Laura’s behavioural analysis of key moments during the interview