The Girl with the Duck Tattoo — Sarma Melngailis Writes her Own Story After "Bad Vegan"

She had a thriving restaurant, a cult following, and a mission to change the way people eat. Then, almost overnight, Sarma Melngailis became the woman at the center of Bad Vegan — a Netflix scandal that made headlines but missed the real story. Now, in her brand-new memoir The Girl with the Duck Tattoo, Sarma is reclaiming the narrative. And in this in-person interview — recorded live in New York City — she opens up to me like never before. This episode isn’t about viral fame or courtroom drama. It’s about the slow unraveling of identity, how coercive control works, what it takes to survive psychological abuse, and how one woman is writing her way back to herself. 💡 Why it matters: This isn’t just a story about scandal. It’s a story about control, recovery, and how smart women can still be broken down — and also built back up.