My rail journeys in these seven countries have varied greatly. I've booked a range of classes on day trips and overnight rides. I've even been on the 21st-century version of a legendary luxury train— the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.
But none of those experiences were as unique as my ride on the Polybahn in Zurich in 2022.
The Polybahn is a funicular, like a train on a steep incline (sometimes called a hillavator). The rails go up and down, making it feel like a slow roller coaster.
I thought the Swiss funicular was a great tourist attraction similar to an aerial tram because you can see a range of views of the surrounding areas. It's also a cool experience for history buffs, as the transportation mode has served Zurich since 1886, according to the company's website.
And for just over $1, it's the cheapest travel activity I've ever paid for — and one of the best.
My journey started at Central Polybahn station in Zurich's Altstadt neighborhood.
Zurich's Central Polybahn station.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
At the station, I used an automated machine to purchase a ticket. One ride cost me $1.30.
Inside, I walked up a set of stairs to the only platform and immediately noticed the tracks were on an incline.
The Polybahn pulled up within minutes.
A Polybahn arrives at a station in Zurich.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
According to the Polybahn website, the train arrives every five minutes. It has two cars that each carry 50 people at a time.
As I stepped on board, I was excited by the car's bold red exterior, wide windows, and unique shape.
I noticed that there were no staff members on board. Since 1996, the train runs automatically.
Inside a Polybahn car in Zurich.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
There were less than a dozen people on board. Some looked like fellow tourists with phones and cameras out; others seemed like locals.
But none were employees. According to the company's website, the Polybahn was upgraded in 1996 and has since operated completely automatically.
From the elevated train, I had wide views of Zurich from start to finish.
Views of Zurich from the Polybahn.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I saw a range of architectural styles, an abundance of greenery, and the hilly streets of the Swiss city from a window seat. A wide window at the back of the train reminded me we were moving up as the tracks sloped downward behind us.
Just two minutes later, my journey was over far too soon.
Views of Zurich from Polyterrasse.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I could have spent at least an hour gazing at the city from the Polybahn, but just two minutes after departure, I arrived at Polyterrasse — a viewing deck at the University of Zurich.
With a panoramic scene of Zurich in front of a mountain range, I had an optimal view of the city I'll never forget.
A B-52 Stratofortress assigned to the 340th Weapons Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., takes off during a U.S. Air Force Weapons School Integration exercise at Nellis AFB, Nev., Nov. 18, 2021.
U.S. Air Force photo by William R. Lewis
Two significant upgrades to the B-52 bombers are facing issues and delays, per a new watchdog report.
The re-engined bombers, for instance, won't be operational until 2033, three years later than expected.
The upgrades are part of a plan to keep the B-52s in service until at least 2050.
Some significant upgrades to the US Air Force's 70-year-old strategic bombers are facing notable issues.
Plans to replace the engines and upgrade the radars of the B-52s now come with a higher price tag, delivery delays, and technology issues, according to a new government watchdog report.
The B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement Program, which seeks to substitute the bombers' older engines with military-configured commercial engines, is now delayed "in part due to funding shortfalls to complete the detailed design," the annual Government Accountability Office report on major US military programs said earlier this week.
Per the report, the B-52 CERP program "has worked with the contractors and submitted budget requests to support critical design review in August 2025 and initial operational capability in mid-fiscal year 2033." Delays are notably "a result of underestimating the level of funding needed to complete the detailed design activities."
That's three years later than the Air Force planned to have the re-engined planes operating. The service first announced plans in 2021to replace the engines on its B-52s — which are out-of-production — with new Rolls-Royce-designed ones. The new engines boast improved fuel usage and easier maintenance.
Pilots from the 2nd Bomb Wing land a B-52 Stratofortress at RAF Fairford, United Kingdom, Sept. 25, 2017 after a mission in support of bomber assurance and deterrence operations.
U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Joshua J. Garcia
Along with the delays, the cost of CERP saw a jump. The program's procurement cost, an initial $8 billion, is now up to around $9 billion, according to the Pentagon's fiscal year 2025 budget, as Inside Defense first reported. Its projected total cost is unclear.
The B-52 Radar Modernization Program also saw a bump in cost due to issues with lab testing, the GAO report said. "Costs grew by 12.6 percent since the program's initial estimate in 2021 due to additional hardware and labor for three integration labs, installation of test equipment, and an additional year of contractor support."
That upgrade involves switching the B-52s over to a new radar that provides greater range and resistance to electronic warfare countermeasures.
Along with the issues with these B-52 programs, GAO's report found that the Department of Defense was, across the board, "still struggling to deliver new technologies quickly, even while faced with constantly evolving threats."
A U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress assigned to the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, arrives on the flightline August 4, 2023, as part of a Bomber Task Force mission at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.
U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Nia Jacobs
For the B-52, the integration of new systems is critical to keeping its B-52s operational for the next few decades. The Air Force plans to keep the planes in service until 2050, almost 100 years after the first B-52 entered service. There are currently 72 active, with some in conventional roles and others still able to serve in a nuclear capacity. Those that are no longer active are in long-term storage at the Air Force's "boneyard" in Arizona.
The Air Force continues to rely on the B-52s for long-range strategic bomber missions, even though they lack the speed of the B-1 Lancers and the stealth of the B-2 Spirits.
Their formidable airframe and durable design keep them in good shape despite continued flights and operations. And updated weapons, communications, and other hardware and software keep the planes modern and capable, as well as make it easier to conduct future upgrades.
Trump has wiped out Biden's cash lead in the race to November.
Donations to the Trump campaign surged in the final two days of may after his felony conviction.
Trump now has a cash advantage over Biden, with $116.6 million on hand versus Biden's $91.6 million.
Donations to the Trump campaign poured in after the former president's felony conviction last month. And now, he has a huge cash advantage over Joe Biden.
For the month of May alone, the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee raised a combined $141 million, The New York Times reported. Meanwhile, the Biden campaign and the Democratic National Committee brought in $85 million for the month, the campaign said.
To Trump's apparent advantage, he spent much of May in Manhattan federal court fighting 34 felony charges for falsifying business records related to his attempt to cover up an alleged affair with porn actress Stormy Daniels. And in the final two days of May — the day he was convicted on all counts and the day after — donations to his campaign surged dramatically.
On those two days, the Trump campaign raked in six times as many large donations as on an average day, Politico reported. And that surge is probably even higher because unitemized contributions under $200 aren't included, nor are ones that hadn't yet been transferred, according to Politico.
April was also a blockbuster month for Trump's fundraising efforts. He started out the month $100 million behind Biden, but by the end, his team had raised $25 million more than Biden's had for the month, according to the Times.
And now, Biden's longstanding cash advantage over Trump has been knocked out. At the end of May, Trump's campaign had $116.6 million on hand, while Biden's had $91.6 million, FEC filings show.
"President Trump's record-breaking fundraising numbers prove Crooked Joe Biden's witch hunts against President Trump, skyrocketing inflation, and the illegal border invasion have united the American people around the fact that another four years of Biden will mean the end of our country," the Trump campaign's communications director, Steven Cheung, said in a statement to Business Insider.
Still, the Biden campaign isn't doing too shabby.
The president's campaign said that May was its second-strongest grassroots month yet, with more than three million donors joining the effort. The Biden team said that combined with the DNC's funds, it had a war chest of $212 million at the start of June. The Trump campaign and the RNC have not tallied their total cash on hand for the same period, but a partial count shows they have a combined $170 million, the Times reported.
Biden has also been spending far more than Trump. In May, Biden's campaign spent $30 million, more than four times as much as Trump's, FEC filings show. Earlier this week, Biden announced a $50 million media blitz that includes a searing attack ad highlighting Trump's conviction.
"The money we continue to raise matters, and it's helping the campaign build out an operation that invests in reaching and winning the voters who will decide this election – a stark contrast to Trump's PR stunts and photo-ops that he's pretending is a campaign," Julie Chavez Rodriguez, the campaign manager for Biden-Harris 2024, said in a press release. "From person-to-person organizing to a historic paid media campaign, we're doing the work to reach and earn the votes needed to win in November."
Harry Jowsey and Jessica Vestal star in "Perfect Match" season two.
Ana Blumenkron / Netflix
Harry Jowsey and Jessica Vestal are one of the most popular couples in "Perfect Match" season two.
Fans previously speculated that the pair dated in 2023.
Here's what we know about their relationship on the show and whether they are still together.
Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Perfect Match" season two.
Netflix reality star Harry Jowsey and "Love Is Blind" fan-favorite cast member Jessica Vestal broke up in the "Perfect Match" season two finale.
In season two, stars from "Squid Game: The Challenge," "Love Is Blind" and other shows date each other to find their perfect match.
The series gives Netflix the opportunity to give fan-favorite reality contestants more screen time while promoting their lesser-known shows like as "The Trust: A Game of Greed" and "Dated & Related."
In season two, Harry, who has a reputation for being a player, arrives in the house and says he is ready to settle down in a serious relationship.
Harry Jowsey and Jessica Vestal were matched together for a date by Kaz Bishop and Micah Lussier in "Perfect Match" season 2.
Courtesy of Netflix
His costars are doubtful, but he perseveres, and in episode three, he couples up with Jessica, who starred in the latest season of "Love Is Blind."
The pair fight in episodes three and five when Jessica questions Harry's honesty after she hears negative comments from other contestants. But Jessica sticks by Harry.
Their relationship gets messy in episode eight, when the male contestants go on a trip away from their partners and meet a group of female contestants.
Harry is caught in a cheating scandal after Melinda Berry accuses him of kissing her off-camera. Harry denies the kisses, but Holly Scarfone says she saw it.
When all the contestants get back to the house, Melinda tells Jessica, and Jessica is unsure who to believe. In the season finale, Jessica decides not to rematch that night, meaning both contestants have to leave the competition.
Even before the season finale, there were clues they were no longer dating. Here's why.
Jessica and Harry were photographed together in Mexico last year
Jessica Vestal and Harry Jowsey competing in a "Perfect Match" couples challenge.
Courtesy of Netflix
Before "Perfect Match" aired fans were already speculating whether Harry and Jessica were dating.
In March, TMZ and PageSix published pictures of Harry and Jessica kissing that they claim were taken in June 2023 in Tulum, Mexico.
However, these photographs may have been taken while the cast was filming "Perfect Match" season two since the series was filmed in Tulum.
Harry confirmed on the latest episode of his podcast, "Boyfriend Material with Harry Jowsey," that the series was filmed in the summer of 2023.
Jessica implied she was single in March.
In March of this year, Jessica seemed to push back on the idea that she was dating someone.
She posted a TikTok, captioning it: "Trust, y'all will know when someone has wifed me up. Let's focus on the ones who actually might be."
It isn't as definitive as "I'm not in a relationship," but certainly points to an ongoing relationship with Harry being unlikely.
In February, Jessica also spoke about another possible non-Harry romance.
She said on the "Viall Files" podcast that she was attracted to a costar from "Love Is Blind" season six.
"I had another strong connection there," Jessica said. "I can't say any names because I'm still trying to sort some things out."
Harry said he broke up with a secret girlfriend last year.
Rylee Arnold and Harry Jowsey dancing salsa in "Dancing With The Stars" season 32.
Christopher Willard/ABC
In the fall of 2023, Harry partnered up with professional dancer Rylee Arnold to compete in "Dancing With The Stars" season 32.
However, fans began speculating that the dancing partners were dating after seeing their chemistry and reading reports that they spent Thanksgiving together.
Harry shut down the rumors at the time, telling Business Insider in November: "I try and ignore it all because I just want to focus on the dancing. If I get distracted with dating stuff and all that stuff, then I'm probably not going to be a good dancer."
In April, Harry said on his podcast, "Boyfriend Material with Harry Jowsey," that he was actually in a secret relationship during the filming of "Dancing With the Stars."
"All those edits kind of brought me and my girlfriend at the time apart," Harry said, referring to TikTok videos that elevated the dating rumors about him and Rylee.
This secret girlfriend could have been Jessica since Harry never reveals the woman's name in the video. But we don't know — and in any case it was over by the time he mentioned it.
"I was madly in love with this girl," Harry said. "It was probably just infatuation, but I thought it was love. Obviously, it ended up ending, and it fizzled out because it's so difficult to see your boyfriend or girlfriend on 'Dancing with the Stars' being that close with someone else."
Harry credited the secret girlfriend for keeping him steady during his sudden rise in fame until they eventually broke up.
Jessica calls Harry a red flag in TikTok videos
Dom Gabriel, Stevan Ditter, Jessica Vestal, Harry Jowsey in "Perfect Match" season two.
Courtesy of Netflix
Throughout "Perfect Match," Jessica's costars warned her of Harry's poor dating history. However, Jessica ignores them and continues to date him.
After the first episodes of "Perfect Match" aired on June 7, Jessica also began calling Harry a "red flag" on TikTok which seems to imply that they are no longer dating.
On Monday, she posted a video with the caption: "When the entire house is telling you that your match is the world's largest red flag but you gotta see it through."
On Sunday, she appeared in another video shared by her "Perfect Match" costar, Micah Lussier, about their partners on the show.
"When everyone warned you about your man, but you're a lover girl at heart, so you're gonna stick beside him against your better judgment," Micah captioned the post.
Harry meanwhile commented on his relationship with Jessica after the show aired on the latest episode of his podcast.
However, he had nothing but good things to say about her and even said she was "the love of my life."
"I thought that Jess was the most incredible most beautiful woman that I've ever seen in my life," he said.
Harry and Jessica are not following each other on Instagram
The biggest clue that they're not together is that Harry and Jessica don't follow each other on Instagram.
Harry has shared videos and pictures of their time together on the show, but Business Insider has checked and he doesn't follow Jessica. In fact, Harry only follows some of his male costars from the show.
Jessica follows most of her male and female costars but not Harry.
This likely means they're no longer on good terms.
Correction: June 17, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated the number of episodes in the spoiler warning. There were nine episodes, not six.
It's his third child with Zilis. The billionaire quietly had twins with the Neuralink executive in 2021, according to court documents that showed Musk filed a petition to change the twins' names to "have their father's last name and contain their mother's last name as part of their middle name."
It's not clear how many children Musk has in total, but he has 11 living who are publicly known: five with his first wife, the author Justine Wilson, three with the musician Grimes, and three with Zilis.
Musk cofounded Neuralink and serves as the co-CEO of the company, which develops brain-computer technology. The news about another child with Zilis comes a couple weeks after a Wall Street Journal report detailed Musk's "boundary-blurring relationships" with female employees at SpaceX.
One former SpaceX employee accused Musk of asking her to have his babies on more than one occasion, according to the report. She declined the offer and later said she was denied a raise, according to the report. She eventually left the company and received an exit package valued above $1 million, the Journal reported.
Musk has talked publicly about his views on the risks of declining birth rates since 2017, and has said he considers the issue to be the biggest threat to civilization. He has also said he's encouraged his friends to have more children. A day after Business Insider reported he had fathered twins with Zilis, he posted on X that he's doing his best "to help the underpopulation crisis."
Musk isn't the only tech mogul to want to reproduce as a way to save humanity. The ideology is reportedly gaining traction among some powerful figures who believe they can counteract the risks of falling birth rates by producing genetically superior offspring.
Zilis and Musk did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Micah Lussier and Kaz Bishop star in this season of "Perfect Match."
Ana Blumenkron / Netflix
Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Perfect Match" season two.
In the new season, "Love Is Blind" alum Micah Lussier couples up with "Dated & Related" star Kaz Bishop.
Here's an update on their on their relationship.
Micah Lussier and Kaz Bishop may have rekindled their relationship in the "Perfect Match" season two finale, but it seems they are no longer dating.
Micah is on her second attempt at a reality TV romance after trying and failing to find a husband on Netflix's most popular reality show, "Love Is Blind."
She appears in the latest season of "Perfect Match," a Netflix crossover series in which fan favorites from other shows compete and date to find their partner.
In episode two, Micah pairs up with "Dated & Related" alum Kaz Bishop, and the pair wins two couples' challenges in the season.
But their relationship is constantly tested in the second half of the series. First, Kaz is sent on a date with Holly Scarfone, who previously starred in "Too Hot To Handle" season three.
Kaz Bishop on his date with Holly Scarfone in "Perfect Match" season two.
Courtesy of Netflix
When Kaz returns, he struggles to decide who to pick between Holly and Micah. Micah gets angry about this situation and calls Kaz a liar. They make up in episode seven and match together again.
However, in the following episodes, Micah and Kaz are caught in more fights when he chats with other women.
In episode nine, the pair have a screaming match. Micah is angry with Kaz this time for talking to a third new contestant, Christine Obanor, and kissing Holly in a game. Kaz is annoyed that Micah told other contestants that they are the weakest couple.
They finally break up and Kaz matches up with Christine, and Micah pairs up with Izzy Zapata.
In the following episode, Kaz has second thoughts and speaks to Micah about rebuilding their relationship. Micah doesn't immediately give in but eventually decides to match with Kaz.
At the end of the season, they are still coupled up.
Here are the clues that the couple probably isn't together anymore.
Micah has posted on social media about other dates
"Perfect Match" stars Micah Lussier and Izzy Zapata in the season 6 reunion of "Love is Blind."
Courtesy of Netflix
Netflix reality series are often filmed months or even years before they premiere. This means that contestants often do not post anything about their relationships from the reality show or new relationships until after the series has aired.
While we do not know exactly when "Perfect Match" season two was filmed, it was likely before the fall of 2023, when some contestants had other TV commitments.
Since September 2023, Micah has shared three TikTok posts about going on new dates. In the first post shared on September 16, 2023, Micah shows the man she is dating, and he doesn't look anything like Kaz.
Micah has not confirmed that she has a new partner, but the fact that she is dating other people means her romance with Kaz probably didn't work out.
Correction: June 17, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated the number of episodes in the spoiler warning. There were nine episodes, not six.
Harry Jowsey, Jessica Vestal, and Melinda Berry in "Perfect Match" season two.
Courtesy of Netflix
Warning: Major spoilers for "Perfect Match" season two.
Harry Jowsey is in hot water with Jessica Vestal after being accused of kissing another contestant.
Here's what we know about the kissing scandal involving Melinda Berry.
Harry Jowsey and Jessica Vestal broke up in the "Perfect Match" season two finale after he was accused of kissing another contestant.
Harry was obsessed with Jessica from episode three, and the pair became one of the more consistent couples of the season.
But in episode eight, Harry begins flirting with Melinda while at a party without Jessica. Harry offers to carry Melinda twice in the episode, and the second time, Harry allegedly kisses Melinda.
The "kiss" apparently happens off-camera, turning the incident into an argument between Melinda, who is adamant that the kiss happened, and Harry, who says it didn't.
The next day, Melinda tells Jessica that she and Harry kissed, causing a big fight between the three contestants.
Fans were hoping to find out the truth during the cast reunion in the season two finale, but Harry never confirms what happened.
Harry does apologize to Jess for his behavior, at which point the show cuts to a series of clips from the party that seem to indicate he and Melinda deliberately attempted to kiss out of view of the camera.
In one of the clips, Harry asks the production crew if they caught the kiss on camera.
The scandal became one of the biggest controversies of "Perfect Match" season two, especially since the audience never sees the alleged kiss.
Here's what we know so far about the kissing scandal between Melinda and Harry.
'Perfect Match' season two, episode eight: Melinda and Holly say the kiss happened off-screen
In "Perfect Match" season two, episode eight, Stevan Ditter, Harry Jowsey, Chris Hahn, Kaz Bishop, Justin Assada are separated from their female partners.
Courtesy of Netflix
The kissing scandal begins in episode eight after all the couples are split up and sent to separate parties. The boys' party is ambushed by a group of female contestants who are trying to tempt the men away from their original partners.
Frustratingly, "Perfect Match" never reveals if the kiss happens in the episodes released on June 14. Either it occurred off-camera or the producers have decided to withhold the footage.
But we do have some potential witnesses. In episode eight, Holly Scarfone and Justin Assada were talking to each other right next to where the kiss is thought to have happened.
Holly is actually the first person to claim they kissed.
Justin says: "Woah, what's going on there? huh"
Holly replies: "Boys' day. They kissed."
The camera also pivots to Stevan Ditter, who seems to be looking in the direction of Harry and Melinda.
Stevan and Justin both say they didn't see anything, though they could be trying to defend their friend.
Justin Assada says he didn't see anything but Holly Scarfone says she saw the kiss.
Netflix
The camera then goes back to Melinda and Harry, and Harry begins to talk about his great relationship with Jessica.
When Melinda mentions the kiss, Harry denies it, laughs without looking directly at her, and walks away.
Harry doubles down when they get to the rest of the group, saying that Melinda is making up the kiss to boost her fame.
"No one saw it," he tells the rest of the group. "That was fake news. I did not kiss her. Where's the video evidence?"
'Perfect Match' season two, episode eight: Harry doesn't mention the kiss when he first sees Jessica
Later in the episode, the original couples return to the house, and Jessica finds Harry crying in his bed.
Harry tells Jessica he hasn't been the best example for her or her daughter Autumn.
Harry says he was too playful during the boys' party and carried Melinda to the toilet at one point in the day. Harry never mentions a kiss and instead accuses Melinda of trying to lie about what happened earlier in the day.
Jessica and Harry have a brief argument, as she doesn't initially believe him but Jessica eventually forgives him.
'Perfect Match' season two, episode eight-nine: Jessica tells Melinda off for telling everyone about the alleged kiss
Harry Jowsey accidentally walks into the girls' chat about his kissing scandal.
Netflix
At the end of episode eight, the female contestants from the "boys' party" arrive in the house to give them an opportunity to steal any of the men.
All the women decide to congregate around a table to reveal if any of the men cheated during the boys' day out. Melinda immediately tells Jessica that she and Harry kissed three times the day before.
"He just kissed me," Melinda says. "And then does it again, so I kissed him back."
Harry and Dom Gabriel walk past, so Jessica asks Harry to comment on Melinda's story. Harry again denies kissing Melinda, saying that no one saw anything.
Melinda then turns to Brittan Byrd, who was nearby during the incident, to support her claim. Brittan says Melinda's makeup was on his nose.
Jessica begins questioning Melinda's motives for kissing Harry and not telling her this information privately.
The pair argue over this for a minute before Jessica says she will ask for both sides of the story before deciding whether to stay with Harry.
Meanwhile, Harry walks away and complains about the situation to Dom. Harry tells Dom that Melinda set up the conversation about the kiss and says Melinda was the one who tried to initiate a kiss, but he turned away.
'Perfect Match' season two, episode nine: Melinda says Harry also said he wanted to have sex with her
Melinda Berry in "The Perfect Match" season two.
Ana Blumenkron / Netflix
Jessica spends most of episode nine asking multiple contestants about what she should do about the Harry situation.
It is not the first time Harry's loyalty has been questioned. Harry has a poor dating track record, and multiple contestants have brought this up to Jessica.
Jessica speaks to Alara Taneri, Stevan, Dom, and Bryton Constantin, who all defend Harry. Jessica also speaks to Harry for his side of the story.
Harry denies the kiss but adds another element to the story.
"I did look at her stomach, and I said, 'It'd look good if you were pregnant.' But it was not in that sense," Harry says.
When Melinda speaks to Jessica privately later in the episode, Melinda says Harry wanted to have sex with her.
"He was like, 'I'm 30 years old. I'm ready for some babies.' He goes, 'You ready for some babies? I'll put a baby in you,'" Melinda says. "He goes, 'They'll come out handsome and tall and athletic.'"
'Perfect Match' season two, episode nine: Jessica confronts Harry
Jessica Vestal and Harry Jowsey competing in a "Perfect Match" couples challenge.
Courtesy of Netflix
Harry and Jessica sit down again at the end of the episode to discuss the kissing incident.
Harry says he has been vomiting all evening because of the stress of the situation and apologizes again for the incident. However, Jessica is still not convinced Harry is telling the whole truth.
The episode ends with Harry making another plea for Jessica to match with him.
June 14-17, 2024: Harry and Melinda joke about the kissing drama on social media
Ahead of the season two finale, Harry and Melinda appeared to joke about the kissing scandal on social media.
In one of Melinda's two TikTok posts about the kiss, she captioned the video: "All I know is the truth #theperfectmatch #perfectmatch #Netflix all will be revealed."
Meanwhile, Harry shared an Instagram reel of him wearing a T-shirt that said "I ❤️ gaslighting" while reading a book titled "gaslighting."
June 18, 2024: Harry says he was told to create drama during the boys' day.
Harry Jowsey, Stevan Ditter, Justin Assada and Brittan Byrd in "Perfect Match" season two.
Courtesy of Netflix
Harry seemed to suggest that he lied about the "kiss" in the latest episode of his podcast, "Boyfriend Material with Harry Jowsey," which aired on Tuesday.
Harry said he was a "gaslighting king" during episodes seven to nine of "Perfect Match." Harry never addresses the kiss directly but said he would talk more about the situation next week.
"I just want to let you guys know it's a lot worse than you think, so buckle up," he said.
Later in the episode, Dom appeared as a guest on the podcast and said he didn't agree with Harry's "gaslighting" and "lying" during the kissing drama. But Dom said Harry's actions wouldn't have been as serious in the real world.
These comments seem to indicate that Harry kissed Melinda and lied about it.
Harry also said there were "no hard feelings" between him and Melinda, implying they've made up.
Harry added there was no excuse for his behavior, and listed multiple reasons for his actions.
Harry said he wasn't in the right headspace when filming "Perfect Match," and he was drinking a lot before and during the boys' day outing.
"There was no limit on that alcohol," Harry said. "I was so fucking drunk that I don't remember leaving that place. I don't remember the second half of that night. All I remember is like the shit that went down and then being back at the house with food poisoning."
In last week's episode of "Boyfriend Material," Harry said he didn't remember much of the show because he was always drunk.
Later in this week's episode, Harry said that someone in the "Perfect Match" production team told the contestants to create drama to make the series more interesting.
"There was someone on the team that came up to both the girls and the guys and said, 'Hey, if you guys don't do anything or create any drama, we don't have a fucking show,'" Harry said.
Representatives for "Perfect Match" did not immediately respond to a comment request from Business Insider outside business hours.
In "Perfect Match" season two, episodes eight and nine, Harry looks very sick and tells Jessica he vomited because he was worried about their relationship.
On his podcast, Harry said he just had food poisoning from undercooked salmon that he made.
"It looked like I was vomiting, crying, and freaking the fuck out from Jess," Harry said. "But, in that moment, I was just violently ill."
Harry said he should have spoken to Jess after the boys' party and taken accountability, but at the time, he was blackout drunk, sick from food poisoning, and had a victim mentality.
"I was only thinking about myself," Harry said. "Looking back at that, there's a lot of shit I would have done different."
Perfect Match season two finale: The show suggests Harry deliberately kissed Melinda off-camera.
Harry Jowsey in the "Perfect Match" season two finale cast reunion.
Netflix
The beginning of the season two finale returns to the conversation between Jessica and Harry, in which she tells him she doesn't know whether to trust him.
Though she believes Harry wants to change, Jessica says she doesn't want to settle for a man who makes her question the truth, so she doesn't match him. Both Harry and Jess then leave.
At the end of the finale, the cast, excluding Justin, reunites to discuss their relationships and vote for a winner.
Before the vote, host Nick Lachey gives the cast a chance to speak about their journey. Harry takes the opportunity to say he is disappointed with his behavior on the show but grateful for the experience and for his relationship with Jess.
"Obviously, I'm disappointed in the whole situation, and I made some silly decisions, and I embarrassed myself and wasn't honest with someone that I really cared about," Harry says.
The show then cuts to numerous clips from the party in episode eight. There is a clip of Harry telling Melinda he wants to get her pregnant, followed by clips of Melinda and Harry whispering about doing something off-camera.
Melinda says, "No Cameras. Go ahead, no one's looking," while a camera is pointed at a tree.
In the next clip, Melinda and Harry can be seen on-screen again, and Melinda says, "Treacherous kiss. I wanted to just dog your face out."
Harry replies, "Oh yeah, I wanna fuck you."
Jessica Vestal said on Instagram that she still doesn't know whether the kiss really happened.
Ana Blumenkron / Netflix
Later, Harry tells Chris Hahn that he's done "something really bad" but refuses to say what he did on camera.
In the final clip, Harry asks the production crew, "Did you guys get footage of me and Melinda kissing or not? I didn't mean to do it."
These clips suggest that the kiss happened, but Harry and Melinda tried to do it off camera.
The show then cuts back to Harry's speech, where he says it is important for men to own up to their "fuck-up," but he still doesn't admit to the kiss.
When it's Jessica's turn to speak, it seems she believes in Harry but is not ready to date him again.
"I think Harry is a good man. I think he wants to do better," Jessica says. "But is he the kind of man that I want to lead my life right now? No, but I don't regret it."
Nadya Okamoto leveraged her following as an influencer on TikTok to launch the period-care brand August.
Sydney Claire
Social-media influencer is a highly sought-after job these days, especially among Gen Zers.
The first step to becoming an influencer is posting consistently on apps like Instagram and TikTok.
Creators also say media kits, membership groups, and talent managers have helped grow their brands.
Social media has created many new ways to make money, and over the past few years, it has led millions of people around the world to become influencers.
Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat have opened up doors for individuals who want to switch careers, become full-time creators, or supplement the income from their 9-to-5 jobs.
The most important step to getting started as an influencer is to pick a platform or two and begin posting consistently. While some creators eventually land on a specific content niche, such as fitness, beauty, fashion, or education, others post about many topics.
Creator Ayomi Samaraweera gained hundreds of followers a few weeks after uploading her first TikTok when one of her videos about resigning and applying for new jobs went viral.
"It was a lot of trial and error in the beginning," Samaraweera previously told Business Insider. "I wasn't really thinking about a niche or how my content could be unique. I just posted what I felt like at the moment."
A steady posting cadence has even helped some creators successfully launch companies, like Nadya Okamoto, who founded the period-care brand August in 2021. She first grew her TikTok following rapidly by posting 100 times a day about menstrual hygiene and her experience in reproductive healthcare.
"To me, the TikTok algorithm is like a lottery," she previously told BI. "The more lottery tickets you put in, the more chances you have of winning or, in this case, going viral."
Here's exactly how to become an influencer and start making money:
How many followers you need to be an influencer
Most brands take an influencer's audience size into account when considering them for a paid collaboration. As a result, influencers are categorized based on their follower count.
Nano influencers have only a few thousand followers, under 10,000, but can still partner with many different brands. California-based creator Stacy Kim had only around 4,200 followers on Instagram but landed more than 40 paid partnerships in over a year and a half with companies like Samsung and Clinique.
"My engagement on posts is really high, and I heard that most brands care more about that than the number of followers you have," she previously told BI.
The next category, micro influencers, are classified as social-media users with between 10,000 to 100,000 followers. For many brands, this is the preferred tier of creators to work with because they have a highly engaged audience but charge a lot less than celebrities or very well-known social-media personalities.
Maesha Shonar, a micro influencer with 24,000 followers on Instagram, previously told BI she had such a highly engaged audience. To stand out to brands, she created a pitch proposal, which outlined two sponsorship options the brand could choose from — each with specific timelines, deliverables, and rates — and case studies of her recent collaborations.
Influencers who have more than 100,000 followers are the next tier, followed by mega-influencers who have multiple millions.
Fashion influencer Nate White has 1.8 million followers on TikTok and earned six figures in 2022 by collaborating with companies like Verizon and Amazon Prime.
"The money's changed my life," he previously told BI. "I've been able to move out from the hood where I'm from … the kids in that neighborhood looked up to me and I miss that, but I did this for me."
Meanwhile, YouTube star MrBeast, who has over 280 million subscribers, brought in $223 million in revenue in 2023 through various businesses, including his YouTube channels, sponsorships, and chocolate and snack brand Feastables.
After amassing an engaged audience, influencers can start making money directly through their respective app's monetization programs, by creating sponsored content for brands, or through affiliate marketing, among other revenue streams.
Pay can range from a few thousand dollars for an Instagram sponsorship to six figures a year for a full-time creator, such as photographer and videographer Tej Patel, who made $100,000 in 2022 through his photo and video work, sponsorships, and the TikTok Creator Fund, which has since been discontinued.
Brand deals are one of the most popular ways to earn money as an influencer since companies are always looking for talent to help promote their products or services. Some brands have earned a reputation for rolling out more inclusive campaigns by paying creators fairly and allowing more creative control.
Platforms also pay creators based on their video views and engagement.
In 2023, some creators earned tens of millions of dollars through TikTok's Creativity Program beta, now dubbed Creator Rewards, which pays influencers for TikToks over 60 seconds.
On Snapchat, creators have had success making money from its ad-revenue program. In 2023, Gen-Z creator couple AJ and Grey made $84,000 and $21,000, respectively, from the program. The initiative allows creators with at least 50,000 subscribers on the platform to make money through the ads their followers are shown in between Snap stories.
Affiliate marketing is another popular way to make money after becoming an influencer. This revenue stream allows creators to link to products or services they use, and if a follower buys it through their customized link, they earn a commission.
In 12 months, influencer Janesha Moore made $100,000 just from affiliate links on platforms like Amazon, in addition to partnering with lifestyle and beauty brands. She also highlighted how it's easier for BIPOC creators like her to earn money through affiliate marketing than brand partnerships, where there is often a pay disparity.
"Affiliate marketing is such a powerful tool because everyone has the same percentage they make, so it's really just a matter of the strategies you put into place to make the money work for you," she said.
How to contact brands and get paid for sponsorships
Email is how influencers usually first contact brands about working together. Most influencers who reach out to companies attach a media kit to display the value they would bring to a potential partnership. The document highlights information such as engagement analytics, audience makeups, and previous brand deals.
Creator Paulina Perez landed more than 20 paid partnerships in a year with global companies like Skims, Olay, and Sephora, all thanks to the media kit she created. She previously told BI that she's been fortunate to collaborate with so many brands because of her unique niche as a Hispanic creator who also posts videos in Spanish, and many of them have turned into long-term relationships.
"I still work with a lot of the companies that first took a chance on me," she said. "I just charge them more now because my engagement is higher and my audience has grown."
Many creators also use Instagram, TikTok, or LinkedIn to direct message influencer marketers at brands who are looking for potential talent. Samaraweera, the creator who scored her first brand deal with 2,000 followers, Instagram DMed software company Fishbowl to land her first paid sponsorship.
"Timing is everything, so keep a lookout for brands who start engaging with your content because it's more than likely they're looking to work with you," she said.
How influencers find jobs and get advice from other creators
Workplace communication platform Slack has surged in popularity in the past few years, so much so that those in the industry have started using the app to vent about their frustrations, land job opportunities, and connect with other creators, brands, and talent managers in the industry, with one labeling it a "gold mine" for opportunities.
"I had an influencer who really wanted to work with a certain brand, and I just asked in the channel and immediately got the contact info for the person in charge," talent manager Lissette Calveiro previously told BI.
Many creators have also launched their own apps to help influencers get paid fairly by brands, like Christen Nino de Guzman's Clara for Creators and Samaraweera's Canopy for Creators. These apps, which are free to join for users, help creators compare rates and negotiate higher compensation. Nino de Guzman said she launched the app to help show others how easy it was to become an influencer and make money from social media.
"It used to be a typical kind of person, usually a middle-to-high class woman blogger who had access to video equipment and was traveling, but now anyone can be a creator," she said.
Christen Nino De Guzman.
Christen Nino De Guzman
How to get a manager or publicist as an influencer
Once an influencer becomes more popular online and amasses a large following, they can choose to hire a talent manager and publicist to grow their brands even more. Talent managers can help creators with anything from starting a new company to negotiating higher rates for campaigns to generating content ideas.
Talent managers previously told BI that they often get hired after a creator explodes online or goes viral and the creator feels overwhelmed with the incoming messages and offers to collaborate.
"Reinforcing that there's a reason this happened to them, it's all positive and they're safe and everything's good — that's probably the most time-consuming part of that first couple months of when someone blows up," said Danielle Pistotnik, a talent manager at Select Management Group.
Meanwhile, some influencers choose to hire publicists to help with their image, landing TV appearances or written features in prominent publications, and getting them on the list for exclusive industry events.
Stevan Ditter and Alara Taneri couple up in "Perfect Match" season two, episode four.
Courtesy of Netflix
Stevan Ditter and Alara Taneri are one of the most consistent couples in "Perfect Match" season two.
They've quickly become a fan favorite due to their loyalty to each other.
Here's what we know about their relationship on the show and whether they are still together.
Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Perfect Match" season two.
Stevan Ditter and Alara Taneri may be the strongest couple in "Perfect Match" season two.
But it's unclear whether they're still together.
The pair originally appeared in two separate Netflix series, "Too Hot To Handle" and "Dated & Related."
"Perfect Match" series draws together contestants from across Netflix's reality show slate and gives cast members a second chance at love (or boosting their fame). Stevan and Alara seemed to be more focused on the love part.
The couple meet for the first time when they are paired on a date in episode three. At the time, Stevan was matched with another contestant, Xanthi Perdikomatis, but he immediately gels with Alara and chooses to match with her in the next coupling session.
Since then, the pair have been completely focused on each other, even when sent on dates with other contestants. The pair make it to the season two final together but are not chosen as the winning couple.
There is a chance they did not make it in the outside world. Here's why.
Stevan doesn't follow Alara on Instagram.
Stevan Ditter and Alara Taneri in a matching red outfit in "Perfect Match" season two, episode nine.
Courtesy of Netflix
The biggest clue that Stevan and Alara are no longer seeing each other is who they're following on Instagram.
Alara follows Stevan, but Stevan does not follow her back even though he does follow some of his other "Perfect Match" costars.
It's unclear when Alara moved to LA or into the apartment with Micah.
But it is likely that Alara moved to LA after the show was filmed, since she said she lived in London on the show. This could mean that she moved to LA to get closer to Stevan and the pair are still dating.
Sherri Papini after her arraignment in Sacramento, California.
Rich Pedroncelli/AP
"Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini" tells the story of a kidnapping hoax.
Sherri Papini faked her own kidnapping in 2016 and went missing for three weeks.
The truth about her supposed ordeal came to light when she was arrested in 2020.
"Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini" tells the story of a woman who went missing on November 2, 2016, after she staged her own kidnapping.
The Hulu true crime docuseries details how Sherri Papini was found 22 days later in Yolo County, California, near Interstate 5, some 150 miles away from her home in Redding, California. Kidnappers appeared to have beaten and branded her, and broken her nose.
It later emerged she inflicted these injuries on herself while she was staying with her ex-boyfriend, James Reyes, in Costa Mesa — another Californian town connected to Interstate 5.
"Perfect Wife" is the second docuseries released in 2024 that bears a striking similarity to "Gone Girl," the movie that follows a writer as he tries to uncover why his wife faked being kidnapped.
Netflix's "American Nightmare" focused on Denise Huskins, who was falsely accused of staging a hoax kidnapping in 2015. Her abductor, Matthew Muller, was arrested in June 2015.
If the success of "American Nightmare," which was watched 21.4 million times on Netflix, is anything to go by, "Perfect Wife" has the potential to be equally huge for Hulu because of its similar tale.
Unlike Huskins, Papini maintained the lie after she returned home and kept it up for six years, claiming that two Hispanic women kidnapped her while she was out on a run.
Papini was arrested in March 2022 when the FBI found Reyes' DNA on her clothes. Her husband, Keith Papini, filed for divorce in April 2022 citing irreconcilable differences.
She signed a plea deal admitting that she had lied to the authorities and that the kidnapping never happened. She was sentenced to 18 months in prison in September 2022.
Papini was released from prison in 2023
Sherri Papini leaves the federal courthouse after being sentenced to 18 months in prison in September 2022.
Rich Pedroncelli/AP
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Papini was officially released from prison on September 29, 2023. She moved into a halfway house in Sacramento, California, but left the facility in October 2023, CBS News reported. She remains on supervised release until 2026.
According to local newspaper, Redding Record Searchlight, Papini currently lives in northern California and is writing a book.
In an interview with USA Today on June 20, Papini's ex-husband said that she has never directly apologized to him for the incident, or for continuing to lie for six years until she was charged.
"I feel there's absolutely zero remorse for what she has done," Keith Papini said. "I don't even think she understands how big of a lie — and I've used the term ripple effect — that she has caused throughout so many lives. I don't think she cares, personally."
People reported that he has custody of their two children Violet, 9, and Tyler, 11. The siblings see their mother for monthly supervised visits.
Keith Papini also told the outlet how the ordeal has affected his outlook on life.
"A lot of their childhood was, in my opinion, stolen from them," he said. "So my biggest goal is giving them a happy and healthy life and surrounding them with loving people."
He continued: "I ask more questions, and I'm probably more cautious, but I'm still finding people to be truthful. That's how I've lived my life and what I teach my kids."