The Mysterious Case of Sunny von Bulow

23 snips

Jan 8, 2026

Delve into the mysterious case of Martha “Sunny” von Bulow, a wealthy socialite who fell into a coma under suspicious circumstances. The podcast explores her tumultuous marriage to Klaus, his affair, and the eerie events surrounding her medical incidents. Discover the dramatic private investigation that unearthed a black bag filled with sedatives and a syringe, leading to Klaus's attempted murder trial. The twists and turns of the legal battles, along with the unresolved family drama, keep listeners on the edge of their seats.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Born Into Extreme Privilege

Sunny von Bülow was born in her father's private train car and raised in extreme wealth and privilege.
Her early life and social debut set the stage for her later high-society lifestyle and notoriety.

ANECDOTE

Glamorous Marriage That Fell Apart

Sunny married Klaus von Bülow after divorcing her first husband and they split time between New York and Newport.
Their marriage soon deteriorated into separate lives despite public appearances of aristocratic harmony.

ANECDOTE

Affair And Financial Motive

Klaus began a public affair with Alexandra Isles and faced an ultimatum to divorce Sunny or lose the relationship.
He reportedly considered divorce financially impossible, and the affair created motive tensions around Sunny's wealth.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Weirdos!! On today's episode Alaina announced the third chapter in the Wren Muller series- The Butcher Legacy . Be sure to visit to PREORDER NOW by visiting butcherlegacy.com . Order NOW to get exclusive signed editions from BN.com AND the Special Edition from Target!

In the winter of 1980, wealthy socialite Martha “Sunny” von Bulow was found unconscious in the bathroom of the mansion she shared with her husband, Claus, in Newport, Rhode Island. An ambulance was called and Sunny was rushed to the nearest emergency room, but paramedics and doctors were unable to revive her and Sunny would remain in a coma until her death in 2008.

At first, Sunny’s coma was a mystery to doctors, but soon suspicion fell on her husband, Claus, who appeared indifferent to her condition and was openly carrying on an affair with another woman. The family launched a private investigation and eventually turned up strong evidence they believed implicated Claus in the attempted murder of Sunny, but, as they soon learned, believing it and proving it were two very different things.

References

Associated Press. 1985. "von Bulow stepchildren sue him for $56 million." New York Times, July 20: 30.

Burton, Tony, and William Kutik. 1981. "Charge socialite tried to kill wife." Daily News (New York, NY), July 7: 4.

Clendinen, Dudley. 1982. "von Bulow trial going to the jury." New York Times, March 11: 20.

Friendly, Jonathan. 1985. "von Bulow's mistress told of plea not to tesitfy about their affair." New York Times, June 6: B15.

Kutik, William. 1981. "Claus returns to the scene." Daily News (New York, NY), July 9: 4.

—. 1981. "In her will, $35M for hubby." Daily News (New York, NY), July 8: 189.

Nemy, Enid. 2019. "Claus von Bulow, tarred by scandal in the death of his wife, dies at 92." New York Times, May 31.

—. 2008. "Sunny von Bulow, whose near death started a society drama, dies at 76." New York Times, December 7.

New York Times. 1982. "von Bulow lover testifies on affair." New York Times, February 19: B14.

State of Rhode Island v. Claus von Bulow. 1984. 82-462-CA (Supreme Court of Rhode Island, May 24).

The Economist. 2019. "Did he or didn't he?" The Economist, June 15.

1997. American Justice. Performed by Towers Productions.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.