Crime & Curls: Betting Everything on True Crime

When Marashellie Bell looks at the future, she doesn't see a backup plan. She sees a YouTube channel.

Born from what she describes as "a series of bad decisions," Bell's path into media wasn't exactly traditional. A high school dropout, pregnant, unemployed, and searching for direction, she found inspiration in some of true crime's biggest names, including Bailey Sarian, Annie Elise, and Stephanie Soo's wildly successful Rotten Mango podcast.

Today, Bell hosts Crime & Curls, a growing true crime brand available on YouTube, Spotify, TikTok, and Instagram.

"I'm researching, producing content, editing, making thumbnails, and posting ten hours a day," Bell said. "It's a full-time job, and so far it's been a labor of love, 'cause I'm not making any money."

Despite the long hours and modest results, Bell remains convinced success is only a matter of time.

"I just have to catch the algorithm, and it'll happen for me. I know it."

She's not alone in that belief. Many of true crime's biggest stars spent years building audiences before finding mainstream success. Podcasts like Crime Junkie, Morbid, and Rotten Mango all required years of consistent production before reaching millions of listeners.

"It's difficult because you don't know when it's going to happen—or if it's ever going to happen," Bell admitted.

Recently, Crime & Curls crossed the 1,000-subscriber milestone on YouTube.

"It felt like it took forever," she laughed.

The true crime genre continues to grow at a remarkable pace. Industry studies estimate that more than half of all podcast listeners consume true crime content, while YouTube channels focused on crime collectively generate hundreds of millions of monthly views. Demand for documentaries, podcasts, and investigative content continues to rise worldwide.

For Bell, those statistics offer hope. "I don't have a Plan B," she said. "So Plan A has to work."

And for now, she's betting everything on Crime & Curls.