Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Tribune
March 24, 2020
Jack Osbourne (yes, Ozzy’s son) and Katrina Weidman star in the Travel Channel reality series, “Portals to Hell.” As paranormal investigators, the pair search for haunted locations in search of evidence that a spirit world actually exists. Yes, it’s entertainment for viewers. But Osbourne and Weidman say the series has helped them answer questions they’ve had since they were children. Follow Osbourne on Facebook () and Instagram. Weidman may be reached via Twitter.
Q. Where is the scariest place you have visited?
Osbourne: I think on this season, the scariest place I went to was the Haunted Hill House in Mineral Wells, Texas. That place really freaked me out. Allegedly, a demonic entity haunts it and there is a long history of odd events connected to the location.
Weidman: I do think Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum (in Weston, West Virginia) is one of the scarier places I’ve been.
Q. When you think of hell, what pops into your mind?
Osbourne: Tough call. I kind of think hell is when all three of your kids have the stomach flu and you’re home alone with no help and have to deal with it all by yourself. (Laughs) But in all seriousness, I don’t think hell is anything close to what religions believe. In fact, I think that we as humans can’t really comprehend what a different spiritual realm is.
Q. How did you get interested in paranormal activities?
Weidman: I have the typical ghost hunter story. I grew up in haunted houses that left me with a lot of unanswered questions. It really fueled this desire to find those answers and very weird twists of fate led me here.
Osbourne: I was a massive Sci-Fi nerd as a kid and used to love “The X-Files.” It was that show that got me into it. I wanted to investigate like Fox Mulder. I had all sorts of books when I was growing up about ghosts, aliens, UFOs and cryptids. When I was a teenager, I used to do little dorky ghost hunts with my friends — nothing serious, just messing around. So, it’s been a passion for a while.
Q. What is your favorite vacation destination?
Weidman: Williamsburg, Virginia, is absolutely one of my favorites, but I’m also a gal who grew up in the Philly ‘burbs so I have a deep affection for the Jersey shore. That was our annual family vacation. Out of all the places I’ve been, there’s nothing like going down the shore.
Q. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from your travels?
Osbourne: Learning how to properly pack is a skill set that can only be learned through experience. I take pride in knowing exactly what to bring. I use divider bags and basically do everything on numbers and multiple use.
Q. Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?
Weidman: So many places! I’d love to check out my family’s roots in Europe — Scotland, Ireland, Germany, Italy. I know most of the towns my families immigrated from, so I’d love to see where it all began.
Osbourne: I want to spend more time in South America. I am actually learning Spanish at the moment, because I want to be able to get by a little better in the Latin American countries.
Q. Where are your favorite weekend getaways?
Osbourne: I love going to either a beautiful beach with killer surf, somewhere in Southern California or to a national park to camp in my van and go climbing.
Q. What is your best and/or worst vacation memory?
Weidman: I have one that covers both. I was in high school on a school orchestra trip to Disney World. Our trip was made up of orchestra and band students, so there were multiple buses. My group was left on a parked bus in the sweltering Florida sun with no air conditioning or water for hours! Everyone was complaining and one of our friends started passing out. The adults wouldn’t let us off the bus and finally, once our friend did pass out, they let us get some air. One of my best friends was really upset about the experience and was going off and crying. Our vice principal came over to make sure she was OK and she called him an a**hole to his face. He sent her to the infirmary for her outburst and I went with her. I was in awe of her. It was amazing.
Q. What are your five favorite cities?
Osbourne: I love Bangkok, Sydney, Paris, London and Los Angeles. Oddly enough, the south of France really reminded me of L.A., mainly because of the climate.
Q. When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?
Osbourne: It all depends on what I’m doing. I love to have my Rumpl camping blanket at all times. I can’t get by without my iPad. It’s a lifesaver on flights and long road trips. I also bring a good flashlight. Other than that, I’m pretty much a low-drag kind of traveler.
© 2020 JAE-HA KIM
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