“One Tree Hill” star Bethany Joy Lentz is still working on leaving the cult that has controlled her life for a decade.
“There's something really powerful about being out in the open and being open and being honest about the good, the bad and the ugly,” Lentz said. he told Cosmopolitan. In a recent interview.
Lentz, who has published a memoir about his experiences called “Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show,'' is a member of the Big House Family, a commune-like community based in Idaho. I was a member.
“Most people would think that celebrities would never be attracted to cults and that cults are completely ridiculous. But cults have very charismatic leaders who can be incredibly seductive and almost “It promises a culture of community, connection, and secrecy that celebrities in the world crave,'' said Mike Diamond, certified addiction recovery specialist, celebrity interventionist, and author of “A Dose of Positivity.'' He told News Digital. “These cults try to provide celebrities with the protection they need from the public eye, which can be tempting.”
Bethany Joy Lentz said it was “really powerful” to reveal her experience in a cult in her new book. (Jamie McCarthy/WireImage/Getty Images)
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While appearing as Hayley on One Tree Hill, Lentz often spoke out about things she didn't like about the show, including her relationship with the Big House family and her character's risqué wardrobe choices. It became.
“As a member of this group, I felt a sense of obligation to my belief system, so I felt like I had an even greater responsibility. So on set, I was even more responsible for things that I was uncomfortable with and that I wasn't.” I can’t bend anymore.’ I agree,” she said.
Her time on the show helped her break through the “despair and depression” she felt while under the cult's influence.
“These cults try to provide celebrities with the protection they need from the public eye, which can be tempting.”
“Your body doesn't know it's acting. If you're crying, you're crying. And nine months out of the year, I'm happy, loving, playful.” “I was living in a romantic relationship that wasn't real,” but my body was living it, but at the same time I was experiencing despair and depression, feeling no romance, no sense of being seen or having fun. was completely absent. It was really difficult to reconcile that. ” she explained.
“But I'm so grateful that I was able to experience those experiences in my own body, to feel loved, to have fun, to feel seen, to feel romantic, because that's where that part of me still lives. “Because it reminded me that I was alive. I wasn't broken or able to experience those things,” Lentz added.
Lentz, third from left, with his “One Tree Hill” castmates, left to right: Brian Greenberg, James Rafferty, Hilarie Burton, Sophia Bush, and Chad Michael Murray. (Lawrence Lussier/FilmMagic)
'One Tree Hill' star Bethany Joy Lentz co-star tried to 'rescue' her from cult: 'I was really dedicated'
“In a way, I think that's one of the things that I think 'One Tree Hill' saved me, because I consistently live in places that remind me of who I am. Because I was able to do that.”
Julie Mangas, a certified therapist, relationship coach and expert, previously explained to FOX News Digital: “When people are in a vulnerable state or feeling lost or overwhelmed by life, especially celebrities who are new to the profession, you don't know what's going to happen even if you suddenly find success. , success, new money and fame can be overwhelming,” Mangas said. “And a cult-like situation may give someone a sense of purpose, clarity, and a foundation for how to fit into the world.”
Lentz told People magazine earlier this month that the group “seemed pretty normal” at first, holding weekly Bible studies. “At first it was, but then it slowly changed. But by the time it started changing, I was so deep into the relationship that I didn't notice it at all. I was very young.”
“Currently, 'modern cults' are less like lions stalking and more like the proverbial snake lying in the tall grass, waiting,” Achilles spokesperson Doug Eldridge said on Fox News. told Digital.
Lentz said “One Tree Hill'' was what saved me. Because I was able to consistently live in a place that reminded me of who I am. (Philip Farawan/Film Magic)
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Mr. Eldridge cited “paid courses” by people promoting themselves as life coaches, spiritualists and others who promise to “heal your pain and change your life.”
“Like more traditional cults, they deal with common themes such as sympathy, empathy, common experiences, and vague promises of a brighter tomorrow. It's human nature to look for ways to ease burdens. “Sadly, there are people who try to take advantage of people's naivety, their hurt, their search for a better version of themselves,” he said.
“I think that's one of the factors that I think 'One Tree Hill' saved me, because I was able to consistently live in a place that reminded me of who I am. Because I was able to do it.”
“If we are talking about modern cults in the form of change architects and other self-styled lifestyle gurus, their objectives are financial, their implementation is imprecise, and their influence is pseudo-iatrogenic. Sadly, these predators can find weak-legged gazelles and separate them from the herd.What happens next? I know,” Eldridge added.
“Smallville” actress Allison Mack was part of the now-infamous NXIVM group led by Keith Raniere and Nancy Salzman, a group that initially offered a self-help angle to its members.
“Smallville” actress Allison Mack, a member of the NXIVM group, was later charged with felonies including sex trafficking, identity theft, money laundering and extortion, before pleading guilty to lesser charges and serving a two-year prison sentence. . (Countess Jemal)
Former NXIVM follower reflects on dating leader Keith Raniere and meeting 'SMALLVILLE' star Allison Mack
In 2017, some members came forward to say there was a secret group within the group called the Oath, a group of women who were branded and who, in some cases, slept with Mr. Raniere. Some were created to recruit “slaves” for the group.
Raniere, Mack and others were arrested and charged with sex trafficking, identity theft, money laundering and extortion. Mack pled guilty to racketeering and extortion conspiracy charges, which freed her from sex trafficking charges.
She was sentenced to three years in prison and was released in July 2023 after serving two years.
India Oxenberg, daughter of actress Katherine Oxenberg, explained on the FOX True Crime Podcast how she was drawn into NXIVM's influence.
Actress India Oxenberg, who was a member of the NXIVM cult, said she didn't see any “red flags” when she joined. (Avalon Lennon)
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“I was young and intimidated and feeling like maybe this is where I'm meant to be,” she recalled. “So, looking back, obviously, things were different then. Hindsight is 20/20. I see the red flags now, but I didn't see them then.”
She was abused and sexually assaulted while being indoctrinated into a “cult of a cult,” until she fled the group seven years later and later worked with the FBI to build a case against Raniere and his co-conspirators.
“I really had to accept what was lovely to me and what was going to work for me in my life,” she said. “And it's not based on anyone else's standards, it's completely based on my standards. And a lot of that has to do with self-esteem and self-awareness, and that's something you get from traumatic experiences. Or maybe you want to talk about these things, but you're still hurting. ”
clock: NXIVM survivor India Oxenberg details life after escaping the cult
Lentz said his experience left him with immense shame, but that his faith helped him overcome that shame after he left the cult.
“I found a more authentic faith because I realized that I wasn't really living my life. I didn't have my own relationship with God. I was putting off letting others do it for me. When I finally got the faith back, I did all the right things that were true and I couldn't do enough to earn God's love. “I accepted that I couldn't do it, and the idea of shame became less scary,” she told the outlet.
“The more honest I became with God, the more I found that He would work through all of my confusion, anger, and fear with me, and the more I learned that it was okay to make mistakes. “Instead of spending your whole life,” she continued. We had the freedom to mess up and try to control everything so that we could be perfect, and that's really what I was looking for in this group. ”
Diamond said: “What most people don't realize is that being a celebrity can be extremely isolating. Many of the celebrities I know personally have to protect themselves from the world. “We all want connection, community and a sense of culture.”
Lentz said his faith helped him recover from his time in a cult. (Rodin Eckenroth/Film Magic)
“I found a more authentic faith because I realized that I wasn't actually living my life.”
Joaquin Phoenix, Michelle Pfeiffer and Rose McGowan are among Hollywood stars with cult ties
Magnus previously said that many cults “usually offer a faith-based component, a way to improve oneself toward a greater good or purpose, or a way to carry out a religious task with a responsible leader. ” he emphasized.
Brothers Joaquin Phoenix and River Phoenix, as well as actress Rose McGowan, were part of the “Children of God” cult started by David Berg, who wanted to link Christianity with the free love movement of the late 60s. I grew up in
Things started off normally, but over the years, people started reporting child abuse, child marriage, and separating children from their parents.
Joaquin Phoenix told Playboy in 2014 that once his parents realized what was going on, they removed him and his siblings, including River, Reign, Liberty, and Summer, from the situation.
Joaquin Phoenix said his parents left the Children of God cult after learning about their dark practices. (Jesse Grant/Variety, via Getty Images)
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“I think my parents thought they had found a community that shared their ideals. Cults rarely advertise themselves as such. Usually someone says, 'We are like-minded. “This is a community. I think in that moment, my parents realized there was more to this and left.” told the media.
McGowan's father also took his family out of the cult at a time when sexual relationships between adults and children were being forced upon members.
McGowan told People magazine in 2011: “I know I was and am strong, but I could have been broken. I know I survived at the last minute.”
Fox News Digital's Caroline Thayer, Emily Trainham and Christina Coulter contributed to this report.
