(UnitedVoice.com) – Cults are not a new phenomenon. Over the last few decades, they have received a lot of media attention when things go awry. The Heaven’s Gate cult was a good example of that. In 1997, 39 group members committed mass suicide in San Diego, California.
While the cults are generally composed of ordinary people who are sucked in, a number of Hollywood stars have been linked to them over the years.
Allison Mack
In 2017, a cult called NXIVM captured the national spotlight when many of its members came forward to talk about what they’d experienced. Keith Raniere founded the personal development group that was later exposed as a cult. The women who joined it were forced into sex slavery.
“Smallville” actress Allison Mack was a member of the cult. She became one of the highest-level members of the organization and started recruiting others to join. Federal authorities arrested her in 2018 and indicted her on several crimes, including sex trafficking. She was released from federal prison in July 2023.
Bethany Joy Lenz
In an episode of the podcast “Drama Queens,” the “One Tree Hill” actress Bethany Joy Lenz revealed she was also in a cult for 10 years. She didn’t name which one she was in but said she planned to write about it at some point, noting, “There’s a lot to tell.”
Rose McGowan, Jeremy Spencer, and River and Joaquin Phoenix
Children of God, also known as The Family International, has been accused by former members of engaging in sexual and physical abuse of kids. Joaquin and River Phoenix, Rose McGowan, and Fleetwood Mac’s Jeremy Spencer all belonged to the organization over the years.
The entire Phoenix family was involved in it and traveled around the country. River overdosed in 1993, and some believe his time in the cult as a child might have contributed to his addiction problems. McGowan claims her family left the group when its leaders began “advocating child-adult sex.”
Neil Young — An Associate
While Neil Young was not actually in a cult, he knew — and spent time with — Charles Manson. The Manson Family is most famous for murdering actress Sharon Tate, Folgers Coffee heiress Abigail Folgers, and several others. Neil Young used to jam out with Manson, who was a huge music fan. Young allegedly later said the cult leader “seemed a little uptight, a little too intense.”
Young reportedly said Manson was a “frustrated artist” and he had a “strong will.” He wanted to help get him a record deal, but it never happened.
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