What’s the Deal With That Actress in a Sex Cult?
Over the last few weeks, we heard a lot about actor Allison Mack and her ties to the NXIVM/DOS cult — a sex cult that used feminism to recruit members who quickly became victims of sex trafficking. Of course, hearing a lot about something doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting the details, so outside of all Mack-centric Smallville jokes, here’s our one-sided Q&A crash course in the details of a cult that’s been operating for over twenty years (!).
So, first things first. What is happening, please?
At our most topical? Smallville actor Allison Mack is being charged with sex trafficking as the second-in-command of a sex cult who wooed women under the guise of female empowerment. Or, in the words of Richard P. Donoghue, (no relation to yours truly) “As an alleged indictment, Allison Mack recruited women to join what was purported to be a female mentorship program that was, in fact, created and led by Keith Raniere. The victims were then exploited, both sexually and for their labor, to the defendants’ benefit.”
And this isn’t–
Alex Mack? No. I mean, it is a secret world, but no. I made the same mistake this week.
Nope, I was going to ask: and this isn’t a new cult? (Honestly embarrassing you thought a fictional character who turned to liquid was real, TBH.)
It’s been a long week.
But no. Back in 1998, Keith Raniere and Nancy Salzman created NXIVM, which existed under the guise of being a self-help organization. The website describes it as a “community guided by humanitarian principles that seek to empower people,” and offers “Executive Success programs” as part of its repertoire. (So, nonsense words strung together to seem a little less nonsensical.)
Then, in 2015 Raniere created a sub-sect. It was dubbed “DOS,” and this is where it gets exceptionally terrible: “DOS” translates to “Lord/Master of the Obedient Female Companions” or “The Vow.” And according to Newsweek, it operated much like a pyramid scheme in which levels of female “slaves” were controlled by “masters.” So, a master would choose a slave who would have to recruit more slaves, and that would turn the former slaves into masters — and so on and so forth.
It gets even darker, doesn’t it.
It does, and here’s where I warn everyone that some of this language could be triggering or simply just very upsetting to read. FBI’s New York Field Office Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. described some of the group’s acts shortly after Raniere was arrested in March: “He [Raniere] allegedly participated in horrifying acts of branding and burning [the victims], with the cooperation of other women participating in this unorthodox scheme.”
Donoghue further elaborated on Raniere’s atrocities: “Keith Raniere created a secret society of women whom he had sex with and branded his initials, coercing them with the threat of releasing their highly personal information and taking their assets.” Back in November, the New York Times also detailed what was then an ongoing investigation, which prompted Raniere to flee the country. Raniere was also referred to as “The Vanguard,” forced women to diet, and to respond to his calls at any hour of the day or night.
Holy shit. I hate this. Is he going to prison?
We can certainly hope. After being arrested, 57-year-old Raniere was charged with sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy, and conspiracy to commit forced labour. He was living outside the US after that New York Times piece came to light, staying with several women in a gated community in Puerto Vallarta when he was returned to Texas to face charges. So far, he’s denied the charges, which, well, of course he did. A letter has also been posted to Nxivm’s website claiming they’re working with authorities to prove Raniere’s innocence. All of it is terrible, and he is terrible.
So how does Allison Mack factor in?
Right, so the specifics of why Mack aligned herself with Raniere and how she began to recruit for NXIVM and DOS are still being figured out (even though you can certainly find her descent into it play out somehow on Twitter). But she allegedly began recruiting on behalf of Raniere, and was basically his the Sheela to his Bagwain (if you know your Wild, Wild Country). Ultimately, she’d force women to have sex with Raniere and then threaten to release “damaging” information on them if they refused. You can read the full indictment here, and it’s a doozy.
Okay, but . . . what?
I know. All of this seems unbelievable because it’s the worst. But what’s interesting is the way Mack and Raniere’s relationship is also well-documented. In 2017, a series of conversations between the two went up on YouTube, where the actor interviewed the DOS leader. They are all embarrassingly bad.
Didn’t she also recruit actors and reach out to women on Twitter?
Oh, you bet she did. Actor Samia Shoaib has been very vocal in her belief that she was targeted by Mack, and on Twitter, Mack reached out to Emma Watson. Her whole shtick? Female empowerment and mentorship. She sang the praises of this “amazing women’s movement” and “unique human development.” So a solid “fuck you” to that.
And is she in prison?
Wouldn’t that be great? No, she was released on a $5 million bond for her role in sex trafficking, and according to the CNN piece I just linked to (and public filings), her attorneys are currently in the process of negotiating a possible plea deal. Specifically, the documents say that there’s a “reasonable likelihood” that the negotiations will “result in a disposition of this case without trial.” So maybe she’ll serve time, maybe she won’t. She did plead not guilty initially, so there’s still a shot this might play out in court. The thing is, if convicted, both she and Raniere will face mandatory minimum sentences of 15 years and a maximum of life.
So now what?
We watch and wait. And while we’re here, let’s also keep the victims in mind, please and thank you. Let’s keep them in mind when we talk about this case, and let’s keep them in mind when we make Allison Mack jokes on Twitter. Survivors of sex trafficking or sexual assault don’t need to see us make light of their trauma. Which I know sounds preachy, but also I don’t care. Your Allison Mack joke wasn’t even that good.
But I didn’t make one.
And you never will.
.
So, first things first. What is happening, please?
At our most topical? Smallville actor Allison Mack is being charged with sex trafficking as the second-in-command of a sex cult who wooed women under the guise of female empowerment. Or, in the words of Richard P. Donoghue, (no relation to yours truly) “As an alleged indictment, Allison Mack recruited women to join what was purported to be a female mentorship program that was, in fact, created and led by Keith Raniere. The victims were then exploited, both sexually and for their labor, to the defendants’ benefit.”
And this isn’t--
Alex Mack? No. I mean, it is a secret world, but no. I made the same mistake this week.
Nope, I was going to ask: and this isn’t a new cult? (Honestly embarrassing you thought a fictional character who turned to liquid was real, TBH.)
It’s been a long week.
But no. Back in 1998, Keith Raniere and Nancy Salzman created NXIVM, which existed under the guise of being a self-help organization. The website describes it as a “community guided by humanitarian principles that seek to empower people,” and offers “Executive Success programs” as part of its repertoire. (So, nonsense words strung together to seem a little less nonsensical.)
Then, in 2015 Raniere created a sub-sect. It was dubbed “DOS,” and this is where it gets exceptionally terrible: “DOS” translates to “Lord/Master of the Obedient Female Companions” or “The Vow.” And according to Newsweek, it operated much like a pyramid scheme in which levels of female “slaves” were controlled by “masters.” So, a master would choose a slave who would have to recruit more slaves, and that would turn the former slaves into masters -- and so on and so forth.
It gets even darker, doesn’t it.
It does, and here’s where I warn everyone that some of this language could be triggering or simply just very upsetting to read. FBI’s New York Field Office Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. described some of the group’s acts shortly after Raniere was arrested in March: “He [Raniere] allegedly participated in horrifying acts of branding and burning [the victims], with the cooperation of other women participating in this unorthodox scheme.”
Donoghue further elaborated on Raniere’s atrocities: “Keith Raniere created a secret society of women whom he had sex with and branded his initials, coercing them with the threat of releasing their highly personal information and taking their assets.” Back in November, the New York Times also detailed what was then an ongoing investigation, which prompted Raniere to flee the country. Raniere was also referred to as “The Vanguard,” forced women to diet, and to respond to his calls at any hour of the day or night.
Holy shit. I hate this. Is he going to prison?
We can certainly hope. After being arrested, 57-year-old Raniere was charged with sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy, and conspiracy to commit forced labour. He was living outside the US after that New York Times piece came to light, staying with several women in a gated community in Puerto Vallarta when he was returned to Texas to face charges. So far, he’s denied the charges, which, well, of course he did. A letter has also been posted to Nxivm’s website claiming they’re working with authorities to prove Raniere’s innocence. All of it is terrible, and he is terrible.
So how does Allison Mack factor in?
Right, so the specifics of why Mack aligned herself with Raniere and how she began to recruit for NXIVM and DOS are still being figured out (even though you can certainly find her descent into it play out somehow on Twitter). But she allegedly began recruiting on behalf of Raniere, and was basically his the Sheela to his Bagwain (if you know your Wild, Wild Country). Ultimately, she’d force women to have sex with Raniere and then threaten to release “damaging” information on them if they refused. You can read the full indictment here, and it’s a doozy.
Okay, but . . . what?
I know. All of this seems unbelievable because it’s the worst. But what’s interesting is the way Mack and Raniere’s relationship is also well-documented. In 2017, a series of conversations between the two went up on YouTube, where the actor interviewed the DOS leader. They are all embarrassingly bad.
Didn’t she also recruit actors and reach out to women on Twitter?
Oh, you bet she did. Actor Samia Shoaib has been very vocal in her belief that she was targeted by Mack, and on Twitter, Mack reached out to Emma Watson. Her whole shtick? Female empowerment and mentorship. She sang the praises of this “amazing women’s movement” and “unique human development.” So a solid “fuck you” to that.
And is she in prison?
Wouldn’t that be great? No, she was released on a $5 million bond for her role in sex trafficking, and according to the CNN piece I just linked to (and public filings), her attorneys are currently in the process of negotiating a possible plea deal. Specifically, the documents say that there’s a “reasonable likelihood” that the negotiations will “result in a disposition of this case without trial.” So maybe she’ll serve time, maybe she won’t. She did plead not guilty initially, so there’s still a shot this might play out in court. The thing is, if convicted, both she and Raniere will face mandatory minimum sentences of 15 years and a maximum of life.
So now what?
We watch and wait. And while we’re here, let’s also keep the victims in mind, please and thank you. Let’s keep them in mind when we talk about this case, and let’s keep them in mind when we make Allison Mack jokes on Twitter. Survivors of sex trafficking or sexual assault don’t need to see us make light of their trauma. Which I know sounds preachy, but also I don’t care. Your Allison Mack joke wasn’t even that good.
But I didn’t make one.
And you never will.){kind=link}