Hollywood loves a redemption arc, but off-screen it often writes stranger scripts. Since the 1970s, when fringe movements began courting actors in their 30s searching for clarity, celebrity faith has doubled as PR strategy and personal therapy. Pop stars in their early 20s traded stadium applause for \u201canswers\u201d behind guarded doors. It wasn\u2019t fringe gossip. It was networking with incense.
Money didn\u2019t fix the panic attacks. Fame didn\u2019t quiet the insomnia. So belief became the new accessory. Contracts replaced prayers. Loyalty came with NDAs. You can roll your eyes, sure. But when the spotlight fades at 2 a.m., even Hollywood\u2019s elite start looking for something that doesn\u2019t need a publicist.<\/p>\n
Scientology \u2014 Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Elisabeth Moss, Danny Masterson\u2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n![\"Tom](\"https:\/\/lifestylefortress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Tom-Cruise-1024x576.jpg\"\/)
Image Credit: IMDB\n<\/div>\nYes, we all knew this one was coming. Tom Cruise has been a vocal defender of Scientology since the early 2000s. While some still contest whether or not Scientology is even a \u201ccult\u201d or a modern religion, the reality is that L. Ron Hubbard\u2019s movement has been involved in some shady business over the years, including allegedly covering for Masterson\u2019s sexual crimes from 2003.<\/p>\n
Erhard Seminars Training \u2014 Yoko Ono, Jeff Bridges, Raul Julia\u2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n![\"Jeff](\"https:\/\/lifestylefortress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Jeff-Bridges-1024x576.jpg\"\/)
Image Credit: FX\n<\/div>\nAlthough not a \u201creligious\u201d cult in the strict sense, EST (later renamed to the more ominous-sounding The Forum) encouraged cult-like discipline among its members, promising a radical shift in how they experienced life. Avant-garde musicians like Yoko Ono and John Denver loved the concept and quickly embraced the movement\u2019s rigorous teachings.<\/p>\n
Breatharianism \u2014 Michelle Pfeiffer<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n![\"Michelle](\"https:\/\/lifestylefortress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Michelle-Pfeiffer-catwoman-1024x576.jpg\"\/)
Image Credit: Warner Bros.\n<\/div>\nIt\u2019s just as it says on the tin: \u201cBreatharianism\u201d was a fringe pseudoscientific movement that claimed humans don\u2019t need food or that lousy water to survive\u2014all they need is good ol\u2019 life energy and sunlight. These dangerous practices swindled believers in the early 80s, and even celebrities like Michelle Pfeiffer were briefly seduced by the movement\u2019s mystic teachings.<\/p>\n
Kabbalah Centre \u2014 Madonna, Britney Spears, Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n![\"demi](\"https:\/\/lifestylefortress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/demi-moore-the-substance-1024x576.jpg\"\/)
Image Credit: Mubi\n<\/div>\nNot to be confused with the traditional Jewish Kabbalah, the Kabbalah Centre attempts to reinvigorate Jewish mysticism for a modern age. Madonna was one of the Centre\u2019s more prominent representatives, popularizing the movement\u2019s distinguishable red string bracelet. Traditional Jewish scholars have shunned the movement, labeling it inauthentic and even \u201cdangerous\u201d to Jewish tradition.<\/p>\n
Children of God (Later Family International) \u2014 Joaquin Phoenix, Rose McGowan<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n![\"Joaquin-Phoenix-Best-Actor-of-All-Time\"](\"https:\/\/lifestylefortress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Joaquin-Phoenix-Best-Actor-of-All-Time-1024x683.jpg\"\/)
Image Credit: Facebook\n<\/div>\nWhile most celebrities willfully join cults in search of spiritual fulfillment (and maybe some financial incentives), some of them are born into them. Joaquin Phoenix\u2019s entire family belonged to the Children of God movement after they became disillusioned with the cult\u2019s abusive practices and bizarre sexual doctrines. Just like Phoenix, Rose McGowan was also born into the cult. Her family fled the Italian chapter of the CoG when Rose was just 9.<\/p>\n
NXIVM \u2014 Allison Mack, Kristin Kreuk, Grace Park\u2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n![\"Allison](\"https:\/\/lifestylefortress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1242-2-1024x613.jpg\"\/)
Image Credit: Channel 4 Picture Publicity\n<\/div>\nOriginally presented as one of those popular \u201cself-actualization\u201d programs Hollywood loves, NXIVM was actually a sex trafficking scam that turned women into slaves. Even its most high-profile members, like Smallville\u2019s Allison Mack<\/a>, were asked to provide \u201ccollateral\u201d (nude pics) that could be used against them\u2014just in case they suddenly decided to leave the cult.<\/p>\nR. Kelly\u2019s Life \u2014 R. Kelly<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n![\"R](\"https:\/\/lifestylefortress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/R-Kelly-1024x576.jpg\"\/)
Image Credit: YouTube \/. R Kelly\n<\/div>\nMany would consider R. Kelly\u2019s lifestyle one of the most deranged modern sex cults ever exposed. From controlling travel routines to bathroom use, Kelly ruled women in his life with an iron fist\u2014and that would eventually be his downfall, as he was convicted in 2021 of racketeering and sex trafficking. Think he isn\u2019t an actor? Have you seen Trapped in the Closet<\/a>?<\/p>\nThe Cult Of Jared Leto<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n![\"Jared](\"https:\/\/lifestylefortress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Jared-Leto-Cult-1024x576.jpg\"\/)
Image Credit: Disney \/ Instagram\n<\/div>\nJared Leto keeps feeding that \u201cyes, this is a cult\u201d vibe with Thirty Seconds to Mars fans rocking white robes on Mars Island. You pay big money, chant with The Echelon, and wonder if you joined a fan club or something else. Leto denies misconduct claims, yet curiosity keeps growing.<\/p>\n
Bethany Joy Lenz<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n![\"Bethany](\"https:\/\/lifestylefortress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Bethany-Joy-Lenz-1024x576.jpg\"\/)
Image Credit: The WB\n<\/div>\nBethany Joy Lenz went from 2003 One Tree Hill fame to handing control of her career and bank account to a pastor in Idaho. In her memoir, Dinner for Vampires Life on a Cult TV Show (While also in an Actual Cult!), she writes, \u201cLiving silently\u2026 I don\u2019t know if that helps anyone.\u201d She joked to Craig Sheffer that cults are \u201cpeople in robes\u2026 drinking Kool-Aid.\u201d After 10 years, a marriage inside the \u201cfamily,\u201d a daughter, and losing millions, she finally walked away in 2012 to rebuild her life.<\/p>\n
Moral Re-Armament \u2013 Glenn Close<\/h2>\n\n![\"Glenn](\"https:\/\/lifestylefortress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Glenn-Close-1024x576.jpg\"\/)
Image Credit: Sony Pictures Classics\n<\/div>\nGlenn Close was only 7 when her dad moved the family to Switzerland for Moral Re-Armament. \u201cIt was basically a cult,\u201d she said. Fifteen years there left her \u201cpsychologically traumatized,\u201d still working on relationships. You learn your trigger points, like she says, and avoid situations that mess with connection.<\/p>\n
Image Credit: IMDB\n<\/div>\nYes, we all knew this one was coming. Tom Cruise has been a vocal defender of Scientology since the early 2000s. While some still contest whether or not Scientology is even a \u201ccult\u201d or a modern religion, the reality is that L. Ron Hubbard\u2019s movement has been involved in some shady business over the years, including allegedly covering for Masterson\u2019s sexual crimes from 2003.<\/p>\n
Erhard Seminars Training \u2014 Yoko Ono, Jeff Bridges, Raul Julia\u2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: FX\n<\/div>\nAlthough not a \u201creligious\u201d cult in the strict sense, EST (later renamed to the more ominous-sounding The Forum) encouraged cult-like discipline among its members, promising a radical shift in how they experienced life. Avant-garde musicians like Yoko Ono and John Denver loved the concept and quickly embraced the movement\u2019s rigorous teachings.<\/p>\n
Breatharianism \u2014 Michelle Pfeiffer<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: Warner Bros.\n<\/div>\nIt\u2019s just as it says on the tin: \u201cBreatharianism\u201d was a fringe pseudoscientific movement that claimed humans don\u2019t need food or that lousy water to survive\u2014all they need is good ol\u2019 life energy and sunlight. These dangerous practices swindled believers in the early 80s, and even celebrities like Michelle Pfeiffer were briefly seduced by the movement\u2019s mystic teachings.<\/p>\n
Kabbalah Centre \u2014 Madonna, Britney Spears, Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: Mubi\n<\/div>\nNot to be confused with the traditional Jewish Kabbalah, the Kabbalah Centre attempts to reinvigorate Jewish mysticism for a modern age. Madonna was one of the Centre\u2019s more prominent representatives, popularizing the movement\u2019s distinguishable red string bracelet. Traditional Jewish scholars have shunned the movement, labeling it inauthentic and even \u201cdangerous\u201d to Jewish tradition.<\/p>\n
Children of God (Later Family International) \u2014 Joaquin Phoenix, Rose McGowan<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: Facebook\n<\/div>\nWhile most celebrities willfully join cults in search of spiritual fulfillment (and maybe some financial incentives), some of them are born into them. Joaquin Phoenix\u2019s entire family belonged to the Children of God movement after they became disillusioned with the cult\u2019s abusive practices and bizarre sexual doctrines. Just like Phoenix, Rose McGowan was also born into the cult. Her family fled the Italian chapter of the CoG when Rose was just 9.<\/p>\n
NXIVM \u2014 Allison Mack, Kristin Kreuk, Grace Park\u2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: Channel 4 Picture Publicity\n<\/div>\nOriginally presented as one of those popular \u201cself-actualization\u201d programs Hollywood loves, NXIVM was actually a sex trafficking scam that turned women into slaves. Even its most high-profile members, like Smallville\u2019s Allison Mack<\/a>, were asked to provide \u201ccollateral\u201d (nude pics) that could be used against them\u2014just in case they suddenly decided to leave the cult.<\/p>\nR. Kelly\u2019s Life \u2014 R. Kelly<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: YouTube \/. R Kelly\n<\/div>\nMany would consider R. Kelly\u2019s lifestyle one of the most deranged modern sex cults ever exposed. From controlling travel routines to bathroom use, Kelly ruled women in his life with an iron fist\u2014and that would eventually be his downfall, as he was convicted in 2021 of racketeering and sex trafficking. Think he isn\u2019t an actor? Have you seen Trapped in the Closet<\/a>?<\/p>\nThe Cult Of Jared Leto<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: Disney \/ Instagram\n<\/div>\nJared Leto keeps feeding that \u201cyes, this is a cult\u201d vibe with Thirty Seconds to Mars fans rocking white robes on Mars Island. You pay big money, chant with The Echelon, and wonder if you joined a fan club or something else. Leto denies misconduct claims, yet curiosity keeps growing.<\/p>\n
Bethany Joy Lenz<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: The WB\n<\/div>\nBethany Joy Lenz went from 2003 One Tree Hill fame to handing control of her career and bank account to a pastor in Idaho. In her memoir, Dinner for Vampires Life on a Cult TV Show (While also in an Actual Cult!), she writes, \u201cLiving silently\u2026 I don\u2019t know if that helps anyone.\u201d She joked to Craig Sheffer that cults are \u201cpeople in robes\u2026 drinking Kool-Aid.\u201d After 10 years, a marriage inside the \u201cfamily,\u201d a daughter, and losing millions, she finally walked away in 2012 to rebuild her life.<\/p>\n
Moral Re-Armament \u2013 Glenn Close<\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: Sony Pictures Classics\n<\/div>\nGlenn Close was only 7 when her dad moved the family to Switzerland for Moral Re-Armament. \u201cIt was basically a cult,\u201d she said. Fifteen years there left her \u201cpsychologically traumatized,\u201d still working on relationships. You learn your trigger points, like she says, and avoid situations that mess with connection.<\/p>\n
Image Credit: FX\n<\/div>\nAlthough not a \u201creligious\u201d cult in the strict sense, EST (later renamed to the more ominous-sounding The Forum) encouraged cult-like discipline among its members, promising a radical shift in how they experienced life. Avant-garde musicians like Yoko Ono and John Denver loved the concept and quickly embraced the movement\u2019s rigorous teachings.<\/p>\n
Breatharianism \u2014 Michelle Pfeiffer<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: Warner Bros.\n<\/div>\nIt\u2019s just as it says on the tin: \u201cBreatharianism\u201d was a fringe pseudoscientific movement that claimed humans don\u2019t need food or that lousy water to survive\u2014all they need is good ol\u2019 life energy and sunlight. These dangerous practices swindled believers in the early 80s, and even celebrities like Michelle Pfeiffer were briefly seduced by the movement\u2019s mystic teachings.<\/p>\n
Kabbalah Centre \u2014 Madonna, Britney Spears, Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: Mubi\n<\/div>\nNot to be confused with the traditional Jewish Kabbalah, the Kabbalah Centre attempts to reinvigorate Jewish mysticism for a modern age. Madonna was one of the Centre\u2019s more prominent representatives, popularizing the movement\u2019s distinguishable red string bracelet. Traditional Jewish scholars have shunned the movement, labeling it inauthentic and even \u201cdangerous\u201d to Jewish tradition.<\/p>\n
Children of God (Later Family International) \u2014 Joaquin Phoenix, Rose McGowan<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: Facebook\n<\/div>\nWhile most celebrities willfully join cults in search of spiritual fulfillment (and maybe some financial incentives), some of them are born into them. Joaquin Phoenix\u2019s entire family belonged to the Children of God movement after they became disillusioned with the cult\u2019s abusive practices and bizarre sexual doctrines. Just like Phoenix, Rose McGowan was also born into the cult. Her family fled the Italian chapter of the CoG when Rose was just 9.<\/p>\n
NXIVM \u2014 Allison Mack, Kristin Kreuk, Grace Park\u2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: Channel 4 Picture Publicity\n<\/div>\nOriginally presented as one of those popular \u201cself-actualization\u201d programs Hollywood loves, NXIVM was actually a sex trafficking scam that turned women into slaves. Even its most high-profile members, like Smallville\u2019s Allison Mack<\/a>, were asked to provide \u201ccollateral\u201d (nude pics) that could be used against them\u2014just in case they suddenly decided to leave the cult.<\/p>\nR. Kelly\u2019s Life \u2014 R. Kelly<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: YouTube \/. R Kelly\n<\/div>\nMany would consider R. Kelly\u2019s lifestyle one of the most deranged modern sex cults ever exposed. From controlling travel routines to bathroom use, Kelly ruled women in his life with an iron fist\u2014and that would eventually be his downfall, as he was convicted in 2021 of racketeering and sex trafficking. Think he isn\u2019t an actor? Have you seen Trapped in the Closet<\/a>?<\/p>\nThe Cult Of Jared Leto<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: Disney \/ Instagram\n<\/div>\nJared Leto keeps feeding that \u201cyes, this is a cult\u201d vibe with Thirty Seconds to Mars fans rocking white robes on Mars Island. You pay big money, chant with The Echelon, and wonder if you joined a fan club or something else. Leto denies misconduct claims, yet curiosity keeps growing.<\/p>\n
Bethany Joy Lenz<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: The WB\n<\/div>\nBethany Joy Lenz went from 2003 One Tree Hill fame to handing control of her career and bank account to a pastor in Idaho. In her memoir, Dinner for Vampires Life on a Cult TV Show (While also in an Actual Cult!), she writes, \u201cLiving silently\u2026 I don\u2019t know if that helps anyone.\u201d She joked to Craig Sheffer that cults are \u201cpeople in robes\u2026 drinking Kool-Aid.\u201d After 10 years, a marriage inside the \u201cfamily,\u201d a daughter, and losing millions, she finally walked away in 2012 to rebuild her life.<\/p>\n
Moral Re-Armament \u2013 Glenn Close<\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: Sony Pictures Classics\n<\/div>\nGlenn Close was only 7 when her dad moved the family to Switzerland for Moral Re-Armament. \u201cIt was basically a cult,\u201d she said. Fifteen years there left her \u201cpsychologically traumatized,\u201d still working on relationships. You learn your trigger points, like she says, and avoid situations that mess with connection.<\/p>\n
Image Credit: Warner Bros.\n<\/div>\nIt\u2019s just as it says on the tin: \u201cBreatharianism\u201d was a fringe pseudoscientific movement that claimed humans don\u2019t need food or that lousy water to survive\u2014all they need is good ol\u2019 life energy and sunlight. These dangerous practices swindled believers in the early 80s, and even celebrities like Michelle Pfeiffer were briefly seduced by the movement\u2019s mystic teachings.<\/p>\n
Kabbalah Centre \u2014 Madonna, Britney Spears, Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: Mubi\n<\/div>\nNot to be confused with the traditional Jewish Kabbalah, the Kabbalah Centre attempts to reinvigorate Jewish mysticism for a modern age. Madonna was one of the Centre\u2019s more prominent representatives, popularizing the movement\u2019s distinguishable red string bracelet. Traditional Jewish scholars have shunned the movement, labeling it inauthentic and even \u201cdangerous\u201d to Jewish tradition.<\/p>\n
Children of God (Later Family International) \u2014 Joaquin Phoenix, Rose McGowan<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: Facebook\n<\/div>\nWhile most celebrities willfully join cults in search of spiritual fulfillment (and maybe some financial incentives), some of them are born into them. Joaquin Phoenix\u2019s entire family belonged to the Children of God movement after they became disillusioned with the cult\u2019s abusive practices and bizarre sexual doctrines. Just like Phoenix, Rose McGowan was also born into the cult. Her family fled the Italian chapter of the CoG when Rose was just 9.<\/p>\n
NXIVM \u2014 Allison Mack, Kristin Kreuk, Grace Park\u2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: Channel 4 Picture Publicity\n<\/div>\nOriginally presented as one of those popular \u201cself-actualization\u201d programs Hollywood loves, NXIVM was actually a sex trafficking scam that turned women into slaves. Even its most high-profile members, like Smallville\u2019s Allison Mack<\/a>, were asked to provide \u201ccollateral\u201d (nude pics) that could be used against them\u2014just in case they suddenly decided to leave the cult.<\/p>\nR. Kelly\u2019s Life \u2014 R. Kelly<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: YouTube \/. R Kelly\n<\/div>\nMany would consider R. Kelly\u2019s lifestyle one of the most deranged modern sex cults ever exposed. From controlling travel routines to bathroom use, Kelly ruled women in his life with an iron fist\u2014and that would eventually be his downfall, as he was convicted in 2021 of racketeering and sex trafficking. Think he isn\u2019t an actor? Have you seen Trapped in the Closet<\/a>?<\/p>\nThe Cult Of Jared Leto<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: Disney \/ Instagram\n<\/div>\nJared Leto keeps feeding that \u201cyes, this is a cult\u201d vibe with Thirty Seconds to Mars fans rocking white robes on Mars Island. You pay big money, chant with The Echelon, and wonder if you joined a fan club or something else. Leto denies misconduct claims, yet curiosity keeps growing.<\/p>\n
Bethany Joy Lenz<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: The WB\n<\/div>\nBethany Joy Lenz went from 2003 One Tree Hill fame to handing control of her career and bank account to a pastor in Idaho. In her memoir, Dinner for Vampires Life on a Cult TV Show (While also in an Actual Cult!), she writes, \u201cLiving silently\u2026 I don\u2019t know if that helps anyone.\u201d She joked to Craig Sheffer that cults are \u201cpeople in robes\u2026 drinking Kool-Aid.\u201d After 10 years, a marriage inside the \u201cfamily,\u201d a daughter, and losing millions, she finally walked away in 2012 to rebuild her life.<\/p>\n
Moral Re-Armament \u2013 Glenn Close<\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: Sony Pictures Classics\n<\/div>\nGlenn Close was only 7 when her dad moved the family to Switzerland for Moral Re-Armament. \u201cIt was basically a cult,\u201d she said. Fifteen years there left her \u201cpsychologically traumatized,\u201d still working on relationships. You learn your trigger points, like she says, and avoid situations that mess with connection.<\/p>\n
Image Credit: Mubi\n<\/div>\nNot to be confused with the traditional Jewish Kabbalah, the Kabbalah Centre attempts to reinvigorate Jewish mysticism for a modern age. Madonna was one of the Centre\u2019s more prominent representatives, popularizing the movement\u2019s distinguishable red string bracelet. Traditional Jewish scholars have shunned the movement, labeling it inauthentic and even \u201cdangerous\u201d to Jewish tradition.<\/p>\n
Children of God (Later Family International) \u2014 Joaquin Phoenix, Rose McGowan<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: Facebook\n<\/div>\nWhile most celebrities willfully join cults in search of spiritual fulfillment (and maybe some financial incentives), some of them are born into them. Joaquin Phoenix\u2019s entire family belonged to the Children of God movement after they became disillusioned with the cult\u2019s abusive practices and bizarre sexual doctrines. Just like Phoenix, Rose McGowan was also born into the cult. Her family fled the Italian chapter of the CoG when Rose was just 9.<\/p>\n
NXIVM \u2014 Allison Mack, Kristin Kreuk, Grace Park\u2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: Channel 4 Picture Publicity\n<\/div>\nOriginally presented as one of those popular \u201cself-actualization\u201d programs Hollywood loves, NXIVM was actually a sex trafficking scam that turned women into slaves. Even its most high-profile members, like Smallville\u2019s Allison Mack<\/a>, were asked to provide \u201ccollateral\u201d (nude pics) that could be used against them\u2014just in case they suddenly decided to leave the cult.<\/p>\nR. Kelly\u2019s Life \u2014 R. Kelly<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: YouTube \/. R Kelly\n<\/div>\nMany would consider R. Kelly\u2019s lifestyle one of the most deranged modern sex cults ever exposed. From controlling travel routines to bathroom use, Kelly ruled women in his life with an iron fist\u2014and that would eventually be his downfall, as he was convicted in 2021 of racketeering and sex trafficking. Think he isn\u2019t an actor? Have you seen Trapped in the Closet<\/a>?<\/p>\nThe Cult Of Jared Leto<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: Disney \/ Instagram\n<\/div>\nJared Leto keeps feeding that \u201cyes, this is a cult\u201d vibe with Thirty Seconds to Mars fans rocking white robes on Mars Island. You pay big money, chant with The Echelon, and wonder if you joined a fan club or something else. Leto denies misconduct claims, yet curiosity keeps growing.<\/p>\n
Bethany Joy Lenz<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: The WB\n<\/div>\nBethany Joy Lenz went from 2003 One Tree Hill fame to handing control of her career and bank account to a pastor in Idaho. In her memoir, Dinner for Vampires Life on a Cult TV Show (While also in an Actual Cult!), she writes, \u201cLiving silently\u2026 I don\u2019t know if that helps anyone.\u201d She joked to Craig Sheffer that cults are \u201cpeople in robes\u2026 drinking Kool-Aid.\u201d After 10 years, a marriage inside the \u201cfamily,\u201d a daughter, and losing millions, she finally walked away in 2012 to rebuild her life.<\/p>\n
Moral Re-Armament \u2013 Glenn Close<\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: Sony Pictures Classics\n<\/div>\nGlenn Close was only 7 when her dad moved the family to Switzerland for Moral Re-Armament. \u201cIt was basically a cult,\u201d she said. Fifteen years there left her \u201cpsychologically traumatized,\u201d still working on relationships. You learn your trigger points, like she says, and avoid situations that mess with connection.<\/p>\n
Image Credit: Facebook\n<\/div>\nWhile most celebrities willfully join cults in search of spiritual fulfillment (and maybe some financial incentives), some of them are born into them. Joaquin Phoenix\u2019s entire family belonged to the Children of God movement after they became disillusioned with the cult\u2019s abusive practices and bizarre sexual doctrines. Just like Phoenix, Rose McGowan was also born into the cult. Her family fled the Italian chapter of the CoG when Rose was just 9.<\/p>\n
NXIVM \u2014 Allison Mack, Kristin Kreuk, Grace Park\u2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: Channel 4 Picture Publicity\n<\/div>\nOriginally presented as one of those popular \u201cself-actualization\u201d programs Hollywood loves, NXIVM was actually a sex trafficking scam that turned women into slaves. Even its most high-profile members, like Smallville\u2019s Allison Mack<\/a>, were asked to provide \u201ccollateral\u201d (nude pics) that could be used against them\u2014just in case they suddenly decided to leave the cult.<\/p>\nR. Kelly\u2019s Life \u2014 R. Kelly<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: YouTube \/. R Kelly\n<\/div>\nMany would consider R. Kelly\u2019s lifestyle one of the most deranged modern sex cults ever exposed. From controlling travel routines to bathroom use, Kelly ruled women in his life with an iron fist\u2014and that would eventually be his downfall, as he was convicted in 2021 of racketeering and sex trafficking. Think he isn\u2019t an actor? Have you seen Trapped in the Closet<\/a>?<\/p>\nThe Cult Of Jared Leto<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: Disney \/ Instagram\n<\/div>\nJared Leto keeps feeding that \u201cyes, this is a cult\u201d vibe with Thirty Seconds to Mars fans rocking white robes on Mars Island. You pay big money, chant with The Echelon, and wonder if you joined a fan club or something else. Leto denies misconduct claims, yet curiosity keeps growing.<\/p>\n
Bethany Joy Lenz<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: The WB\n<\/div>\nBethany Joy Lenz went from 2003 One Tree Hill fame to handing control of her career and bank account to a pastor in Idaho. In her memoir, Dinner for Vampires Life on a Cult TV Show (While also in an Actual Cult!), she writes, \u201cLiving silently\u2026 I don\u2019t know if that helps anyone.\u201d She joked to Craig Sheffer that cults are \u201cpeople in robes\u2026 drinking Kool-Aid.\u201d After 10 years, a marriage inside the \u201cfamily,\u201d a daughter, and losing millions, she finally walked away in 2012 to rebuild her life.<\/p>\n
Moral Re-Armament \u2013 Glenn Close<\/h2>\n\nImage Credit: Sony Pictures Classics\n<\/div>\nGlenn Close was only 7 when her dad moved the family to Switzerland for Moral Re-Armament. \u201cIt was basically a cult,\u201d she said. Fifteen years there left her \u201cpsychologically traumatized,\u201d still working on relationships. You learn your trigger points, like she says, and avoid situations that mess with connection.<\/p>\n
Image Credit: Channel 4 Picture Publicity\n<\/div>\nOriginally presented as one of those popular \u201cself-actualization\u201d programs Hollywood loves, NXIVM was actually a sex trafficking scam that turned women into slaves. Even its most high-profile members, like Smallville\u2019s Allison Mack<\/a>, were asked to provide \u201ccollateral\u201d (nude pics) that could be used against them\u2014just in case they suddenly decided to leave the cult.<\/p>\n Many would consider R. Kelly\u2019s lifestyle one of the most deranged modern sex cults ever exposed. From controlling travel routines to bathroom use, Kelly ruled women in his life with an iron fist\u2014and that would eventually be his downfall, as he was convicted in 2021 of racketeering and sex trafficking. Think he isn\u2019t an actor? Have you seen Trapped in the Closet<\/a>?<\/p>\n Jared Leto keeps feeding that \u201cyes, this is a cult\u201d vibe with Thirty Seconds to Mars fans rocking white robes on Mars Island. You pay big money, chant with The Echelon, and wonder if you joined a fan club or something else. Leto denies misconduct claims, yet curiosity keeps growing.<\/p>\n Bethany Joy Lenz went from 2003 One Tree Hill fame to handing control of her career and bank account to a pastor in Idaho. In her memoir, Dinner for Vampires Life on a Cult TV Show (While also in an Actual Cult!), she writes, \u201cLiving silently\u2026 I don\u2019t know if that helps anyone.\u201d She joked to Craig Sheffer that cults are \u201cpeople in robes\u2026 drinking Kool-Aid.\u201d After 10 years, a marriage inside the \u201cfamily,\u201d a daughter, and losing millions, she finally walked away in 2012 to rebuild her life.<\/p>\n Glenn Close was only 7 when her dad moved the family to Switzerland for Moral Re-Armament. \u201cIt was basically a cult,\u201d she said. Fifteen years there left her \u201cpsychologically traumatized,\u201d still working on relationships. You learn your trigger points, like she says, and avoid situations that mess with connection.<\/p>\nR. Kelly\u2019s Life \u2014 R. Kelly<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Image Credit: YouTube \/. R Kelly\n<\/div>\nThe Cult Of Jared Leto<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Image Credit: Disney \/ Instagram\n<\/div>\nBethany Joy Lenz<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Image Credit: The WB\n<\/div>\nMoral Re-Armament \u2013 Glenn Close<\/h2>\n
Image Credit: Sony Pictures Classics\n<\/div>\n