After NXIVM, a personal development company founded by Keith Raniere, was exposed as a pyramid scheme and cult that forced its female recruits into sexual slavery, itwas soon discovered that there were many prominent, highly influential members from the worlds of business, politics and Hollywood. One of the most shocking and notable performers was former Smallville actress Allison Mack, who was a senior member within the organization and eventually pleaded guilty to racketeering charges.

In the years since the 2017 New York Times expos, its been revealed that cast members of Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica and Dynasty crossed paths with the organization. A lot of young people who were in the film and television industry, lots of actors [were involved], former member and Canadian actress Sarah Edmondson says in the HBO docuseries,The Vow, which chronicles her and other members escape from the clutches ofRaniere and NXIVM.

We were all sort of in the same boat, struggling with our self-esteem, body issues, meaning and purpose, Edmondson says, explaining whythey may have been attracted to or susceptible to NXIVMs many promises around wellness and self-help.Heres a confirmed list of Hollywoods members or recruits.

As NXIVM expanded across North America, it eventually opened a center in Vancouver, Canada,where the CW superhero series wasfilmed. Former member Barbara Bouchey said in an interview with E! True Hollywood Story that she worked with Edmondson over several years to develop the Vancouver center and that led eventually to Allison Mack.

The actress, who was only 23 at the time, told the New York Times that she came to NXIVM when she was unhappy with her TV acting career. She reportedly asked Raniere to make her a great actress again. [More on Macks story via ETonline.]

Anthony Ames The Abduction of Zack Butterfield

A model and actor, Ames most prominent role was as Agent Quincannon in the 2011 film The Abduction of Zack Butterfield, which the New York Timesdescribesas a cringingly awkward tale of sexual predation and female lunacy.

More commonly known as Nippy, the actor was a prominent member of NXIVM, where he also met and fell in love with Edmondson. When the two got married, most of their wedding guests and bridal party were from NXIVM. While his wife continued to grow within the organization, Nippy became disillusioned by the experience and was unaware of her involvement with DOS.

Bonnie Piesse Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones,Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

Piesseis an Australian actress and a singer-songwriter most famous for being part of the Star Wars film franchise. Piesse appeared in the second two prequels as a young version of Beru Lars, Luke Skywalkers aunt and surrogate mother.

She met director Mark Vicente (What the Bleep Do We Know!?), who was already a member of NXIVM, and turned to the organization as her music and acting career stalled. Eventually the two got married and became the poster couple for others to follow.

While Vicente remained dedicated to Raniere, even working closely with him on a documentary and screenplay about his story, Piesse eventually became suspicious of NXIVMs practices and wanted out. Despite trying to leave on good terms, especially since Vicente remained a prominent member, she was blacklisted. The couples marriage suffered as a result.But once Vicente decided to leave, the two got back together and teamed up with Edmondson and CatherineOxenberg to get others out.

Blue, who played General Zod during seasons nine and 10 of Smallville and also appeared on series likeProof and Royal Pains, found himself turning to the organization in 2011, after a personal tragedy. At the height of my popularity, I went through some trauma. My father took his own life and I continued working and I was caught up in this spiral of chaos cause Hollywood can be a chaotic and noisy place. And that really opened me up to looking to the outside world to find the answers, he said in an interview with E! True Hollywood Story.

Put off by Raniere and his experience, Blue quickly left NXIVM. I was in it for five days and I heard the same thing again and again and again, he recalled.

Catherine Oxenberg Dynasty

Oxenberg, a former Dynasty actress and the daughter of Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia, was able to get out -- but not fast enough to save her daughter, India, from the clutches of Raniere. I didnt sign my daughter up for a sex cult,Oxenberg told ET, explaining that sheholds herself accountable for what ultimately happened to India. Intending to help her daughter on her journey into adulthood, she inadvertently introduced India, then 19 years old, to NXIVM in 2011.

The truth is, what we went to was an intro for a leadership program, Oxenberg explained. It could have been any self-help program, and thats the truth. Nobody signs up to join a cult. These cults very often have consumer-facing companies offering real and viable resources and tools. And thats what this was I thought that she might benefit from some leadership skills because she was going into the business world.

Oxenberg has since recounted her story in the Lifetime film, Escaping the NXIVM Cult: A Mother's Fight to Save Her Daughter, which is based on her 2018 memoir, Captive: A Mother's Crusade to Save Her Daughter From a Terrifying Cult. Her attempts to free India are also chronicled on The Vow. [More on Oxenbergsstory via ETonline.]

Chad Krowchuk Wayward Pines

After a number of small, episodic roles, Krowchuk appeared on Aliens in America before going on to bigger roles in Gracepoint and Wayward Pines.

He was initially recruited by Edmondson, but it was Mack, his girlfriend at the time, who convinced him to take a five-day training course. According to Vice, Mack and Krowchuk were about three years into living together when NXIVM became a thing in their group of friends, with Mack quickly becoming fascinated by the organization. That was the part that scared me the most, Krowchuk said. Before we had conversations about it, and we both thought it seemed kind of weird and creepy. I dont necessarily know if she thought it was creepy, but we agreed it seemed a little messed up.

While Mack became a prominent member, she reportedly wasnt the first Smallville recruit. That was Kreuk, who played Lana Lang. According to The Hollywood Reporter, shortly after joining the group in 2006, she brought Mack. Im excited to work with youguys. I dont know what else to say, Kreuk says infootage featured onThe Vow that shows her in a meeting alongside Edmondson.

Even though Kreuk was involved with NXIVM, she claims that she left before anything illegal or nefarious happened. I am deeply disturbed and embarrassed to have been associated with NXIVM, the actress posted to Twitter in 2018. The accusations that I was in the inner circle or recruited women as sex slaves are blatantly false.

How are we contributing as a society to the myth of celebrity? Cause a lot of people seem to be rather caught up in it, Park, who famously portrayed Sharon Boomer Valerii on Battlestar Galactica before starring on the CBS rebootof Hawaii Five-0, is seen asking Raniere in a promotional video initially posted to NXIVMs site and YouTube page. As seen in footage from The Vow, the actress was in the bridal party atEdmondsons wedding, which according to the bride, was mostly attended by members of NXIVM.

According to Vice, Park quietly left after the explosive New York Times article, which featured revelations about Jness and the sex cult practices.

Mark Hildreth Resurrection

Hildreth has appeared on everything from The Tudors to Resurrection to Hulus The Looming Tower. But his most prominent role, it seems, is being the one to reportedly have recruited Kreuk into NXIVM. According to Vice, the actor convinced her to attend her first session, which proved to be a turning point for the organization, which could now say it had a famous actress among its members.

Nicki Clyne Battlestar Galactica

I feel like the biggest limitation is that we judge ourselves, Clyne, who reportedly was recruited by Edmondsonin 2006, is seen saying during a NXIVM meeting in footage featured on The Vow. The actress who playedCally Henderson on the Syfy serieswas close to other Vancouver recruits, including Mack and Park.

In 2018, federal prosecutors claimed that Mack and Clyne were married, according to court transcripts obtained by People. The outletreported the union was at the behest of NXIVM co-founder Keith Raniere. A one-time publicist for the cult said, Nicki has been in the cult for 12 years. She quit her regular role with Battlestar to follow Raniere.

Samia Shoaib La Femme Nikita

After Mack was initially arrested, The Sixth Sense and La Femme Nikita actressrevealed to Megyn Kelly that she was approached by Mack to join NXIM after the two met at an audition in 2013. Soon after, Mack tried to get Shoaib to join a school for introspection.

We got close very quickly, and looking back, it was a very contrived effort, but at the time she seemed so sincere, Shoaib said at the time. While the actress never got involved, she was one of many that Mack attempted to recruit over the years. Others include Emma Watson, Kelly Clarkson and Beverly Mitchell.

Born and raised in Vancouver, the actress first appeared onscreen inthe teen soap Edgemont opposite Park. She eventually went on to appear in a number of sci-fi projects likeAndromeda, Continuumand Stargate SG-1. Her most notable role before leaving NXIVM was a recurring stint on Psych.

Once in NXIVM, Edmondson rose through the ranks to become one of its top recruiters, bringing in thousands of people, including some of the other actors listed here. She also met and married Nippy and when the two had a child, they named Lauren Salzman his godmother. It was Salzman who recruited her into DOS, where she became her slave and was branded with Raniere'sinitials.

Since leaving NXIVM, Edmondson has returned to acting and starred on season 2 of the short-lived series Salvation.

Go here to see the original:
NXIVM: Allison Mack, Grace Park and Other Actors Recruited by the Sex Cult - WFAA.com