Current:Home > MarketsBethany Joy Lenz Reveals Name of Alleged "Cult" She Says She Belonged To -TradeGrid
Bethany Joy Lenz Reveals Name of Alleged "Cult" She Says She Belonged To
View
Date:2025-04-15 07:39:33
Bethany Joy Lenz is revealing more details of her inspiring journey.
After previously sharing on her podcast she was "in a cult for 10 years," the One Tree Hill alum will detail her recovery from the harrowing experience in her debut memoir, Dinner for Vampires.
"An only child who often had to fend for herself and always wanted a place to belong, Lenz found the safe haven she'd been searching for in a Bible study group with other Hollywood creatives," a description for the book, from Simon & Schuster reads. "However, the group soon morphed into something more sinister—a slowly woven web of manipulation, abuse, and fear under the guise of a church covenant called The Big House Family."
The Big House Family, as Bethany alleges in the synopsis, coerced her to "give away her autonomy," relocate to the organization's Pacific Northwest compound, and had her have "Family ‘minders'" on set with her.
In addition, Bethany is set to describe the group's alleged practices to keep her a loyal member, including "‘Maoist struggle session'–inspired meetings in the basement of a filthy house, and regular counseling with ‘Leadership.'"
Bethany's new memoir comes after she previously described the obstacles that kept her from fully sharing her story when she first opened up about it last July.
"The pressure of getting it right, and everything having to be exactly real, and all the people that are involved," she said on the Drama Queens podcast at the time. "Also, I don't know how much I can say because there are still people and legal things in place that make it more complicated for the timing of that."
Dinner for Vampires, set to release in October, will also reveal a One Tree Hill "superfan" who allegedly helped Bethany regain her own sovereignty. And the Dexter actress has also previously credited her fellow castmates from the drama series—which included Sophia Bush and Chad Michael Murray—for support through the difficult life chapter.
"I feel like a lot of the people there, whether conscious or subconsciously," the 42-year-old told Southern Living last November. "knew that just their presence and being an encouragement and letting me know that they still love and cared about me in spite of the fact that I was a little weird. That made a big difference."
It's evident the One Tree Hill cast was a supportive, tight-knit crew. Read on for all the sweet moments from the show's 20th anniversary reunion.
E! News has reached out to The Big Family organization for comment but has not yet heard back.
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (954)
Related
- Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon
- Penny the 10-foot shark surfaces near Florida, marking nearly 5,000 miles in her journey
- Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T and More Reflect on Richard Belzer’s Legacy Nearly One Year After His Death
- Kentucky lawmaker says proposal to remove first cousins from incest law was 'inadvertent change'
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- A Minnesota boy learned his bus driver had cancer. Then he raised $1,000 to help her.
- Iran missile strikes in Pakistan show tension fueled by Israel-Hamas war spreading
- Hungary won’t back down and change LGBTQ+ and asylum policies criticized by EU, minister says
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Where is the coldest city in the U.S. today? Here's where temperatures are lowest right now.
Ranking
- Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
- Samsung debuts Galaxy S24 smartphones with built-in AI tools
- Extreme cold weather causing oil spills in North Dakota; 60 reports over past week
- Can the deadliest cat in the world be this tiny and cute? Watch as Gaia, the black-footed cat, greets Utah
- Bodycam footage shows high
- Schools set to pay at least $200 million in buyouts to hire and fire college football coaches
- Green Day, Jimmy Fallon team up for surprise acoustic set in NYC subway: Video
- Gangs in Haiti have attacked a community for 4 days. Residents fear that the violence could spread
Recommendation
Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
Fan’s racist abuse of match official leads to 1-point deduction for French soccer club Bastia
'Freud's Last Session' star Anthony Hopkins analyzes himself: 'How did my life happen?'
This week on Sunday Morning (January 21)
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
Warriors' game on Friday vs. Mavericks postponed following assistant coach's death
European Union institutions gear up for a fight over Orbán’s rule of law record, funds for Hungary
Former Army captain charged with fatally shooting two neighbors, dog in North Carolina