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Smallville star Allison Mack is opening up about her time in the NXIVM cult for the first time. The new CBC podcast Allison After NXIVM, which premiered on November 10, chronicles the actress' experience with the cult, and its leader Keith Raniere, across 7 episodes.
The podcast dives into Allison's role as "Raniere's right-hand woman," as Variety reports, and her impact on the other members of the group. "She encouraged other women to go to him for the same kind of sexual 'help' Raniere was giving her, meaning that she was sending them off to be raped by him," Variety continues. "Within the NXIVM women’s group DOS, which Raniere was secretly in charge of, Mack had 'slaves,' and enforced what they ate (minimally) and when, as well as every action they took."
Keep reading to see what Allison Mack had to say about the NXIVM cult.
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Allison Mack ended up going to federal prison for the better part of two years in June 2021. Keith Raniere was arrested in 2018 and is currently serving 120 years in prison. And in the first episode of Allison After NXIVM, Mack says she attended her first NXIVM meeting in 2006 because of Smallville costar Kristin Kreuk (who played Lana Lang on the WB series).
“We both were at the point where we were 25. We were in New York City together. It was our break," the actress says on the podcast. "And we had rented an apartment in the same building in the West Village. And we both were like, why do we both feel so unsatisfied?"
When Kreuk discovered NXIVM, she explained it to Mack as, “the science of joy. It’s the most amazing thing,” Mack remembers. "She was just like super excited about it."
Mack also says the intro courses "were learning about what’s the purpose of mankind, and we were learning about how does that relate to gender differences and relationships."
Kristin Kreuk has opened up about her involvement with the group in the past, writing on social media, "When I was about 23, I took an Executive Success Programs/NXIVM ‘intensive,’ what I understood to be a self-help/personal growth course that helped me handle my previous shyness, which is why I continued with the program."
"I left about five years ago and had minimal contact with those who were still involved," the statement continues. "The accusations that I was in the ‘inner circle’ or recruited women as ‘sex slaves’ are blatantly false. During my time, I never experienced any illegal or nefarious activity. I am horrified and disgusted by what has come out about DOS.”
New episodes of Allison After NXIVM will air weekly. Subscribe to our Weekend Watch email newsletter for the latest celebrity news and updates on your favorite movies and TV.
