How Cult Leader Found a Following in Hollywood (One Tree Hill Star Speaks Out)

How Cult Leader Found a Following in Hollywood (One Tree Hill Star Speaks Out)

In the early 2000s, after years of hard work and determination to break through as an actor, Bethany Joy Lenz was finally cast as one of the leads on the hit drama One Tree Hill. Her acting career was set to soar, but her personal life was beginning to unravel in ways her fans could never imagine. Unknown to the millions of viewers and even her costars, Lenz led a secret double life within a cult.

As an only chiId seeking belonging, Lenz thought she found a safe haven in a Bible study group with fellow Hollywood creatives. However, the group morphed into something more sinister—a web of manipulation and fear under the guise of a church covenant called The Big House Family. Piece by piece, Lenz surrendered her autonomy, eventually moving to the Family’s Pacific Northwest compound overseen by a domineering minister who convinced her to marry his son and secretly drained millions from her TV income without her knowledge. Family “minders” assigned to her on set, “Maoist struggle session”—inspired meetings in the basement of a filthy house, and regular counseling with “Leadership” were just part of the tactics used to keep her loyal.

Only when she became a mother did Lenz find the courage to escape and spare her chiId from a similar fate. After nearly a decade (and with the unlikely help from a devoted One Tree Hill fan), she broke free from the family’s grip, beginning her healing journey from deep trauma that reshaped her faith and identity.

The One Tree Hill star opens up about everything in her New York Times bestselling memoir, Dinner for Vampires.

Click here to watch on YouTube

Watch Pt 2: https://youtu.be/jUuqpRd0t_Q?si=E4oDhrdQ5_HBH4xt

Find Bethany Joy Lenz & her book:

www.instagram.com/msbethanyjoylenz/

https://linktr.ee/bethanyjoylenz

We want to meet you in real life! Come adventure with us on our 2nd C2C VACATION! Click here to go to the official booking page

Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel!

Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast.

Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here!

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness

Venmo @sheliseann

Find us on Social media!

Instagram @cultstoconsciousness

Host Instagram @sheliseann

Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_

TikTok @cults.to.consciousness

Twitter @cultstocon

**Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.**

Chapter Marks

00:00:00 Intro

00:03:00 Joy Dives into Her ChiIdhood and Early Religious Experiences

00:07:41 Joy Explains the Way Being an Actress Affected Her Religious Life

00:13:16 Joy’s Very Positive Experience with a Home Church in New York

00:18:25 Joy’s Introduction to the Home Church Cult in LA & Red Flag Moments

00:24:14 Joy Expounds on the Cult's Manipulation & Giving Up Her Autonomy

00:29:39 Joy Shares How She Changed and How Others in Her Life Reacted

00:34:01 Joy Shares Her Balancing of Religion and Acting and Discusses Mormonism With Shelise

00:40:07 Joy Talks About Cult Behaviors, Hierarchies, & Need for Control

00:44:56 Joy Shares Her Perspective on Fear

00:50:33 Linda, Listen

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episoder(394)

Growing Up in Incestuous Mormon Cult, THE ORDER:  “My Father Wanted to Starve My Mother’s Cancer”

Growing Up in Incestuous Mormon Cult, THE ORDER: “My Father Wanted to Starve My Mother’s Cancer”

Joe grew up in a polygamist cult called “The Order.”  From the age of 3, he observed his father and uncles with multiple wives— his father, Daniel, fathering over 160+ chiIdren.  From the age of 9, Jo...

1 Mai 20251h 22min

Why We Left

Why We Left

If you noticed our uploads haven't been as regular... it's because we've been going through A LOT of life changes!  Today we're here to discuss them all, answer any questions you may have, and take yo...

1 Mai 202557min

Her Many Attempts to Escape INCEST Polygamy Cult Forcibly Led to In-Patient Facility

Her Many Attempts to Escape INCEST Polygamy Cult Forcibly Led to In-Patient Facility

CW: mentions of attempted suicide & infant abuse From a young age Priscilla was learning about how she would become a plural wife one day while simultaneously plotting her escape. She would have many ...

9 Jan 20251h 13min

Kept From His Father’s Death Bed For Leaving Polygamist Cult

Kept From His Father’s Death Bed For Leaving Polygamist Cult

Calvin Wayman was born and raised in an offshoot polygamist sect of FLDS called “The Work”. With 44 siblings, a “Wayman” was just about every person he knew in his life. Even more taxing than his chil...

5 Jan 20251h 16min

LIVE: Extreme Acts of Terrorism from Both Sides Over Holidays- New Orleans & Magdeburg ft @yasmohammedxx 

LIVE: Extreme Acts of Terrorism from Both Sides Over Holidays- New Orleans & Magdeburg ft @yasmohammedxx 

CW:  Fatal Terrorist Attack  Joined live today with Yasmine Mohammed, we discussed the most recent terrorist attacks in both New Orleans on Bourbon street on New Year’s Eve, and Magdeburg Germany on D...

3 Jan 202519min

His Childhood Trapped in “Shiny Happy People" Cult

His Childhood Trapped in “Shiny Happy People" Cult

Chad Harris' family joined the Shiny Happy People cult when he was just 7 years old, after a doctor convinced his parents to attend a seminar with cult leader Bill Gothard. Chad spent the next almost ...

2 Jan 20251h 22min

Why Former AMISH Woman Demands Change From Congress for Children Isolated in Cults

Why Former AMISH Woman Demands Change From Congress for Children Isolated in Cults

Content Warning: SA, CA, CSA, mentions of rape Misty Griffin returns to the studio to further discuss her experience growing up at the hands of her tortuous mother and step father, who isolated her a...

22 Des 202458min

Let Us Prey: IFB Church Turns On Child For Seeking Justice Against Bible Teacher For SA

Let Us Prey: IFB Church Turns On Child For Seeking Justice Against Bible Teacher For SA

CW: CSA… Featured in “Let Us Prey: A Ministry of Scandals” a new four-part docu-series exposing the pred*tory and insidious behavior within the Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) Churches – survivo...

21 Des 20241h 6min

Populært innen Samfunn

rss-spartsklubben
aftenpodden
giver-og-gjengen-vg
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
konspirasjonspodden
aftenpodden-usa
rss-nesten-hele-uka-med-lepperod
popradet
rss-henlagt-andy-larsgaard
grenselos
wolfgang-wee-uncut
min-barneoppdragelse
synnve-og-vanessa
fladseth
rss-dannet-uten-piano
alt-fortalt
rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
frokostshowet-pa-p5
198-land-med-einar-trnquist
rss-frekvens-med-anine-olsen