Bethany Joy Lenz, best known for playing Haley James Scott on the hit CW show ‘One Tree Hill’, has recently opened up about her decade-long involvement in a cult that she joined through a Bible study group in Los Angeles. She said that she had a “total secret life” going on while she was working on the show, and that she faced “spiritual abuse” from the cult leader, who she compared to NXIVM founder Keith Raniere.
Lenz said that she was drawn to the cult because she was looking for a deeper connection with her faith and with other people. She said that the leader was “sociopathic” and manipulated the members into distrusting everyone outside the group. She also said that the cult made her give up opportunities at the height of her career, such as a role in ‘The Notebook’, and affected her personal relationships.
The intervention attempts of her co-stars
Lenz revealed that her ‘One Tree Hill’ co-stars were aware of her situation and tried to “rescue” her from the cult. She said that they cared about her and wanted to help her, but she was “very stubborn” and “really committed” to what she believed were the best choices for her. She said that the cult built a “deep wedge of distrust” between her and her cast and crew, and that she felt “incredibly lonely” on set.
However, she also credited the show for saving her life, because it gave her some distance from the cult. She said that being in North Carolina for nine months out of the year helped her to eventually “wake up” and realize what was happening to her. She said that she left the cult after 10 years, but it took another 10 years to recover from the trauma.
The healing process and the book project
Lenz said that she is now working on a book about her experience, which she hopes will be healing for herself and for others who have gone through similar situations. She said that she wants to share her story and help people understand how cults operate and how to avoid them. She also said that she wants to inspire people to have their own relationship with God, without relying on others to tell them what to do.
Lenz said that she is grateful for the support of her fans and her co-stars, who have been very understanding and respectful of her journey. She said that she is still friends with many of them, and that they have been very encouraging of her book project. She also said that she is happy with her current career, which includes making music and starring in Hallmark movies.