5-Down, Eight Letters: Show that gave us New New York. But other people have become drawn more deeply into Nxivm, giving up careers, friends and families to become followers of its leader, Keith Raniere, who is known within the group as Vanguard.. As the recordings were played to the jury, witness Lauren Salzmana former member of NXIVM who was part of the DOS inner circleanswered questions from the prosecution concerning certain quotes. Almost like a sacrifice? he seems to ask while trying to explain his idea. It was maybe two minutes of pain all told., She admitted that some of the women needed breathers mid-branding, but said this wasnt necessarily a bad thing. Salzman, who has pleaded guilty in the case, confirmed all branding ceremonies were videotaped. In March 2018, Lauren Salzman, a high-ranking member in the self-empowerment organization NXIVM and a so-called "master" in the alleged sex cult DOS, was making a smoothie in the kitchen of a . Do you think the person who is being branded should be completely nude and sort of held to the table like a sort of, almost, like a sacrifice? Mr. Raniere asked the actress Allison Mack in one recording. Roberts said she sold her Westbury, NY, home to make ends meet in February 2019. Did I call on those skills? There was ambient light. Roberts employment options dwindled. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. India and Catherine Oxenberg discuss the Nxivm and share the details of India's branding ceremony. Mr. Raniere, 58, co-founded Nxivm (pronounced nex-ee-um) in the 1990s as a self-help organization based in a suburban town in upstate New York. Although he presented himself as a guru-like humanitarian, prosecutors and former Nxivm members have described Mr. Raniere as a mountebank who exploited his followers. To gain admission, they were required to give their recruiter or master, as she was called naked photographs or other compromising material and were warned that such collateral might be publicly released if the groups existence were disclosed. Raniere, 61, is now serving a 120-year prison sentence, convicted of sex-trafficking and other crimes, and some of the organizations higher-ups including Smallville actress Allison Mack, 39, and Seagrams heiress Clare Bronfman, 42 have also been ordered to prison. Sarah Edmondson, one of the participants, said she had been told she would get a small tattoo as part of the initiation. I looked presentable because it was very meaningful to me. The other women were necessary in order to hold down the person being branded. December 16, 2017 Examined Smallville star Allison. Or three seconds. Mr. Parlato has denied the claims and the case is pending. At the federal court in Brooklyn, the prosecution played a recording of a conversation between former Smallville actress Allison Mack and Raniere. Although my body may be burned or tortured or whatever, my love is strong, Raniere told Mack. 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I was really kind of committed to being there forever, indefinitely., Last year, Raniere was convicted on sex-trafficking, child pornography and multiple other charges. Once I left, I heard about Keith using sex as a means to control people, she tells host Elizabeth Vargas in the above exclusive clip from the Nxivm-focused series premiere, which will air May 28 and 29 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Please go to r/theNXIVMcase (it's linked here) and join! Laying on the back, legs spread straight, held to the table. All rights reserved. And that was all strategic. Catherine Oxenberg was informed that her daughter, India, had become part of Nxivms secret sorority. It would be an honor or something like that an honor I want to wear for the rest of my life.. He is now on trial on charges of racketeering conspiracy, identity theft, extortion, forced labor, money laundering, wire fraud and sex trafficking. On the recording, Mr. Ames tells another member that Ms. Edmondson was branded and that other women told him about handing over collateral. Unbridled Evil: The Corrupt Reign of Jiang Zemin in China. I was scared to death but it didn't matter if I was scared, Catherine told the magazine. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. India and Catherine Oxenberg discuss the Nxivm and share the details of Indias branding ceremony. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Some people were willing to take responsibility for that while others claimed to be victims of their choices.. Ms. Mehdaoui, 25, was a newcomer to Nxivm, but the two had grown close. They destroyed my career and my reputation. Trainees who failed had to pay penalties, including fasting, or could face physical punishments, two women said. Both Nxivm and Mr. Raniere, 57, have long attracted controversy. Mack is inmate number 90838-053, with her release date noted as March 29, 2024. These are the hardest years of my life, Roberts said. In explaining why Mack deserves a less-than-guidelines punishment, prosecutors explained that perhaps most significantly, Mack provided the government with a recording that, at trial, served as crucial evidence of Ranieres role in devising the branding ceremony., Do you think the person whos being branded should be completely nude and sort of held to the table like a sort of almost like a sacrifice? WGA & AMPTP could not reach an agreement Monday night. Soon, Mr. Vicente was taking courses that he said helped him expose his fears and learn strategies that made him feel more resolute. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Appeals court upholds sentences for NXIVM sex cult leaders, Nxivm sex cult leader Keith Raniere claims prison transfer puts his life at risk, Nxivm leader Keith Raniere claims feds conspiring against him with 'hermaphrodite' cellmate, Nxivm leader complains fellow sex trafficker left him dizzy after prison beatdown. Ms. Mack responded by twice saying O.K. A witness in the case, Lauren Salzman, testified that she was asked to say those very words before being branded in 2017. She told her mother that she had not had a menstrual period for a year and that her hair was falling out. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Ex-Nxivm Member Was Branded at Allison Mack's Home (Exclusive Video) Anyone can read what you share. Classics (Exclusive), Her Darkest Role: Actress Allison Mack's Descent From 'Smallville' to Sex Cult, Why the Fatal Attraction Series Wants You to Forget How the Movie Ended, FXs Alien TV Series Taps Sydney Chandler to Star, Trevor Noah Producing U.S. Suddenly, self-awareness techniques he had learned felt like tools that had been used to control him. They took my medical license, which cost me $300,000 in schooling. Edmondson, who was a member of the group from 2005 until 2017, filed a New York State Department of Health complaint against Roberts for practicing medicine negligently. Soon after word emerged that the authorities were investigating the group. Several former members have asked state authorities to investigate the groups practices, but officials have declined to pursue action. There has been testimony that Mr. Raniere had sex with an underage girl and that people within Nxivm saw him as all-knowing and practically infallible. Mr. Raniere claimed he was not associated with the Nxivm sub-group that branded women. In a letter dated July 11, 2017, and seen by The Post, the department opted to not take action because the information you have described is not medical misconduct. Months later, Edmondson took her story to The New York Times and a Web site called the Frank Report.