One of these was The Knife Media, or The Knife. ", "Former Sex Cult Official Describes Its 'Evil' Inner Workings", "Witness: Raniere bragged of wanting to 'break' follower Allison Mack", "How NXIVM Used a Simple Tool to Build Its 'Sex Cult', "NXIVM Trial Opens: Feds Say Founder Keith Raniere Was 'Crime Boss,' Not Guru", "Part 1: Master Raniere's secret teachings: What students learn in ESP 'Intensives'! But after Bronfman's father learned how much his daughter was spending on Raniere's legal pursuits, he called the organization out as a cult in a 2003 Forbes profile of Raniere. Piesse is also featured in "The Vow," and continues to pursue music. "[32] Sullivan filed notice of appeal on October 7, 2020. [71] In 2017, Lama Tenzin Dhonden, the self-styled "Personal Emissary for Peace for the Dalai Lama" who had arranged the appearance, was suspended from his position amid corruption charges; the investigation also revealed a personal relationship between Dhonden and Sara Bronfman, which began in 2009. NXIVM loyalist files $12 million suit against Starz network. [22][23][24][25][26], Raniere chose to go to trial in 2019. He was sentenced to life is prison on October 27. That happened when his wife Bonnie Piesse told Vicente she felt something was off about Raniere and was leaving the organization herself in 2017. The group's. C-SPAN receives no funding from any government. After concluding that NXIVM members were being defrauded by Raniere, Parlato began blogging about the group on his sites ArtVoice, The Niagara Falls Reporter, and The Frank Report.[295][270]. [75][94][51] Appearing on an A&E television program about cults, Edmondson provided additional context for the use of the "collateral" concept, saying that it was used in innocuous forms from the earliest, outermost stages of NXIVM in order to acclimate victimsfor example, collateralizing small amounts of money that one might forfeit if one did not go to the gym one day. He was charged with crimes including racketeering and sex trafficking in 2018. Reported participants included businesswoman Sheila Johnson, former Surgeon General Antonia Novello, Enron executive Stephen Cooper, Ana Cristina Fox (daughter of former Mexican president Vicente Fox),[52] entrepreneur Richard Branson (who denied having taken the classes[53][54]), businessman Edgar Bronfman Sr.,[52] and actresses Linda Evans, Grace Park, and Nicki Clyne. [281] In the mid-90s, Raniere and Natalie operated a health-food store in Clifton Park, NY. ; The expos prompted a federal investigation, and several members, including Raniere and "Smallville" actress Allison Mack . After five years there, she was recruited to DOS and forced to have sex with Raniere for two years. [287] India left the group in June 2018, after Raniere's arrest. However, on July 15, 2019, the Senior U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis postponed the sentencing until further notice to allow federal probation officials to conduct presentencing investigations. A small number of NXIVM members continue to support Raniere and protest his innocence. A staunch NXIVM loyalist is suing the Starz network in federal court, claiming he was grossly defamed in its 2020 documentary series . "[82], In 2014, Raniere founded the NXIVM-affiliated news organization The Knife of Aristotle,[83] later known as The Knife and The Knife Media. Though they initially claimed to be entertaining all of the detainees, they were seen with a sign addressed to "Kay Rose," a name sharing Raniere's initials. Shortly thereafter, Odato was described as being "on leave" from the Times Union. [55][60], Ross obtained the manual from former member Stephanie Franco, a co-defendant in the trial, who had signed a non-disclosure agreement not to divulge information from the manual to others. Discovery+. Courts ruled in favor of Ross. At a hearing in Texas, he was sent to Brooklyn to face charges that he forced women to engage in sex. agent stated that Mr. Raniere had maintained a rotating group of 15 to 20 women with whom he maintained sexual relations. Prosecutors dropped charges of sex trafficking, and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and forced labor. I find myself immersed in an explosion of art and creativity like never before. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Female members were also forced to provide personal. You're not expected to worship the living being in front of you or the writings of some living being." [13][14][15][16] In 2017, former members Sarah Edmondson, Bonnie Piesse and Mark Vicente, as well as Catherine Oxenberg (mother of member India Oxenberg) spoke to The New York Times and revealed grave concerns about Keith Raniere and NXIVM, including the existence of a secret society called "DOS" in which women were branded, made to record false confessions and provide nude photographs for blackmail. She was released to house arrest after signing a $100 million bail bond. [219] In 2006, Raniere founded Rainbow Cultural Garden, an international chain of childcare organizations in which children were to be exposed to seven different languages.[220]. (for wordpress.com hosted blogs and archive.org item <description> tags) . There, she became one of the leaders of DOS and played an integral role in branding DOS women and making them Raniere's sex slaves, which she admitted during her court hearing in 2019. [293] The suit alleged that NXIVM computers had been illegally accessed. [51] Mack was further alleged to be DOS's second-in-command after Raniere. In 2012, Odato reported Raniere's history of pedophilia. She has now been sent to prison.. Nxivm trial evidence On Wednesday, Salzman apologized for keeping a woman named Daniela captive in a room from 2010 to 2012 at Raniere's request and threatening to deport her to Mexico. C-SPAN is a private, non-profit public service of the cable television industry that covers the political process. [212] People who irrevocably turned against Raniere were said to have undergone "The Fall" and were labeled, in the words of a former member, as "Luciferians, lost people for whom bad feels good, and good feels bad. [4][5] The United States seized ownership of NXIVM related entities and their intellectual property through asset forfeiture following Raniere's conviction. [292], James Odato is an investigative reporter who wrote for the Albany Times Union. Nine of Nxivms victims spoke at the sentencing hearing for Ms. Bronfman in Federal District Court in Brooklyn, where Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis gave her a sentence that was longer than prosecutors had requested. The NXIVM Files These are the essays the NXIVM cult (aka ESP, or Executive Success Program) is suing Rick Ross over, trying to have their publication suppressed. By Dan Adler November 11,. In her decision, Judge Sykes found that the documentary did "imply that Plaintiff was a devoted member of an organization whose leader has been implicated in a range of serious sexual crimes, but this assertion however unflattering is substantially true. [171], In reply, Lions Gate Entertainment made a special motion to strike the lawsuit pursuant to the California Anti-SLAPP statute. Ms. Bronfman pleaded guilty to two charges related to identity theft and immigration fraud. [226][227], Edgar Boone, the scion of a wealthy family, introduced NXIVM to numerous affluent Mexicans, becoming head of NXIVM-Mexico and rising to third in the NXIVM organization. NXIVM students are taught that Raniere is the smartest and most ethical man in the world. Here's where she is today. NXIVM is an alleged sex cult covered up as a self-improvement company. She also wrote a memoir. nxivm website archive. Piesse joined NXIVM to see if it'd boost her waning singing career, which she was considering abandoning, similar to Edmondson's trajectory. [207], In a transcript and audio of Clare Bronfman's testimony in a bankruptcy proceeding, Bronfman described the organization as a part of the Human Potential Movement. The mayor has declined to inform the council about the legal costs expended and to be expended for outside lawyers during an estimated seven years of legal proceedings. [289][290][291], Mark Vicente, a filmmaker known for the 2004 film What the Bleep Do We Know! Nancy Salzman was scheduled to be sentenced on July 10, 2019. [161][162] Attorneys for Keith Raniere gave notice of appeal of both his conviction and sentence on November 4, 2020. A federal appeals court Friday upheld the convictions and sentences for NXIVM sex cult leader Keith Raniere and his co-conspirator, Seagram's liquor heiress Clare Bronfman. He was sentenced to life in prison. Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult: With Catherine Oxenberg, India Oxenberg, Kelly Thiel, Steve Hassan. She married fellow senior member Allison Mack in 2017; the marriage was alleged to have been a sham to evade United States immigration laws. help me Im lost in a memory I saw what it could be but that was a dream empty just a confusion a lovely illusion youre not what you seem you broke my heart I fell through the night but I found myself you broke my heart I fell through the night but I found myself grace is waking me quietly just as it should be washing me clean you broke my heart I fell through the night but I found myself you broke my heart I fell through the night but I found myself you broke my heart I fell through the night but I found myself you broke my heart I fell through the night but I found myself Bonnie Piesse 2019 Music and Lyrics by Bonnie Piesse Produced by Bonnie Piesse and Eric Margen Mixed by Eric Margen Mastered by Justin Colletti Video by Mark Vicente #nxivm #coercionisnotconsent #artist #singer #songwriter #fighter #whistleblower #warrior, A post shared by Mark Vicente (@markvicente) on Sep 6, 2020 at 3:33am PDTSep 6, 2020 at 3:33am PDT. Visitor Comments Sworn testimony of NXIVM leaders Keith Raniere and Nancy Salzman Sworn testimony of NXIVM leaders Keith Raniere and Nancy Salzman Seduced follows India Oxenberg's abuse and her own culpability inside the NXIVM cult, an organization marketed as a self-help group. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. [186][187][188], Over the decades, NXIVM emphasized Raniere's specialness through hagiography. Characteristics associated with cults include: the group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader, and its members (e.g. The film is executive produced by Clare Bronfman. [42][270], Barbara Bouchey was a client of Nancy Salzman, having been referred to her in 1988. and video recording.[213][233]. Keith Raniere, founder of NXIVM, was arrested by the FBI in Mexico in . Here's where other former and current NXIVM members and leaders are now. [264] Roberts' medical license was revoked in October 2021. Joseph J. O'Hara was an attorney who departed NXIVM in 2005 after accusing the group of misdeeds. [43][44] In March 2019, Salzman pleaded guilty to racketeering. A few months later, she convinced Vicente to join her. [248], Suneel Chakravorty, a software developer, remained among Raniere's post-conviction followers, dancing outside the jail where Raniere is confined. Reviews [42][43][44] Raniere claimed that its "main emphasis is to have people experience more joy in their lives". [72], NXIVM has been described as a pyramid scheme,[73][74][75][43] a sex-trafficking operation,[76] a cult,[77][78][79] and a sex cult. "I showed. comment. [281] Natalie recalled that she was able to stop smoking after a two-hour session with Raniere. [9] Courses attracted a variety of notable students including actors as well as the children of the rich and powerful. [200] Raniere instructed one sexual partner to seek out a virgin because he needed a "pure vessel" for reasons "energy-related and DNA-wise."[201]. [268] In September 2021, Salzman was sentenced to 42 months in prison and a $150,000 fine for racketeering conspiracy. Yet this cannot be done without first raising human awareness, fostering an ethical humanitarianism, and celebrating what it truly means to be human - and this is our mission. [Read our coverage of Keith Ranieres sentencing.]. [181][182], NXIVM has been described as a cult and Raniere a cult leader by anti-cult activists such as Rick Alan Ross and Steven Hassan, as well as the billionaire businessman Edgar Bronfman Sr.[183][184][12] Stephen A. Kent, a sociologist who studies new religious movements, in an article that compares NXIVM with Scientology, noted that NXIVM operated mainly as a business and never incorporated as a religious organization. [12], Over its existence, former members and families of NXIVM clients alarmed by Raniere's behavior and NXIVM's practices spoke to investigative journalists of Forbes, Vanity Fair, The New York Observer, and the Times Union of Albany calling the organization a "cult". ", "The Only (Alleged) Sex-Slave Cult Story You Need to Understand: Kirsten Gillibrand's Weakness as a 2020 Candidate", "Associate pleads guilty in 'sex cult' case", "How a Strange, Secretive, Cult-like Company Is Waging Legal War Against Journalists", "Bronfman, Russell plead guilty in NXIVM case", "Members of alleged sex cult NXIVM appear in federal court", "Heiress among four arrested in 'sex cult', "Nxivm 'Sex Cult' Was Also a Huge Pyramid Scheme, Lawsuit Says", "Elon Musk's Crusade for Media Accountability Lasted Three Whole Days Before He Recommended a News Site Affiliated With a Suspected Sex Cult", "Elon Musk's Idea of 'Excellent' Journalism Comes From an Alleged Sex Cult", "The Knife of Aristotle Isn't Just a Fake 'Fake News' Site It's a Cult", "Elon Musk Bashed Media With Article From The Cult Accused Of Sex Trafficking", "Sex & Propaganda: How An Alleged Cult Tried To Play The Media Against Itself", "Part 1 The Slave Women of DOS Revealed", "The Founder of "Nxivm', a Purported Self-Help Organization Based in Albany, N.Y., Arrested for Sex Trafficking and Forced Labor Conspiracy", "Former NXIVM member says she was invited into a secret sorority, then branded", "NXIVM: What We Know About Alleged Sex Trafficking, Forced Labor", "Vancouver woman says scars from ritual 'branding' fuel her fight against 'cultish' group", "Quines son los mexicanos involucrados con la secta NXIVM? NXIVM started to punctuate the headlines around the tail end of 2017 onwards. [128] On June 19, 2019, the jury convicted him of all counts.[30]. [154][155][156], On September 30, 2020, Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York sentenced Clare Bronfman to six years and nine months in federal prison. Last edited on 13 February 2023, at 13:37, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, United States Patent and Trademark Office, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. [240][241][242][243] On September 30, 2020, she was sentenced to six years, nine months in prison by a federal judge. Although the company, which had become popular in Hollywood and among business circles, advertised self-help classes, workshops, coaching and mentorship, according to former members, the group . The leader of NXIVM ran an all-male fraternity that later allowed women into the curriculum and used "horribly demeaning" tactics to humiliate them, according to testimony from a former member . My birthday is always a strange thing. There are reports of active splinter groups. Here Are the Major Players in the Case", "Lder de secta NXIVM enseaba que la violacin y el abuso infantil no son delitos", "Inside Nxivm, the 'Sex Cult' That Preached Empowerment (Published 2018)", "Inside the Tangled Web of NXIVM: The Surprising Players Sucked Into the Alleged Cult's Orbit", "Ordered to seduce Raniere, woman planned escape from NXIVM", "NYC Prison Dancers Linked to 'Sex Cult' NXIVM Start Social Justice Org", "NXIVM members dancing for Raniere outside federal prison", "Doctor Associated With Cult-Like New York Group Loses License", "NXIVM Trial: Prosecution's opening statements lasted 90 minutes", "NXIVM Leader Keith Raniere Convicted on Sex Trafficking Charges. The youngest daughter of Edgar Bronfman, the former chairman of Seagram Company, she was known as Mr. Ranieres legal enforcer but was not a member of D.O.S. Sarah Edmondson spent 12 years in the now-infamous . [145] Attorneys for Raniere submitted letters from 56 supporters requesting leniency for Raniere. So here I am at 55. NXIVM is an alleged sex cult covered up as a self-improvement company. Judge Nicholas Garaufis sentenced Raniere to 120 years imprisonment. She first shared a detailed account of her experiences on the podcast "Escaping NXIVM," before writing a memoir called "Scarred," and becoming a key voice in HBO's docuseries "The Vow.". Serial Number: 78109670", "Her Darkest Role: Actress Allison Mack's Descent From 'Smallville' to Sex Cult", "This Keith Raniere Sex-Cult Story Is Much Deeper Than Allison Mack's Arrest", "A Top NXIVM Sex Cult Recruiter Comes Forward, Says Founder 'Messed With the Wrong Person', "NXIVM's files on 'enemies' debated in court", "Witness: Bronfmans tried to apply political pressure", "FBI shifts mountain of data in NXIVM's seized computers", "Dalai Lama fills Palace with message of compassion", "Suspended Lama Tenzin Dhonden Had A Lover Too! Clare Bronfman was arrested by federal agents on July 24, 2018, in New York City and charged with money laundering and identity theft in connection with NXIVM activities. article in The New York Times, details began to emerge about "Dominus Obsequious Sororium", a secret society of women that started in 2015 within NXIVM in which female members were allegedly called slaves, branded with the initials of Raniere and Mack, subjected to corporal punishment from their "masters", and required to provide nude photos or other potentially damaging information about themselves as "collateral". Anyone who's seen " The Vow ," the HBO documentary series that details her 12-year experience in the NXIVM cult, is familiar. [46] The 2002 registration with United States Patent and Trademark Office for the NXIVM trademark states that "The foreign wording in the mark translates into English as 'the next millennium'". He then asked her questions about her sexual history while another person performed oral sex on her, she said. NXIVM is apparently a mixture of Scientology and Landmark/EST. A sex cult that branded women and forced them into sex slavery. "[52] By the time of a 2012 Times Union article, these claims had extended to Raniere convincing some in NXIVM that "his intellectual energy sets off radar detectors. Raniere lived there from 1987 through 2016, according to the Frank Report, a blog chronicling NXIVM. [108], Salzman's home was raided shortly after Raniere's arrest,[43] and prosecutors stated during his arraignment that further arrests and a superseding indictment for Raniere and Mack should be expected. At the time, she was told the brand, which was done without anesthetic, symbolized elements in nature. [255] In 2016, Porter was present at a NXIVM retreat ("V-Week") where 300 to 400 individuals were struck by an unidentified disease; Porter failed to report the outbreak, in violation of his duties as a licensed medical doctor. Bronfman was also charged with ID fraud after pleading guilty for using the credit card and bank information of someone who had been dead for 15 months, racking up $135,000 in bills. [119], Following the conviction of Keith Raniere, members of the defunct organization split, with many speaking out against Raniere and the organization. By Associated Press. [109][110] In late May, authorities moved to seize two NXIVM-owned properties near Albany. from March 2019. Vicente, a writer and director from South Africa, joined NXIVM after meeting and befriending Raniere while on vacation. There is no greater privilege than to materialize myself. This is where current and former NXIVM members, including top-ranking executives and Raniere's former sex slaves, are now. Mr. Raniere and Nancy Salzman, a former psychiatric nurse, founded Nxivm (pronounced NEX-ee-um) as a purported self-help organization near Albany, N.Y. Every birthday involves some massive introspective, existential examination. (Adapted from Marc's website.) Raniere who officially founded NXIVM in 1998 alongside nurse and hypnotist Nancy Salzman had his followers refer to him as "Vanguard.". The U.S. Attorney's Office argued in its Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act prosecution that NXIVM and its subsidiaries existed to promote, enhance and protect Raniere and members of the enterprise. In 2019, she plead guilty to racketeering conspiracy after stealing former members' identities, hacking into their emails, and altering video footage to avoid lawsuits against NXIVM. After Raniere's conviction, Clyne and others began dancing nightly outside the detention center containing Raniere.[252]. After leaving NXIVM in early 2017, she publicly denounced the organization, claiming that she was invited into DOS, a substructure within NXIVM operated by Keith Raniere and Allison Mack, and was branded with a combination of Raniere's and Mack's initials at Mack's Albany home. In October, Raniere was sentenced to 120 years in prison for sex trafficking of children, conspiracy, and conspiracy to commit forced labor. Raniere sought an injunction allowing visitation and phone calls from follower Suneel Chakravorty, who he claims is a paralegal working on his appeals. Kristin Snyder. [51], In 2008, the Bronfman sisters allegedly pressured Stephen Herbits, a confidant of their father, to ask Albany County District Attorney David Soares, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, and New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram to begin criminal investigations into NXIVM's critics. He now lives in Vancouver with Edmondson and their two children. C-SPAN's operating revenues come from license fees paid by cable systems and satellite companies that offer the network to their. In 2001, she began a secret sexual relationship with Raniere, and later helped him recruit women to DOS and run the sorority. She was originally scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 11, 2019, but the date was postponed twice. [281] Natalie and her son later moved to be near Raniere; her marriage ended shortly thereafter. Before her prison sentence, Bronfman spent nearly $50 million on lawsuits on behalf of NXIVM. Mack, known for her role in the television show "Smallville," moved from Los Angeles to Albany, New York, where NXIVM is headquartered, in 2o11 to be closer to Raniere. "[173], A November 30, 2022 filing by attorneys for Lions Gate Entertainment states that "the Parties have settled the above-captioned action in all respects. By that standard, HBO's The Vow should be a better story than Starz's four-part special Seduced. helped the case make headlines. [269], Karen A. Unterreiner is a member who became Raniere's live-in partner beginning in the 1980s and an early employee of his company Consumers' Buyline. "[157], Ronald S. Sullivan Jr., attorney for Bronfman, called the sentence "an abomination. Ross received a copy of a NXIVM training manual and published portions of it on his website. During a "fright study", Porter exposed subjects to disturbing videos, including actual footage of a decapitation. NXIVM The NXIVM Loyalists Are Not Backing Down Keith Raniere may have been sentenced to 120 years in prison, but some of his most devoted followers remain unswayed. Oxenberg joined NXIVM on the recommendation of her mother, "Dynasty" actress Catherine Oxenberg, after she dropped out of college and felt lost about her next steps. [217][bettersourceneeded], NXIVM has been associated with several related organizations. [90][75][91][92] Law enforcement representatives have alleged that DOS members were forced into sexual slavery. 2021. After posting bail for $100 million, she wasreleased on house arrest. [288] In August 2018, Catherine Oxenberg's book Captive: A Mother's Crusade to Save Her Daughter from a Terrifying Cult was published. One former member, identified only as Nicole, described how on one day Mr. Raniere took her to a house, told her to disrobe, blindfolded her and tied her down to a table. Raniere was convicted of sex trafficking of children, conspiracy, and conspiracy to commit forced labor in June 2019. Son of Former Mexican President Allegedly Top Member of Sex Cult NXIVM", "NXIVM Leader Keith Raniere Sentenced to 120 Years in Prison for Racketeering and Sex Trafficking Offenses", "Raniere loses battle to keep NXIVM 'tech', "How NXIVM Rippled Through Vancouver Actors' Friend Networks", "Inside Nxivm, the 'Sex Cult' That Preached Empowerment", "How NXIVM Seduced Hollywood Stars and America's Most Powerful Elite Into a Barbaric 'Sex Cult', "Why So Many Celebrities Joined NXIVM, According to Cult Experts", "A Critical Analysis of the Executive Success Programs Inc", "Inside a Secretive Group Where Women Are Branded", "Seagram's heiress arrested for role in controversial 'sex cult', "How NXIVM Was the Ultimate Wellness Scam", "Founder Of "Nxivm," a Purported Self-Help Organization, and Five Others Charged in Superseding Indictment with Racketeering Conspiracy", "NXIVM co-founder Nancy Salzman pleads guilty in case of alleged cult", "Nxivm: Seagram heiress Clare Bronfman pleads guilty in 'sex cult' case", "Woman implicated in NXIVM sex slave case pleads guilty", "Allison Mack of 'Smallville' Pleads Guilty in Case of Nxivm 'Sex Cult' Where Women Were Branded", "Nxivm accountant spelled out dirty messages with colorful fridge magnets", "The Most Disturbing Details From the NXIVM Sex-Cult Case", "Leader of NY Group Branded Women, Made Them Sex Slaves: Feds", "Nxivm Trial: Leader Convicted After Trial Exposed Sex Cult's Sordid Inner Workings", "He told women he could help. How NXIVM Seduced Hollywood Stars and America's Most Powerful Elite Into a Barbaric 'Sex Cult' Season Two of HBO's The Vow will follow the downfall of the organization and its leaders. [208], The oldest program of NXIVM, Executive Success Programs, had students recite a "Twelve-point Mission Statement", pledging to "purge" themselves "of all parasite and envy-based habits", to enroll others, and to "ethically control as much of the money, wealth and resources of the world as possible within my success plan." All the celebrities we know were part of the NXIVM sex cult. At the request of U.S. officials, Mr. Raniere was arrested in Mexico, where he had been living for five months. Nancy L. Salzman (born July 16, 1954) is an American felon and the co-founder of NXIVM, a multi-level marketing company and cult based near Albany, New York. "[213] Some members of NXIVM's inner circle were reportedly taught that, in past lives, they were high-ranking Nazis.

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