Bethany Joy Lenz Describes How Cult Lured & Controlled Her During ‘One Tree …

Bethany Joy Lenz has not forgotten the cult that lured her successful and changed her life. Now, she’s sharing the details.

Though it’s been galore years since the cast of One Tree Hill went their abstracted ways, that clip remains indelible.

In portion due to the fact that they were The CW stars during that now fallen network’s prime. But, for Bethany Joy Lenz, determination is different reason.

She spent a decennary of her beingness in a cult. That grim agelong of her beingness coincided with One Tree Hill. One of the formed adjacent tried to assistance her spot things for however they were to prevention her.

Now, she’s coming cleanable astir the full experience.

Bethany Joy Lenz attends the Lionsgate’s “Ordinary Angels” New York Premiere astatine SVA Theater connected February 19, 2024. (Photo Credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images,)

‘One Tree Hill’ alum Bethany Joy Lenz is simply a cult survivor

In the 2000s, Bethany Joy Lenz starred connected One Tree Hill alongside Sophia Bush, Chad Michael Murray, and Hilarie Burton.

Lenz has travel retired with a memoir, Dinner for Vampires: Life connected a Cult TV Show (While besides successful an Actual Cult!).

The book, which hits store shelves connected October 22, explains however the controlling, ultra-Cristian cult near Bethany Joy Lenz with small to amusement for her 9 years of TV stardom. She did, astatine least, flight the cult itself.

Bethany Joy Lenz attends the 47th yearly Gracie Awards Gala astatine Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel connected May 24, 2022. (Photo Credit: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)

Speaking to People up of her memoir’s publication, Bethany Joy Lenz explained that she archetypal connected to the cult done a book study. She had joined the radical aft archetypal moving to Los Angeles astatine the tender property of 20.

“I had ever been looking for a spot to belong,” Lenz explained. She had grown up successful the satellite of Evangelical Christianity, calved to parents who joined young and moved astir a lot. Acting was a large outlet for her, and attending religion had ever been a societal anchor for her.

At first, the book survey seemed similar a earthy fit. Lenz described however “We crave that benignant of intimacy. The thought that idiosyncratic retired determination says, ‘No substance what you bash oregon however severely you mightiness behave oregon what dumb choices you make, I inactive emotion you, and I’m present for you.’”

When did things instrumentality a crook for the worse?

According to Lez, a visiting pastor named “Les” began attending and starring conversations.

Even erstwhile helium convinced immoderate members of the radical to uproot and unrecorded successful a small, commune-like “Big House” successful Idaho, alarm bells didn’t spell disconnected for the actress.

 “It inactive looked normal. And past it conscionable morphed,” Lenz characterized. “But by the clip it started morphing, I was excessively acold into the relationships to notice. Plus, I was truthful young.”

Bethany Joy Lenz attends Los Angeles Premiere Of Netflix’s New Film “Blonde” astatine TCL Chinese Theatre connected September 13, 2022. (Photo Credit: Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)

But others successful her beingness could archer that Bethany Joy Lenz was successful a cult. Including her One Tree Hill costars.

“I could spot it connected their faces,” she recalled. “But I’d warrant it, like, ‘I couldn’t perchance beryllium successful a cult. It’s conscionable that I’ve got entree to a narration with God and radical successful a mode that everybody other wants, but they don’t cognize however to get it.'”

Costar Craig Cheffer spoke to her straight astir the cult aboriginal into filming together, but Lenz wasn’t acceptable to perceive it. She admitted: “I was like, ‘No, no, no. Cults are weird. Cults are radical successful robes chanting brainsick things and drinking Kool-Aid. That’s not what we do!'” 

Bethany Joy Lenz attends a pre-CMA listening lounge lawsuit featuring CMA-nominee Megan Moroney hosted by PEOPLE x IHG Hotels & Resorts astatine Hotel Indigo Nashville- the Countrypolitan connected November 06, 2023. (Photo Credit: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for PEOPLE x IHG Hotels and Resorts)

Eventually, Bethany Joy Lenz saw the cult for what it was

By that point, Lenz wasn’t definite however to leave. By this point, she had joined a chap cultist — considered a “family” member. They’d had Rosie together. Lenz wanted to permission her cult and her cult-connected marriage.

“The stakes were truthful high,” Bethany Joy Lenz recalled. “They were my lone friends. I was joined into this group. I had built my full beingness astir it. If I admitted that I was incorrect … everything other would travel crumbling down.”

All of this is precise textbook. From starting retired arsenic a elemental gathering of like-minded Christians to dilatory boiling the frog to binding radical done marriage, children, and finances … this is however these organizations find and keep members. We are truthful gladsome that Lenz was capable to escape.