Don't Call it a Cult
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PRAISE FOR DON’T CALL IT A CULT
“Investigative journalist Berman’s account is a standout. With astute research, court testimonies, and firsthand narratives from inner-circle NXIVM members, she traces the downfall of NXIVM from its roots in Raniere’s first failed multi-level marketing company to the trials of each ringleader. Berman demonstrates the tactics cults use to manipulate and control without casting judgment or blame on the victims. Truly gripping, this is the definitive book on NXIVM.”
— Booklist
“Don’t Call It A Cult is the most detailed, well-reported, and nuanced look at NXIVM’s history, its supporters, and those left destroyed in its wake. If you want to understand NXIVM—and other groups like it—reading Sarah Berman’s account is essential.”
—Scaachi Koul, author of One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter
“Sarah Berman is absolutely fearless in Don’t Call It a Cult. Her determination to not only tell the difficult, often disturbing story of NXIVM, but tell it right, shines through in every aspect of this gripping book. I simply could not put it down.”
—Alicia Elliott, author of A Mind Spread Out on the Ground
“Berman has crafted a tour-de-force and powerful homage to first-person reportage. A riveting page-turner, Don’t Call It a Cult is a must-read for anyone who is fascinated by the long term effects of cult culture, abuse, and pseudoscience.”
—Lindsay Wong, author of The Woo-Woo
“Sarah Berman’s reporting on the inner workings of NXIVM and its secret, coercive ‘women’s group’ fully elucidates how scores of incredibly talented, smart young women fell under the spell of a mousy, volleyball-playing con man. Don’t Call It a Cult is an incisive, empathetic page-turner.”
—andrea bennett, author of Like a Boy But Not a Boy
“Don’t Call It A Cult is a thorough and compelling examination of a terrifying organization. Berman understands and brilliantly conveys the complexity of abuse, assault, and the lasting effects of each, and delivers a book that says as much about human nature as it does about NXIVM. Required reading!”
—Anne T. Donahue, author of Nobody Cares
“Don’t Call It a Cult explains Raniere’s dark charisma and why so many people were attracted to NXIVM and stayed on, even as the manipulation, exploitation, and abuse got extreme. A thoughtful, deeply reported take on a sensational story, one that I won’t soon forget.”
—Rachel Monroe, author of Savage Appetites
“Berman lays bare this longest of cons: lost souls and ambitious young people drawn into NXIVM’s vortex of sexual assault, child exploitation, fraud, manipulation, and blackmail. This too-crazy-for-fiction tale is expertly spooled out with journalistic precision and a screenwriter’s sense of scene and story. I couldn’t put it down.”
—Lorimer Shenher, author of That Lonely Section of Hell and This One Looks Like a Boy
Copyright © 2021 by Sarah Berman
Reporting first appeared on Vice.com and is licensed with permission.
All Rights Reserved
For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to:
Steerforth Press L. L. C., 31 Hanover Street, Suite 1
Lebanon, New Hampshire 03766
Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available from the Library of Congress
Ebook ISBN 9781586422769
Book design by Kate Sinclair
Cover design by Kate Sinclair
Cover images: (House and street) © Erik Von Weber, (texture) © Flavio Coelho, both Getty Images
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Dedicated to women who change their minds
Contents
Cast of Characters
Prologue: “The Most Ethical Man”
PART 1: THEORY OF EVERYTHING
1 – Secret Sisterhood
2 – One in Ten Million
3 – Mothership, New York
4 – “Money Spilling into Your Wallet”
5 – When Keith Met Nancy (and Lauren)
6 – Albany Shrugged
7 – The Girls
8 – Us vs. Them
9 – Sunk Costs
PART 2: SOME VERY POWERFUL HUMAN BEINGS
10 – Mission in Mexico
11 – The Heist
12 – What the Bleep
13 – “Cracked Open”
14 – An Ethical Breach
15 – Golden Boy
16 – His Holiness
17 – Spy Games
18 – Room
PART 3: A PLACE OF SURVIVAL
19 – The Act
20 – Slave Number One
21 – The Call
22 – The Vow
23 – “This Is Not the Army”
24 – “Master, Please Brand Me”
25 – Reckoning
26 – “Me Too”
27 – In Character
Epilogue: Vanguard on Trial
Appendix: Letter to Raniere
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index
Photo Insert
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Adrian* Brother of Marianna, Daniela, and Camila. All three sisters were groomed for sexual relationships with Keith Raniere at a young age.
Adriana* Mother of Marianna, Daniela, Adrian, and Camila. Moved the family from Mexico to Albany starting in 2002. Enforced Daniela’s confinement in 2010.
Agnifilo, Marc Lead defense lawyer for Keith Raniere.
Ames, Anthony Actor and longtime NXIVM coach. Husband of Sarah Edmondson.
Aviv, Juval Private investigator hired by NXIVM.
Banks, Teah Girlfriend of Mark Vicente when he joined NXIVM in 2005. Pushed out by inner circle.
Bouchey, Barbara Prolific recruiter for NXIVM and Raniere girlfriend from 2000 to 2008. Bronfman sisters’ financial planner. Spearheaded “NXIVM Nine” revolt in 2009. Was sued and harassed.
Bronfman, Clare Seagram heir and NXIVM bankroller since 2003, convicted of harboring a migrant for financial gain. Funded Raniere’s lawsuits and failed investments.
Bronfman, Edgar Billionaire father to Clare and Sara. Outspoken critic of Raniere who became a target of NXIVM hacking and spying.
Bronfman, Sara Seagram heir who funded tens of millions in real estate and commodities trading losses under Raniere’s direction. Brought the Dalai Lama to Albany in 2009 amid extreme public scrutiny.
Cafritz, Pamela Heir and long-term girlfriend who lived with Raniere from 1989 until her death in 2016. NXIVM senior counselor. Embraced domestic servant role. Groomed young girls for Raniere.
Camila* Youngest of three Mexican sisters who were groomed into sexual relationships with Raniere. Was sexually exploited by Raniere at age fifteen. Nanny to Raniere’s first child with Kristin Keeffe. Later initiated into DOS, a secret sorority that branded women.
Chiappone, Robbie Target of Raniere’s jealousy and spying.
Clyne, Nicki Battlestar Galactica actor from Vancouver. Early member of DOS. Married actor Allison Mack in 2017.
Daniela* Middle sister between Camila and Marianna. Moved to Albany in 2002. Became inner-circle girlfriend and hacker, then victim of two-year confinement. Escaped in 2012.
Danielle* A doctor and DOS recruit who performed branding of other “slaves.”
Dones, Susan Opened NXIVM’s Seattle chapter, joined Barbara Bouchey’s revolt in 2009.
Duran, Monica First-line DOS recruiter.
Edmondson, Sarah Actor and NXIVM recruiter who filled
Barbara Bouchey’s shoes, opening a Vancouver center with Mark Vicente in 2009. Secured NXIVM’s young-actor following before blowing the whistle on DOS in 2017.
Franco, Stephanie Sister to Michael Sutton. Provided NXIVM course materials reviewed by medical experts in 2003. Sued by NXIVM.
Garaufis, Judge Nicholas Presided over NXIVM sex-trafficking and racketeering trial beginning May 7, 2019.
Garza, Loreta First-line DOS recruiter. Oversaw Rainbow Cultural Garden, an experimental language program for children.
Hassan, Steven Cult expert who studies neuro-linguistic programming, or NLP.
Hector* Father of Marianna, Daniela, Adrian, and Camila. Enforced Daniela’s confinement in 2010.
Hutchinson, Gina Fifteen-year-old alleged victim of sexual exploitation by Raniere in 1984, then early girlfriend. Believed in Raniere’s spiritual teachings until she died by apparent suicide in 2002.
Hutchinson, Heidi Gina’s older sister, who observed early days of NXIVM.
Jackson, Mark Middle-school classmate of Raniere.
Jeske, Barbara First-generation girlfriend of Raniere. NXIVM senior counselor until her death in 2014.
Junco, Rosa Laura First-line DOS recruiter. Wealthy heir to Mexican media empire.
Keeffe, Kristin Spy and legal liaison for NXIVM, inner circle girlfriend who lived with Raniere for more than a decade until she fled with their son in 2014.
Kreuk, Kristin Smallville actor, NXIVM coach, and friend of Sarah Edmondson. Cut ties with NXIVM around 2012.
Krowchuk, Chad Boyfriend of Allison Mack when she joined NXIVM in 2007.
Mack, Allison Smallville actor and Raniere disciple since 2007. Pleaded guilty to racketeering charges for her role recruiting women into DOS.
Marianna* Daniela and Camila’s older sister and highly favored girlfriend of Raniere. Mother of Raniere’s second known son.
Miljkovic, Maja Actor and writer who became a NXIVM student in 2013. Participated in a NXIVM-arranged marriage.
Myers, Ben Target of Raniere’s jealousy after Daniela revealed her romantic feelings for him. Daniela’s last phone call before she was confined from 2010 to 2012.
Natalie, Toni Raniere’s girlfriend and multi-level marketing business partner from 1991 to 1999. Was stalked and harassed by Raniere’s inner circle for decades after breakup.
Nicole* Actor recruited into DOS by Allison Mack in 2016. Became a star witness at Raniere’s trial.
O’Hara, Joe Former NXIVM consultant who helped uncover NXIVM spying after he quit. Was sued and harassed by NXIVM.
Oxenberg, India DOS “slave” recruited by Allison Mack. Friend of Nicole.
Padilla, Daniella First-line DOS recruiter. Oversaw creation of BDSM dungeon.
Park, Grace Hawaii Five-O actor, former NXIVM coach, and friend of Sarah Edmondson. Raised in Vancouver.
Parlato, Frank NXIVM publicist turned tabloid blogger. Briefly worked on Bronfman real estate project in L.A.
Penza, Moira Kim Eastern District of New York prosecutor at Keith Raniere’s 2019 trial, along with colleagues Tanya Hajjar, Mark Lesko, and others.
Piesse, Bonnie Actor and NXIVM whistleblower. Wife of Mark Vicente.
Powers, Kenny Friend of Kristin Snyder, who disappeared after a NXIVM class in 2003. Was part of an unsuccessful search-and-rescue effort.
Rambam, Steve Private investigator hired by NXIVM.
Raniere, Keith Founder of NXIVM, convicted sex trafficker. Born in 1960. Arrested in 2018.
Ross, Rick Alan Cult expert hired by wealthy New Jersey parents to rescue son in 2002. Became a target of NXIVM’s civil lawsuits and spying.
Russell, Kathy Bookkeeper and long-term girlfriend of Raniere. Pleaded guilty to visa fraud.
Salinas, Emiliano Son of former Mexican president Carlos Salinas de Gortari. Top-ranking executive member of NXIVM.
Salzman, Lauren Daughter of Nancy Salzman, secret girlfriend of Raniere and persuasive NXIVM executive. Testified against Raniere and pleaded to racketeering charges for her role in secret sorority.
Salzman, Nancy Hypnotherapist who cofounded NXIVM with Keith Raniere in 1998. Convicted of racketeering.
Snyder, Kristin Disappeared after a NXIVM intensive in 2003. Friends say she suffered a psychological break. Disappearance was ruled a suicide. Target of hacking and spying.
Sutton, Michael Son of wealthy New Jersey parents. Lost $1.3 million to Keith Raniere’s commodity trading bets. Subject of failed intervention by cult expert Rick Alan Ross.
Sutton, Morris and Rochelle Wealthy New Jersey couple hired Rick Alan Ross for an intervention in 2002. Son Michael was NXIVM student. Sued by NXIVM.
Unterreiner, Karen Raniere’s high-achieving college classmate and long-term girlfriend. Computer programmer and founding member of both NXIVM and Raniere’s first business, Consumers’ Buyline.
Vicente, Mark Documentary filmmaker and Raniere’s best friend from 2005 to 2017, when he discovered DOS and became a witness for the prosecution.
White, Susan Family friend of the Bronfmans who invited Clare and Sara to their first NXIVM class.
Yusko, Dennis Albany Times Union reporter who first wrote about NXIVM in 2003. Added to NXIVM’s growing list of enemies.
Skip Notes
*Identified by first name only in keeping with court ruling.
PROLOGUE
“The Most Ethical Man”
Keith Raniere needed sleep, that much was clear. How much sleep? Well, for decades before his arrest in March 2018, that was a point of debate. Some thought he slept only one or two hours a night. But women close to him knew he was more of a day sleeper, and that day in March, in an upstairs bedroom of a $10,000-a-week vacation rental north of Puerto Vallarta, Raniere was napping.
According to testimony at Raniere’s trial, actors Nicki Clyne and Allison Mack were lounging outside on a patio overlooking an infinity pool when Mexican federal agents in bulletproof vests pulled up the cobblestone driveway. Armed with a warrant from the Eastern District of New York for sex trafficking and forced labor, the officers surrounded the property. Some of them appeared to be wearing masks and holding machine guns.
It was a big deal for Clyne and Mack—celebrities and recent subjects of relentless online gossip—to be staying so close to Raniere. Five months earlier he’d been accused in The New York Times of masterminding a strange blackmail scheme, and allegations that Raniere had sexually abused young girls were resurfacing online with a vengeance. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation wasn’t quiet about its interest in NXIVM, the secretive self-help company Raniere had founded in 1998. The feds had interviewed NXIVM associates in the United States and left business cards with allies in Mexico, asking for Raniere to get in touch. Despite all this, Clyne and Mack had come to Mexico to show their commitment to Raniere, whom they’d often called the most ethical man they’d ever met.
Raniere was technically a fugitive, but his hideout in Mexico resembled an expensive corporate retreat. A team of fixers had been buzzing around him, first in Punta Mita and now at their current location, the remote beach town of Chacala. Neighbors said they went on long walks and ordered expensive butter-infused coffees from a tourist bar; testimony later revealed they communicated through prepaid disposable phones.
Mack and Clyne had been invited to participate in a “recommitment ceremony.” The plan was to show loyalty to Raniere in the most vulnerable way possible, which might have included group sex had the cops not shown up that day. Under her clothes, each actor bore a scar in the shape of Raniere’s initials, burned into her skin with a cauterizing pen more than a year earlier. It symbolized her lifelong commitment to obeying Raniere’s every request.
Before getting caught up in NXIVM headlines, Nicki Clyne had been best known for her role as Cally on the sci-fi drama Battlestar Galactica, while Allison Mack had lit up TV screens as Chloe
Sullivan, best friend to Superman in the CW show Smallville. Those roles had become less interesting to the women as they grew more committed to changing the world with Raniere. Through thousands of hours of coursework and mentorship, Clyne and Mack had learned to break out of limiting beliefs. NXIVM students compared this process to Keanu Reeves taking the red pill in The Matrix; no aspect of their lives was exempt from constant study, reflection, and redefinition. Raniere taught that everything was an opportunity for personal growth—even a faceoff with federal agents.
But as police moved inside, at least one of Raniere’s disciples was feeling some doubts.
For Lauren Salzman, the daughter of NXIVM’s president and cofounder Nancy Salzman, Raniere’s arrest punctured the bubble of secrecy and deception that had protected his reputation as someone of the highest ethical standards. Salzman was in a bedroom with Raniere when the cops came upstairs to take him into custody. As she later recalled at his trial, Raniere hid in a walk-in closet, leaving her to face the police.
“They were banging on the door,” she testified. “The whole time I was thinking they could just shoot through the door.”
As the door rattled in its frame, Salzman asked to see a warrant.
“Open the door and I’ll show it to you,” an agent replied.
Salzman didn’t open the door. The cops kicked it open and pinned her to the floor. With guns pointed at her, she yelped out Raniere’s name. The man known to acolytes as Vanguard, Master, and Grandmaster stepped out of the closet and was then cuffed on the floor and taken downstairs.
For Salzman, Raniere’s arrest left a small but significant crack in the edifice he’d built. “I chose what I believed we had been training for this entire time, which was to choose love over everything—including the possibility of losing my life,” she later testified. “There was no need to send me to shield him or negotiate with them; he could have just protected all of us and just gone.”
For months Salzman felt guilty for not doing more to protect Raniere. It would take the better part of a year for her to realize that the flaw she saw in him that day went much deeper.