Actress Allison Mack, who played a key role in the superhero television series Smallville for more than a decade, was sentenced to three years in prison Wednesday over her role in NXIVM, a group former members say was abusive and cultlike.
‘Smallville’ Actress Allison Mack Sentenced To Three Years For Role In NXIVM Sex Cult
By
Zainab Pervez in
News
On 3rd July 2021
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In a letter before sentencing, Mack begged forgiveness from her victims.
The letter addressed to "those who have been harmed by my actions" was filed to the court by her lawyers, who requested that she face no prison time for her crimes.
"I threw myself into the teachings of Keith Raniere with everything I had," she wrote.
"I believed, whole-heartedly, that his mentorship was leading me to a better, more enlightened version of myself... This was the biggest mistake and regret of my life," Mack continued.
"I am sorry to those of you that I brought into Nxivm. I am sorry I ever exposed you to the nefarious and emotionally abusive schemes of a twisted man," she added.
Before being sentenced, Mack tearfully apologized to her victims and her family, saying her actions while in the group were "abusive, abhorrent and illegal." She said she had completely renounced NXIVM leader Keith Raniere, who was sentenced to 120 years in prison last year for sex trafficking and other crimes.
"Coming out from under this delusion has been the most difficult experience of my life," Mack said.
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What is Nxivm?
Nxivm, pronounced "nexium", is a group that started in 1998 as a self-help programme and says it has worked with more than 16,000 people including the son of a former Mexican president and Hollywood actresses such as Mack.
Despite its tagline of "working to build a better world", its leader Keith Raniere was found guilty of overseeing a "slave and master" system within the group.
Raniere was at the top of this structure and the only man, but Mack served as one of his top female deputies.
Former NXIVM members testified at Raniere's trial that he established a secret sorority within the organization in which "slaves" pledged total obedience to "masters," with Raniere at the top as "grand master." Women were kept on starvation diets, branded with Raniere's initials and in some cases coerced into sex with him.
Leaders of the group were said to use nude photos and other compromising materials to keep lower-ranking members in line. Mack, who was both a "slave" of Raniere and "master" of other women, admitted in her guilty plea that she coerced two women into doing unpaid work by threatening to release damaging information about them.
As part of her effort to co-operate with investigators, Mack provided them with an audio recording of Raniere discussing one branding ritual.
In an ABC News interview on Wednesday, one of Mack's victims said she served Raniere as "the most charismatic co-leader anyone could ask for".
"She [Mack] dehumanised people. She was inhumane," said India Oxenberg.