Bethany Joy Lenz Courageous Journey, “One Tree Hill star,” revealed her decade in a Bible-based cult. Lenz’s soulful revelation sounds lovely. She discusses her dark times and her difficult path to light.
Lenz, 42, told Variety about a terrible and private portion of her life during her tenure as a co-host on “One Tree Hill.” “It was almost like a secret life,” she recalls. “I’m on TV. I’m renowned, yet I have a private life.” She candidly describes how celebrity hid her complicated complexities.
Lenz’s successful nine-season stint as Haley James Scott was tied to the cult’s secrecy. Behind the scenes, spiritual deception was taking place. “It was so painful,” she says.
The fascinating account shows how she joined the claimed cult over time. She says it started with an innocuous Los Angeles Wednesday night Bible study. The links grew, binding souls beyond faith. She claims charismatic leaders masked the group’s dangers. This reminds her of another notorious cult, NXIVM, operated by a sociopath.
“The Vow,” a docuseries on NXIVM’s dark history, made Lenz compare the two. “When I watched ‘The Vow,’ that’s the best comparison I can make,” she says. This is a sobering reminder that flaws can be exploited even in faith.
Lenz heard her co-stars discuss her participation behind the scenes. The whispers were concerned as they tried to free her from the weird cult. “For a while, they were all trying to save me and rescue me, which is lovely and so amazing to be cared about in that way,” she adds, combining the warmth of friendship with her own hard decisions.
Lenz’s involvement affected her work beyond spirituality. She refused huge roles despite being at the pinnacle of her career. “I missed out on so many chances because I put this group first,” she adds.
Lenz’s tale emphasizes how difficult it is to leave a hostile situation. “Leaving itself isn’t that hard,” she says of leaving. Instead, fearful consequences paralyzed her. Spiritual deception can create self-doubt.
Lenz went on a self-discovery and healing journey. She’s writing a book on her difficult life because therapy helped her find her way. “There’s so much more that could help people, so much about this weird, secret life,” she says. This indicates that she wants to fully relate her tale while minimizing harm.
Lenz’s journey from darkness to light and entanglement to freedom is a tribute to resiliency. She speaks bravely. Her experiences demonstrate how complex humans are, how faith and influence work together, and how a firm will heal
