Woman who escaped sex cult Allison Mack helped lead shares horrific reality

A woman involved in the controversial cult NXIVM has revealed the brutal reality of being a member.

In October 2017, NXIVM, an organisation which pitched itself as a 'self-help' group and company, was exposed as being the front for a cult led by Keith Raniere.

The group was home to a secretive subsect which recruited young women under the guise of female empowerment, branded them and forced them to have sex with Raniere.

Raniere was later convicted on numerous charges, including sex trafficking, and sentenced to 120 years in prison, while Smallville actor Allison Mack, a prominent member of the group, also received a custodial sentence after pleading guilty in 2021.

One of the women who spoke out about the harrowing realities of being involved in the cult was fellow actor Sarah Edmondson, whose testimony was crucial in exposing the group.

Sarah Edmondson was a member of NXIVM for 12 years (Daniel Novisedlak/WireImage)

Edmondson, who is best known for her work as a voice actor, was previously a member of the group before becoming a whistleblower and has spoken out numerous times about her time in NXIVM – including sharing an image of the 'KM' initials that had been burned into her skin.

The actor has since released a book on her experience, titled Scarred: The True Story of How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult that Bound My Life, and featured on the CBC podcast Uncover: Escaping NXIVM.

What was the reality of life inside NXIVM?

During a conversation with the Canadian outlet, Edmondson explained that she crossed paths with the group after being interested in a 'personal and professional development program'.

Despite feeling uncomfortable at her first meeting, Edmondson was 'indoctrinated' after three days in the programme. She'd remain part of the group for 12 years, setting up a branch in Canada and recruiting thousands.

"NXIVM at that point became, I wouldn't say my absolute everything, but it was my community," she said.

Edmondson would eventually go on to refer to the group as a 'criminal enterprise' in her book, saying: "It feels like we were the front people operating the store."

She later turned whistleblower in an interview with The New York Times (CBC)

She would ultimately end up a member of DOS - 'Dominus Obsequious Sororium' or 'Master Over Slave Women' - and was herself branded.

Edmondson also gave over compromising images and information about herself to fellow member Lauren Salzman, the latter of whom Edmondson would enter into a 'master/slave' relationship with.

She said she also recruited a woman who was instructed to do the same. However, the actor was quick to clarify that the group did not brand the woman she recruited.

"I think that was the craziest thing that happened to me — lying naked on a table, having someone burn my flesh," Edmondson recalled in an interview with Refinery 29.