[ad_1]
Bethany Joy Lenz is sharing extra particulars concerning the years she spent in a cult.
The actress introduced on Instagram that her memoir, “Dinner for Vampires,” will embrace recollections from her time “spent in an abusive, high-demand group (aka, cult).”
“Being a writer has been a great, private joy in my life since I was about 12,” she wrote in her Instagram caption. “This isn’t the first book I thought I’d write, publicly, but as difficult as this subject matter is to untangle, I’m grateful I get to share my story, my way.”
“It’s a story of forgiveness and a roadmap to how manipulation works, with heartache and humor along the way,” she continued. “We all make mistakes and I hope Dinner for Vampires reminds you that, no matter what weird roads you’ve gone down, you’re not alone.”
BETHANY JOY LENZ OF ‘ONE TREE HILL’ SAYS SHE SPENT 10 YEARS IN A CULT: ‘THERE’S A LOT TO TELL’
The description of the e book particulars Lenz’s journey as a younger actress who grew up as an solely baby and “always wanted a place to belong.” As she acquired older, she would discover “the safe haven she’d been searching for in a Bible study group” composed of others in the trade.
While Lenz initially discovered happiness in the group, the outline explains it “quickly morphed into one thing extra sinister,” by way of “a slowly woven web of manipulation, abuse, and fear under the guise of a church covenant” often known as The Big House Family.
Eventually, Lenz discovered herself shedding all sense of “autonomy,” when she moved into “the Family’s Pacific Northwest compound,” which was run by the “domineering” cult chief. The chief not solely satisfied her “to marry one of his sons,” but in addition “steadily drained millions of her TV income without her knowledge.”
“Family ‘minders’ assigned to her on set, “Maoist battle session”–inspired meetings in the basement of a filthy house, and regular counseling with ‘Leadership’ were just part of the tactics used to keep her loyal,” the outline learn.
Lenz starred on the hit WB teen drama “One Tree Hill” for 9 seasons, from 2003 to 2012, having been in the cult the entire time. She performed Haley James Scott on the present, the most effective buddy of Chad Michael Murray’s character, Lucas Scott, and spouse of his half-brother and former nemesis, Nathan Scott.
Lenz beforehand opened up concerning the assist she felt from her forged members on the present, telling the “Biscuits & Jam” podcast in November, when she made the choice to go away the cult, she felt “there were many open arms” ready to consolation her, and that she discovered that “very helpful.”
“I feel like a lot of the people there, whether consciously or subconsciously, knew that just their presence and being an encouragement and letting me know that they still loved and cared about me in spite of the fact that I was a little weird, that made a big difference. It made me feel like there was a safety,” she mentioned.
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
In an interview revealed Thursday on People, Lenz defined the toughest half about writing “Dinner for Vampires” was having to relive the experiences, saying “exploring the memories, and really facing them,” was actually “challenging” for her, however she persevered.
Since leaving the group, Lenz shared she has gone by way of “lots of therapy” to beat what she known as “spiritual abuse.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
“Recovery looks different for everyone, depending on your experience of trauma,” she defined. “I had to start from a baseline of my personal understanding of God and the experiences I had had. And then there was a lot of going back to who I was before and remembering that, and then acknowledging that there was so much I just didn’t know.”
“Dinner for Vampires” is about to be revealed Oct. 22.
[ad_2]
Source hyperlink