How One Tree Hill’s Bethany Joy Lenz Entered and Left a “Cult”

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As an ardent fan who’s followed Bethany Joy Lenz‘s journey since her days on One Tree Hill, I find myself both captivated and saddened by her recent revelations. The woman who played Haley James Scott, a character whose strength and resilience I admired, has lived a life that was far from the idyllic small-town existence we saw on our screens.

Bethany Joy Lenz is opening up on a life-altering experience. 

The actor who played a significant role in One Tree Hill, and has earlier discussed her involvement in a suspected cult when she was 20 years old, will delve into this experience in her forthcoming memoir titled Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show (And Being in an Actual Cult). She recently disclosed the circumstances that led to her joining this extremely Christian organization.

Bethany, aged 43, shared with People magazine in an article dated October 15 that she had been searching for a sense of belonging all along. She mentioned that what initially began as casual study group nights at a pastor’s house gradually transformed, becoming something more complex. By the time it started changing, Bethany was already deeply involved in the relationships within the group and didn’t realize it.

Bethany explained that she was subsequently invited by the pastor, who she referred to as “Les”, to relocate to a large residence or a compact, commune-type setting in Idaho, in order to join the unconventional group called The Big House Family, which bore similarities to a cult.

Eventually, Bethany’s participation within the group became noticeable to her “One Tree Hill” co-stars, prompting expressions of concern on their faces. In fact, fellow actor Craig Sheffer directly inquired about it during filming of the CW series, asking if she was part of a cult.

She remembered exclaiming, “Absolutely not, not that!”, as she put it. “Cults are bizarre. They’re about people wearing robes and repeating strange phrases while consuming Kool-Aid. We don’t participate in such things!

Around ten years into her membership, Bethany began to suspect that the community wasn’t quite right for her. After marrying a fellow member and giving birth to their daughter Rosie in 2011 (now 13), she felt the urge to leave the following year. Bethany, a graduate of Pearson University, divorced Michael Galeotti in 2012 after five years of marriage.

Still, Bethany noted, it wasn’t so simple.  

She stated, ‘The situation was incredibly important to me, as they were my sole circle of companions. I’d tied my life to this association, having married into the group. Everything I had constructed could fall apart if I confessed I was mistaken.’

Yet, Bethany managed to escape – and is now sharing her experiences, as she feels it’s the appropriate action.

She continued, “I wouldn’t call it brave,” instead choosing to emphasize the significance. Her wish was for it to be beneficial to others facing similar circumstances.

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2024-10-15 17:17