The 6 celebrities who escaped cults – from Joaquin Phoenix to Rose McGowan

From childhoods spent inside religious communities to Hollywood stars caught up in controlling groups as adults, these celebrities have revealed what it was really like to escape a cult

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Cults have long fascinated popular culture, inspiring films, documentaries, books and podcasts. But behind the sensational headlines are real people who have experienced the psychological control, isolation and manipulation that can come with belonging to a highly controlling group.

Several famous faces have spoken publicly about their experiences, with some raised inside such communities while others became involved later in life. Their stories show just how varied those experiences can be – and how difficult leaving can be.

Joaquin Phoenix was raised in Children of God

Joaquin Phoenix was born into Children of God, a religious group his parents joined before his birth. His parents eventually left when he was around three years old after becoming aware of disturbing practices within the organisation.

Phoenix has previously explained that his parents initially believed they had found a community that shared their ideals. But, as he put it, groups like this do not necessarily present themselves as cults from the outset.

His siblings, including the late River Phoenix, were also raised within the group before the family left.

Rose McGowan escaped as a child

Rose McGowan has spoken extensively about spending the first years of her life in Children of God. She has described growing up in an isolated environment and later recalled being disturbed by the group’s attitudes towards women and children.

McGowan’s family eventually escaped when she was nine. She has described fleeing with her father and another family member in the middle of the night after the group began advocating practices her father could not accept.

Her experiences have remained an important part of her memoir and public discussions about her childhood.

Glenn Close spent 15 years in a strict spiritual movement

Glenn Close’s experience began when she was seven. Her family moved to Switzerland and became involved with Moral Re-Armament, a spiritual movement founded in the 1930s.

Close remained involved until she was 22, when she eventually left while studying at university.

The actor has described the long-term impact of growing up in an environment where beliefs and behaviour were heavily prescribed. She has said that, for years afterwards, she struggled to trust her own instincts because so many of her beliefs had been dictated to her.

Close has spoken about the process of understanding her upbringing and its effect on her relationship with her parents.

Bethany Joy Lenz lost millions while in a controlling group

For Bethany Joy Lenz, the experience came during adulthood. While starring as Haley James Scott on One Tree Hill, she became involved with a small ultra-Christian group led by a pastor in Idaho.

According to Lenz’s account, the organisation gradually exerted control over different aspects of her life, including her career and finances. She later wrote about the experience in her memoir Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show (While Also in an Actual Cult!).

Lenz has said the group cost her millions in earnings during her decade-long involvement. She eventually left both the organisation and her marriage to another member.

Michelle Pfeiffer didn’t realise she was involved with a cult

Michelle Pfeiffer’s story highlights how people can become involved with controlling groups without initially recognising what is happening.

After moving to Los Angeles in her early twenties, Pfeiffer became involved with a couple who promoted breatharianism – the belief that people can survive without food or water.

She later described the couple as controlling and said her involvement became financially draining. It was only while helping her then-husband research another group that Pfeiffer recognised similarities between the psychological manipulation being described and her own experience.

“I was in one,” she later recalled realising.

India Oxenberg was drawn into NXIVM

India Oxenberg became involved with NXIVM, a group that presented itself as a self-help organisation but was later exposed for abusive practices.

Her mother, Dynasty actor Catherine Oxenberg, became increasingly concerned about her daughter’s involvement and worked to help her leave.

The organisation’s founder, Keith Raniere, was ultimately convicted of federal crimes, while actor Allison Mack – who had been a prominent member – pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy.

Not every unusual upbringing was a cult

Other celebrities have described unconventional childhoods that have sometimes been associated with the word “cult”, although the individuals involved have not necessarily accepted that description.

Winona Ryder, for example, grew up on a Northern California commune with several other families. She has recalled the 380-acre property positively, describing it as beautiful.

David and Patricia Arquette were also raised on a commune in Virginia founded by their parents and friends as a utopian community. The siblings have described difficult conditions there, including a lack of electricity, bathrooms and running water.

Together, these stories reveal that celebrity experiences with high-control groups are far from one-size-fits-all. Some were born into them, others joined as adults, and some have questioned whether the label “cult” accurately describes their experiences. What connects many of the accounts is the difficulty of recognising control – and, ultimately, finding a way out.