In November 1978, Jim Jones, the self-styled reverend and leader of the People’s Temple, coaxed 909 of his followers to drink cyanide-laced Flavor-Aid in the Temple’s idyllic sanctuary in Jonestown, Guyana.
The next morning, America woke up to the horror of Jonestown and the reality of cults, often ignored prior to the People’s Temple mass suicide.
The truth is that cults have been out there for a very long time, since the birth of religion really, with cults being either splinter groups or challenges to the dominant and established dogma.
One can even argue that today’s religions were once minor cults that flourished and were successful at proselytizing until they displaced all other religions and cults, either by force or conviction.
Not all cults are harmful and perhaps the word ‘cult’ itself is misleading as today it carries a heavy, negative connotation.
But they all have certain things in common, which include an unquestioning and zealous devotion to its leader and a polarized us-versus-them mentality, among others.
Many have fallen prey to cults even celebrities who no one would suspect could ever be taken by false prophets.
Here are 10 celebrities who were stung by cults but survived, and even prospered afterwards!
Joaquin Phoenix
I don’t believe in god. I don’t believe in an afterlife. I don’t believe in soul. I don’t believe in anything. I think it’s totally right for people to have their own beliefs if it makes them happy, but to me it’s a pretty preposterous idea.
Joaquin Phoenix
Phoenix’s parents met in the ‘60s and lived the hippy experience that was shaking the country back then. In 1972, they joined the Children of God, a religious movement that advocated a spiritual revolution against the system.
They travelled around South America as missionaries, specifically in Mexico and Venezuela, living in poverty.
When the sect’s leader, David Berg, instituted a policy of attracting new, wealthier members through sex, a practice called ‘flirty fishing,’ the family became disillusioned and left.
The metamorphosis of the 'Bottom' family to the 'Phoenix' surname—does it echo Joaquin Phoenix's own career of complex transformations?
They returned to the U.S. and changed their surname to ‘Phoenix’ to mark a new beginning in their lives (their original surname was ‘Bottom’).
All of the Phoenix siblings have been successful in their acting careers, especially Joaquin. His brother, River Phoenix, died of a drug overdose in 1993.
The Arquettes
I think God is a giant vibrator in the sky … a pulsating force of incredible energy.
David Arquette
Another family of actors, the Arquettes, spent their childhood in a Subud community.
Subud is a spiritual movement founded in Indonesia in the 1920s that emphasizes what they call “latihan,” uninhibited weeping, shouting, writhing, moaning and speaking in tongues, which supposedly will bring you into contact with the power of God.
A commune without basic amenities to Hollywood’s glitz—what a compelling paradox in the Arquette narrative!
They lived in a commune with no electricity, bathrooms or running water until the family decided to abandon the commune.
Rosanna, Patricia and David found success and respect in Hollywood.
Winona Ryder
I was raised to believe that religion is a beautiful thing, but it’s fiction.
Winona Ryder
Growing up in an artistic environment (both her parents were writers) where the family was friends with Laura Huxley (wife of Aldous), had Beat poets Allen Ginsberg and Lawrence Ferlinghetti over for dinner and LSD guru Timothy Leary as a godfather, must have made Winona Ryder’s transition into the Rainbow Commune seem natural.
Though not considered a “dangerous cult” by any stretch of the imagination, the Rainbow commune does demand a Spartan lifestyle from its members.
From dining with Beat poets to acting in A-list films, Ryder’s life encapsulates a unique blend of counterculture and celebrity.
The Ryders, for example, moved to a Rainbow commune in California when Winona was 7, and lived in a 300-acre plot of land with seven other families.
The families tried to eek out a living from the land and be self-sufficient.
With no electricity, the young Winona spent most of her time reading and gave free rein to her thespian aspirations, which, no doubt, helped her on the road to stardom.
Rose McGowan
“When people leave cults, they don’t know that they left a cult.”
Phil McGraw
Another ex-member of the Children of God, McGowan grew up with her siblings in the Italian chapter of the Children of God run by her father.
She spent a lot of time travelling with her family across Europe to visit other chapters of the cult, but though this may sound glamorous and exciting, it was anything but that.
McGowan has commented on her unusual upbringing saying, “You had no contact with the outside world.”
With her voice, McGowan rips through the veil of cult secrecy, making you rethink the very concept of 'normal.'
Things that are completely unacceptable became normal.
I remember watching how the [cult’s] men were with the women, and at a very early age I decided I did not want to be like those women.
They were basically there to serve the men sexually – you were allowed to have more than one wife.”
Glenn Close
“It’s astounding that something that you went through at such an early stage in your life still has such a potential to be destructive. I think that’s childhood trauma.”
Glenn Close
Award-winning actress Glenn Close spent 15 years in the Moral Re-Armament cult group, an international moral and spiritual movement that was quite popular just before, during and after the Second World War.
Glenn's story breaks through the silence, provoking us to scrutinize the way we perceive cult survivors.
In an interview with New York Magazine Close stated, “It was a cult, where everyone was told to think alike, and that’s devastating. I decided that I would not trust even my instincts because I didn’t know what they were. Everything had been dictated.”
She also travelled extensively with an MRA singing group called “Up With People” in the ‘60s before leaving the MRA at the age of 22.
William S. Burroughs
“The church is a place where people go to escape the harsh realities of life. It is a sanctuary where they can find peace and comfort. But it is also a place where they can be brainwashed and manipulated.”
William S. Burroughs
Actors are not the only ones to have been subjected to cults’ magnetic appeal; all sorts end up entangled in their webs, like American Beat writer William S. Burroughs.
While living in London in the ‘60s, Burroughs joined the Church of Scientology, perhaps the most famous of cults, though they don’t like that term.
He was a devoted follower, and even praised some of their techniques saying, “the techniques and philosophy of Scientology helped him and that he felt that further study into Scientology would produce great results.”
Burroughs' dalliance with Scientology exposes the cult's seductive lure that entraps even intellectual titans.
He was, however, skeptical about the religion’s structure and criticized its authoritarian tendencies saying, “Scientology is a model control system, a state in fact with its own courts, police, rewards and penalties. It is based on a tight in-group like the CIA.”
He left the church but wrote about his experience in his book Ali’s Smile: Naked Scientology.
Leah Remini
“If a spiritual teacher says something that doesn’t make sense to you, you should always listen to yourself and not the teacher. A little common sense would end all cults.”
Frederick Lenz
The star of “King of Queens” left the Church of Scientology after 30 years as a dedicated member.
She apparently became disenchanted with the organization when she was subjected to “interrogations” and “thought modification” after criticizing the Church’s leader, David Miscavige, and his decision to excommunicate members.
Leah's courageous stance underscores the human toll extracted by any organization that manipulates faith for nefarious ends.
A source close to the TV star told the New York Post that “She is stepping back from a regime she thinks is corrupt.”
She thinks no religion should tear apart a family or abuse someone under the umbrella of ‘religion.’”
Remini had contributed millions of dollars to the Church throughout the years and then suddenly found herself blacklisted and under investigation by the organization’s leaders.
Lisa Marie Presley
“I don’t think you have to be religious to have a spiritual life.”
Lisa Marie Presley
Elvis’ only offspring, like her mother Priscilla Presley, was a member of the Church of Scientology until she decided to leave the fold.
Before that, there had been rumors that Presley had a bad relationship with the Church and even released a song that many regarded as a farewell to the religion.
Presley’s disillusionment reflects the emotional devastation wrought by religious institutions that prioritize dogma over humanity.
Presley made no comment on rumors surrounding the 2012 song “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet,” which included tough lyrics churches having no souls and accusing religion as being “corrupt” and ruining lives.
In an interview with USA Today, Presley stated, “I was slowly starting to self-destruct, and I didn’t know where that was coming from. I started to uncover the main person who was really close to me for years, and then it was a domino effect. I was devastated.”
Katie Holmes
I’m free of an abusive cult, based on money and power that worships a fictional deity and safely back with the Catholic Church.
Katie Holmes
Some people end up in a cult through their parents’ decision, as is the case with some of the entries on our list; others are looking for meaning and purpose in their lives and consciously decide to enter a cult that seems to satisfy that need; still others do it for love.
Such is the case of actress Katie Holmes when she married Tom Cruise.
Holmes’s tale emphasizes that love and personal relations can become the gateway to religious coercion.
She began studying Scientology when they started dating and were married in a Scientology ceremony in Odescalchi Castle in Italy.
Six years after tying the knot, Holmes filed for divorce fearing that Cruise would abduct their daughter Suri and suffer intimidation by the Church.
Holmes has since returned to the Roman Catholic Church.
Paul Haggis
“One person’s religion is another person’s cult.”
Phillip Seymour Hoffman
Haggis had been a member of the Church of Scientology for over 35 years until the Church endorsed Proposition 8, the ballot initiative to ban same-sex marriages in the state of California.
The award-winning screenwriter and director (Million Dollar Baby and Crash, among others) is a staunch supporter of gay rights and was outraged that the Church would support such a bill.
He wrote to the Church’s spokesman asking them to rectify but received no reply.
Haggis's exodus underlines the devastating clash between personal convictions and a dogmatic institution, showcasing the courage it takes to break free.
Haggis would not stand for it and defected citing this incident and listing other grievances against the Church when he left.
In a New Yorker story published in 2011 Haggis said, “I was in a cult for thirty-four years. Everyone else could see it. I don’t know why I couldn’t.”
Spiritual freedom: Hollywood’s underrated blockbuster
In a town where the cult of celebrity often rivals any religious fervor, it’s no surprise that even Hollywood’s brightest stars have dabbled in the esoteric.
But let’s give them some credit; they’ve managed to escape the clutches of charismatic leaders and dogmatic doctrines to tell the tale.
If one day you’re tempted to join that “exclusive meditation circle” promising eternal youth and a lifetime supply of kale smoothies, remember: if these A-listers can break free and still land on the red carpet, maybe your path to enlightenment doesn’t require a membership fee.
Ah, Hollywood, where even spiritual journeys have sequels.
You might like Mysterious Hollywood Deaths: 10 Celebrities Who Still Leave Us Guessing