Bethany Joy Lenz Reveals She Joined A Cult During Her Time On ‘One Tree Hill’

Beloved One Tree Hill star Bethany Joy Lenz just dropped some jaw-dropping tea: while she was out there giving us all the early 2000s drama on-screen, behind the scenes, she was literally in a real-life cult. Yeah, not just binging Bible versesโ€”actual cult vibes.

Lenz spilled the deets, explaining how she fell into a Christian group that slowly took control of her life and finances. The whole thing started innocently enough when she rolled up to Los Angeles at 20 years old and met a pastor at Bible study named “Les.” Now, we know what you’re thinking: Les? With a name like that, how dangerous could it get? Well, apparently, very.

Leaving the Cult: One Star, Ten Years, Zero Kool-Aid
Bethany stuck around in the group for a decade before escaping and rebuilding her life like a DIY project from hell. People magazine reported that, while most of us were rewatching One Tree Hill with snacks, she was quietly putting her life back together post-cult.

See also  Sophia Bush Shows Off New Tattoos

When asked why sheโ€™s sharing her story now, Lenz said, “I donโ€™t think of it as brave. I think of it as important.” She explained that silently suffering didnโ€™t seem to help anyone and hopes her new book will inspire others. “This isnโ€™t a โ€˜look at me being braveโ€™ thing. Itโ€™s more like, โ€˜Letโ€™s skip the weird years and just help people.โ€™”

From Bible Study to Idahoโ€”Wait, What?
Talking about how she got sucked in, Bethany admitted, “I was always looking for a place to belong,” and, apparently, that Bible study group felt like “water in a desert.” (Which, fair. Except the water turned out to have Les-flavored undertones.) Before she knew it, she was packing her bags and moving to Idaho with Les and the rest of the group.

Now, hereโ€™s where things get tricky. At first, it all seemed pretty normal. No chanting, no robes, no matching tracksuits. “It just morphed over time,” Bethany recalled. “But by the time I realized it, I was too far inโ€”and also, I was, like, 20. Not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed back then.”

See also  Rare Photo of Mason Disick Shared by Aunt Kim Kardashian

“This Isnโ€™t a Cultโ€”Cults Are for Weirdos!”
One of the most hilarious moments (in retrospect, of course) came when OTH co-star Craig Sheffer straight-up told her, “Youโ€™re in a cult.” Bethanyโ€™s response? “Nah, cults are weird. They chant and drink Kool-Aid. Thatโ€™s not us!” We feel you, Bethanyโ€”if thereโ€™s no weird chanting and nobodyโ€™s handing out matching robes, itโ€™s easy to think youโ€™ve just joined an enthusiastic community.

But her co-stars werenโ€™t buying it. “I could see it on their faces,” Bethany said. “But I kept justifying it to myself, like, โ€˜This isnโ€™t a cult! I just have a super exclusive VIP connection to God that no one else gets.โ€™” Girl, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Motherhood as the Great Awakening
Bethanyโ€™s big wake-up call came in 2012, right after she had her daughter Rosie. “The stakes were crazy high,” she said. “These people were my only friends. I was even married into the group.” (Yep, she married Michael Galeotti, who was also part of the cult. Talk about relationship baggage.) “If I admitted I was wrong, my whole life would collapse like a bad Jenga tower.”

See also  Source Reveals New Details About Gigi Hadid And Bradley Cooper's Relationship

And collapse it didโ€”but Bethany walked away stronger, determined to reclaim her life.

Get Ready for the Book Bombshell
For all the juicy details, Bethanyโ€™s memoir Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show (While Also in an Actual Cult!) drops on October 22. Weโ€™re expecting wild revelations, deep reflections, and maybe even a “How to Spot a Cult” checklist. (Step one: If a guy named Les invites you to Idaho, just say no.)

Bethanyโ€™s story is a testament to strength, resilience, and realizing that even if the robes are optional, a cult is still a cult. And we cannot wait to dive into her memoir, popcorn in hand.

Bethany Joy Lenz Reveals She Joined A Cult During Her Time On ‘One Tree Hill’

Comments area

Sidebar

Must Read

Jenna Ortega Stuns in Floral Dior Gown for Emmy’s 2023 Red Carpet

Jenna Ortega bloomed like a floral goddess as she...

Madonna Takes A Tumble On-Stage During ‘Celebration Tour’

Madonna, unstoppable force of pop, just gave us a...

Taylor Swift’s Heel Breaks Off During Show in Brazil

In the midst of her spectacular Eras Tour in...

Angelina Jolie’s Physical Appearance Worries Many

Angelina Jolieโ€™s friends and family are scratching their heads...

Joe Biden Calls Britney Spears Taylor Swift in Thanksgiving Speech

In a gobble-tastic spectacle that doubled as his 81st...

Julianne Hough Says Bobby Bones Shouldn’t Have Won Season 27 Of ‘Dancing With The Stars’

Julianne Hough, the reigning queen of all things โ€œDancing...

Emma Stone Got a Black Eye Before Her Wedding

Emma Stone's journey to the wedding aisle turned into...

You Might Also Like

Dua Lipa Splits From Romain Gavras After Eight Months

Oh la la! Looks like Dua Lipa and French...

Chris Martin Says Coldplay Will Only Make A Total Of 12 Albums

Coldplay fansโ€”Chris Martin and the gang are calling it...

Charli XCX And Kesha Release ‘Spring Breakers’ Remix

Alert the group chat: Charli XCX and Kesha just...

Megan Thee Stallion Reveals Her Favorite ‘Real Housewives’ in New Video

Imagine 2023 as a reality TV buffet, and guess...

Milo Ventimiglia and Wife Jarah Mariano Spotted At Yoga

Guess who decided to start their day off with...

George Santos is Suing Jimmy Kimmel

Former Rep. George Santos has decided to play a...

Peter Sarsgaard Spills the Tea on His Marriage With Maggie Gyllenhaal (and It’s Adorably Relatable)

Peter Sarsgaard, the 53-year-old actor whoโ€™s basically the human...

Bhad Bhabie: “Cash Me Outside w/ My New Nose!”

Bhad Bhabie has just debuted her freshly upgraded schnoz,...

Sabrina Carpenter Performs ‘Please Please Please’ At Governor’s Ball While Slamming People Who Hate Pride

Sabrina Carpenter, musical firecracker, ignited the stage at Governorโ€™s...