Allison Mack Admits Using Fame as ‘Power Tool’ in NXIVM Recruitment

Allison Mack, the actress known for her role on “Smallville,” has publicly admitted to leveraging her celebrity status to recruit women into NXIVM, the group revealed to be a sex-cult pyramid scheme, in her first comments since being released from prison.

In a new seven-part podcast, “Allison After NXIVM,” Mack chronicles her involvement with NXIVM, led by Keith Raniere, and her descent from child actor to a key figure within the organization. She was sentenced in July 2021 to three years in prison after pleading guilty to charges including extortion and forced labor, and was released early in July 2023. “I think that I capitalized on the things I had,” Mack said in the podcast. “And so the success I had as an actor, I think I did capitalize on that, yeah. And it was a power tool that I had to get people to do what I wanted.”

Prosecutors at Raniere’s trial detailed how NXIVM operated a secret sorority called DOS, where women were subjected to branding, near-starvation diets, and sexual abuse. Members were controlled through the use of nude photos and other compromising material. Mack admitted to being “very effective in moving Keith’s vision forward,” stating, “I was not kind and I was aggressive and I was abusive… I was harsh and I was callous.” The case brought increased scrutiny to coercive control tactics used in self-help groups and cults, as detailed by the International Cultic Studies Association.

Since her release, Mack has remarried and is pursuing a master’s degree in social work. While acknowledging her abuses of power, she also expressed a desire to help others, stating she “wanted to be better, and I was willing to do anything to be better in myself and to help other people be better.” Raniere is currently serving a 120-year prison sentence. You can learn more about the NXIVM case here.

Authorities have stated that Mack’s cooperation was instrumental in securing a conviction against Raniere, and she will continue to be monitored as part of her release conditions.