The mysterious group NXIVM has been covered in newspapers, Lifetime movies, and magazine exposs. A complaint from a 2020 lawsuit by former members of NXIVM recapitulated several fantastical claims made in marketing materials about Raniere. "[199], At Raniere's trial, testimony revealed that Raniere had convinced several girls and women that sex with him could heal their purported "disintegrations," and that his semen had supernatural qualities. [217][bettersourceneeded], NXIVM has been associated with several related organizations. During a "fright study", Porter exposed subjects to disturbing videos, including actual footage of a decapitation. Photo @bonniepiessephotography, A post shared by Mark Vicente (@markvicente) on Jun 22, 2020 at 5:32am PDTJun 22, 2020 at 5:32am PDT. publication beginning with the 2020 Inaugural Issue. However, on July 15, 2019, the Senior U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis postponed the sentencing until further notice to allow federal probation officials to conduct presentencing investigations. Former members who were branded also allege that "AM," Mack's initials are also contained in the brands they received. [211], NXIVM taught that some people, called "Suppressives", try to impede progress within NXIVM. NXIVM loyalist files $12 million suit against Starz network. Senator Chuck Schumer, and Albany Times Union publisher George Randolph Hearst III in a box in the basement of Nancy Salzman's home. Everything goes flawlessly until, at the very end, a mistake is made during a jump and the skater falls to the iceall hope of winning the event is gone. I have survived so far. India Oxenberg wrote and narrated an audio book memoir, This page was last edited on 13 February 2023, at 13:37. Reviews NXIVM Co-Founder Sentenced To 3 1/2 Years In Sex Slaves Case. [51] Lauren bonded with Mack (the two women eventually became Raniere's inner circle and his sexual partners). Here Are the Major Players in the Case", "NXIVM founder Raniere guilty on all counts", "NXIVM doctor who branded women is target of investigation", "Nxivm doctor Danielle Roberts, accused of branding 'sex slaves,' could lose her medical license", "NXIVM doctor who branded women loses medical license", "Inside the NXIVM Sex Cult's Secret Plot to Take Over Mexico", "Co-founder of 'self-help' group arrested and charged with sex trafficking", "Who is Nancy Salzman? by saying they would be part of a female mentorship program. She was one of the first members to leave NXIVM in 2017, and she did so after noticing strange behavior among women close to Raniere. [35][36], Following Raniere's conviction, he continues to direct a small set of loyal members from his prison cell, encouraging continued recruitment. Posted on March 4, 2022 by March 4, 2022 by "[275] Keeffe publicly described Raniere as "dangerous". [172] Judge Sunshine Sykes granted the motion, dismissing the lawsuit and granting Lions Gate Entertainment's request for attorneys' fees and costs. article in The New York Times, details began to emerge about "Dominus Obsequious Sororium", a secret society of women that started in 2015 within NXIVM in which female members were allegedly called slaves, branded with the initials of Raniere and Mack, subjected to corporal punishment from their "masters", and required to provide nude photos or other potentially damaging information about themselves as "collateral". After multiple members left the group, pressed charges, and spoke out for a 2017 New York Times expos of the group, Raniere fled to Mexico where he was arrested in 2018. One of the victims was 15 years old when the abuse began. [293] The suit alleged that NXIVM computers had been illegally accessed. Fleeing the region with her son, an email bearing Keeffe's name explained: "I have full sole legal custody of Gaelyn. Edmondson alleged that participants were blindfolded naked, held down by Mack and three other women, and branded by NXIVM-affiliated doctor Danielle Roberts, using a cauterizing pen. Laboratoarele au strnit ngrijorarea c materiale periculoase ar putea fi folosite pentru [] [236][237][238], Clare Bronfman, daughter of billionaire Seagrams chairman Edgar Bronfman Sr., was introduced to NXIVM by her sister Sara. NXIVM operated purported self-help programs based in Albany, New York, which attracted millionaires and Hollywood stars including Oxenberg, who said she attended her first meeting with her. Keith was experimenting on him. It wasn't until Edmondson revealed her brand, which contained Raniere's initials, the Ames decided to leave the cult with his wife. [92][29][99][258] He was found guilty of all charges at trial. [215][216] Classes were divided into modules. Here's where other former and current NXIVM members and leaders are now. She told Insider that she uses every speaking opportunity she can to share her story so that others don't fall into the same trap. NXIVM operated a number of businesses that it used to control its members, forcing many to work up to 23 hours a day for no pay. NXIVM is an alleged sex cult covered up as a self-improvement company. [200] Raniere instructed one sexual partner to seek out a virgin because he needed a "pure vessel" for reasons "energy-related and DNA-wise."[201]. This is where current and former NXIVM members, including top-ranking executives and Raniere's former sex slaves, are now. All the celebrities we know were part of the NXIVM sex cult. Bronfman was also charged with ID fraud after pleading guilty for using the credit card and bank information of someone who had been dead for 15 months, racking up $135,000 in bills. That happened when his wife Bonnie Piesse told Vicente she felt something was off about Raniere and was leaving the organization herself in 2017. The film is executive produced by Clare Bronfman. [64] Another Forbes article in 2010 discussed the failures of commodities and real estate deals by the Bronfmans made on Raniere's advice. In 2017, a New York Times report inspired a justice department investigation that took down an American multi-level marketing scheme turned 'sex cult' known as NXIVM. He is the son of former Mexican president Carlos Salinas de Gortari. [52] In 1999, Raniere's eight-year relationship with Natalie ended. A federal appeals court Friday upheld the convictions and sentences for NXIVM sex cult leader Keith Raniere and his co-conspirator, Seagram's liquor heiress Clare Bronfman. The Bureau of Prisons keeps Raniere's cell in Tucson USP "contaminated with feces"; An impending transfer of Raniere out of Tucson USP is "clear retaliation". February, 2003. After that, she told her husband and fellow NXIVM member, Anthony "Nippy" Ames, about what happened, and they left the cult together. [168][169], In 2021, Raniere supporter Marc Elliot filed a lawsuit against Lions Gate Entertainment in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, alleging that the Starz network documentary Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult libelled and defamed him. 02. Keith Raniere started Nxivm outside Albany, N.Y., in the 1990s. The leader of NXIVM ran an all-male fraternity that later allowed women into the curriculum and used "horribly demeaning" tactics to humiliate them, according to testimony from a former member . [41], In 1998, Raniere and Nancy Salzman founded NXIVM, a personal development company offering "Executive Success Programs" (ESP) and a range of techniques for self-improvement. [86] The organization also reportedly hired journalists in an attempt to gain media support and solicit new members to NXIVM, as well as fabricating staff members. guy . I am so grateful to my Mother, who is still with me. [186][187][188], Over the decades, NXIVM emphasized Raniere's specialness through hagiography. In 2009, Bouchey and eight other women ("The NXIVM Nine") confronted Raniere with concerns about abuse within the organization. | Psychology Today", "Notice Of Hearing In The Matter Of Brandon Porter, MD", "Executive course in 'cult' lawsuit launches in Dublin", "Vicente: Keith Forced Clare Bronfman to Wear Jock Strap [and More Wonderful Testimony]", "Seagram heiress Bronfman pleads not guilty in NXIVM 'sex slave' case", "From heiress to felon how Clare Bronfman wound up in cult like group NXIVM", "NXIVM Leader Keith Raniere Has Been Convicted for Keeping Women as 'Sex Slaves.' By Kashmira Gander On 3/27/18 at 6:56 AM EDT. Natalie would subsequently claim to have been the victim of harassment. On that same day, Nxivms bookkeeper, Kathy Russell, pleaded guilty to one count of visa fraud. The visit was initially canceled by the Dalai Lama owing to negative press about NXIVM,[70] but was rescheduled; the Dalai Lama spoke at Albany's Palace Theatre in May 2009. One of these was The Knife Media, or The Knife. [285] At Raniere's trial, a witness testified that India had spent a year on a 500-calorie-per-day diet. Ms. Salzman, who was known to the groups followers as Prefect, was charged with identity theft and altering records to influence the outcome of a lawsuit against Nxivm. [65], After actress Kristin Kreuk became involved with NXIVM in 2006, Salzman and her daughter Lauren, a junior NXIVM leader,[44] went to Vancouver to recruit Kreuk's Smallville co-star Allison Mack. He is among the NXIVM members who remain loyal to Raniere. [55][56] In the early 2000s, Seagram heiresses Clare and Sara Bronfman, daughters of Edgar Bronfman Sr., became attached to the organization. You're not expected to worship the living being in front of you or the writings of some living being." [170] Joseph Tully, the attorney representing Elliot, also represents Raniere in his appeals. Sources. The government credited her for providing relevant emails, documents and recordings later used to convict Raniere. [153] Prosecutors also submitted documentation that Raniere and his follower Chakravorty used a false name and "burner phone" to evade detection, with Raniere instructing Chakravorty to "get scrutiny" on Judge Nicholas Garaufis, explaining that "the judge needs to know he's being watched". One former member, identified only as Nicole, described how on one day Mr. Raniere took her to a house, told her to disrobe, blindfolded her and tied her down to a table. "[228], The purported treatment for Tourette syndrome was noted by one reporter as not having been tested in a scientific peer-reviewed setting. NXIVM is a new ethical understanding that allows you to create an internal framework that reflects your best self, and offers the resources to manifest that vision into a reality. The first details many people learned about NXIVM, the cultlike organization based for decades near Albany, New York, were the most sordid. Allison Mack is an American actress known for her role on the series Smallville. "[173], A November 30, 2022 filing by attorneys for Lions Gate Entertainment states that "the Parties have settled the above-captioned action in all respects. There are reports of active splinter groups. NXIVM is a secretive self-help organization based in Albany, New York, that was founded by Raniere and Nancy Salzman. [52] According to Vanity Fair, NXIVM leadership, who had spoken to Forbes, had expected a positive story. These claims, the complaint states, were all false. Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015, Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act civil suit, United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Federal Correctional Institution, Danbury, United States District Court for the Central District of California, A&E Investigates: Cults and Extreme Belief, Escaping the NXIVM Cult: A Mother's Fight to Save Her Daughter, "Brooklyn judge finds 'issues' with Nxivm defense fund", "Who Is Emiliano Salinas? [80] In a 2010 Times Union article, former NXIVM coaches characterized students as "prey" for Raniere's sexual or gambling-related proclivities. Her sentencing, however, has since been pushed to a later date, as was Lauren Salzmans. By creating a new understanding, we can actualize our potential to live and work together and consequently bring human existence to a whole new level. [75][91] Edmondson further appeared in "Escaping NXIVM", during the first season of the CBC podcast Uncover. Mack was reportedly recruited to the Vancouver chapter of NXIVM, along with her Smallville co-star Kristin Kreuk. [47], During NXIVM seminars, students would call Raniere and Salzman "Vanguard" and "Prefect", respectively. [171], In reply, Lions Gate Entertainment made a special motion to strike the lawsuit pursuant to the California Anti-SLAPP statute. There is no greater privilege than to materialize myself. As part of her plea agreement with the government, Salzman did not contest asset forfeiture. comment. the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avataror the group and the leader is on a special mission to save humanity). Seriously. [272], Kristin Keeffe became Raniere's partner in the early 1990s. My birthday is always a strange thing. The story of the NXIVM cult, founded by the now-imprisoned "guru" Keith Raniere, has remained headline news ever since details of his abusive sex ring emerged.The network lay at the heart of the shadowy organization, in which major Hollywood celebrities were involved in the trafficking of women at Raniere's behest. Prosecutors showed a biography that once appeared on a Nxivm website claiming Raniere attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute when he was 16 and immediately started taking graduate-level. Prominent NXIVM cult leader Lauren Salzman avoids jail time after 'extraordinary' cooperation She was a key aide to guru Keith Raniere and had been looking at a possible prison term. In 2001, she began a secret sexual relationship with Raniere, and later helped him recruit women to DOS and run the sorority. Shortly thereafter, Odato was described as being "on leave" from the Times Union. [] Accordingly, the court finds that all lower-ranking DOS members are statutorily entitled to the return of their collateral, and it orders Mr. Raniere to effectuate that return to the fullest extent practicable.". It was later revealed that the District Attorney had allowed Raniere's girlfriend Kristin Keeffe to operate within its office as a sort of victims' advocate. nxivm website archive. [293] Following Keith Raniere's sentencing in 2020, the editorial board of the New York Daily News praised Odato's work exposing NXIVM for its prescience, taking the unusual step of commending the work published by a competitor. [51], In 2008, the Bronfman sisters allegedly pressured Stephen Herbits, a confidant of their father, to ask Albany County District Attorney David Soares, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, and New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram to begin criminal investigations into NXIVM's critics. [51] Mack was further alleged to be DOS's second-in-command after Raniere. Raniere sought an injunction allowing visitation and phone calls from follower Suneel Chakravorty, who he claims is a paralegal working on his appeals. [37][38] At his direction, members of the group danced outside Raniere's jail and staged protests against individual prosecutors. Before her prison sentence, Bronfman spent nearly $50 million on lawsuits on behalf of NXIVM. 425.16", "NXIVM leader Raniere suing Arizona federal prison", "DEFENDANTS' RESPONSE TO MOTION FOR PRELIMARY INJUNCTION", "Order on Motion for Summary Judgment and Order on Motion to Dismiss", "Keith Raniere's case appears to be the product of manufactured evidence, according to FBI experts", "The Court of Appeals overlooks damning evidence of FBI corruption in the Keith Raniere case", "NXIVM founder Keith Raniere claims the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is trying to "silence" him for going public with his evidence tampering claim against the FBI in his 2019 conviction", "Impending Transfer from USP Tucson "clear retaliation" for continued legal efforts to clear my name, says Keith Raniere - The Village Voice", "Businesses Licensed Or In-Process By The City of Irvine", "A Cult Expert Tells Us Why the NXIVM Story Is Far from Over", "IJCAM - Introduction - Comparative Reflections on Scientology and NXIVM", "Janja Lalich: how normal people end up in cults like NXIVM", "NXIVM turned Lake George resort into annual Raniere birthday jamboree", "United States v. Keith Raniere - Detention Memo", "Blast from the past: Complete text from 1988 Times Union article about Raniere and his take-home IQ test", "Univision's timeline of Keith Raniere's life", "NXIVM: Keith Raniere said swallowing his semen made women see blue lights | The Underground Bunker", "When We Exposed Keith Raniere, The Leader Of The Nxivm 'Sex Cult', "Did Asimov inspire Raniere to be 'the mule'? Compania Metabiota, condus de un partener al lui Ghislaine Maxwell pe nume Nathan Wolfe, a fost responsabil de nfiinarea de laboratoare biologice n Ucraina. Clare Bronfman, an heiress to the Seagrams liquor fortune, has seemingly not wavered in her loyalty to Mr. Raniere. Found guilty at jury trial of all charges including: Pleaded guilty to racketeering and racketeering conspiracy, Pleaded guilty to conspiring to conceal and harbor an undocumented immigrant for financial gain, and fraudulent use of identification, Pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, Act 1: Conspiracy to Commit Identity Theft, Conspiracy to Unlawfully Possess an Identification Document, Act 2, 3: Sexual Exploitation of a Child (separate acts against the same victim), Act 5: Conspiracy to Commit Identity Theft; Identity Theft (two separate victims), Act 6: Conspiracy to Alter Records for Use in an Official Proceeding, Act 7: Conspiracy to Commit Identity Theft, Act 8: Trafficking for Labor and Services; Document Servitude, Act 11: Conspiracy to Commit Identity Theft, $1.75 million in fines due to the United States Government, Monetary restitution from Raniere of $3.46 million to twenty-one victims, "All lower-ranking members of DOS are victims of the wire fraud conspiracy in which the Defendant participated.