Oxenberg joined NXIVM on the recommendation of her mother, "Dynasty" actress Catherine Oxenberg, after she dropped out of college and felt lost about her next steps. NXIVM is apparently a mixture of Scientology and Landmark/EST. [268] In September 2021, Salzman was sentenced to 42 months in prison and a $150,000 fine for racketeering conspiracy. Kristin Snyder. Nxivm was founded. She now sees a therapist and a specialist who help her boost the critical thinking she lost during her time in NXIVM, takes boxing classes to physically release her anger, and is planning a wedding with her fiance while living in Los Angeles. India Oxenberg, daughter of actress Catherine Oxenberg, was introduced to the group in 2011. . Keith was experimenting on him. Prosecutors claim NXIVM was an illegal pyramid scheme, which Raniere used to recruit women and force them to have sex with him. Another module, "Dracula and his ghouls", reportedly discussed psychopaths and their followers. Other module titles included "Best People; Perfect World" and "The Heroic Struggle". [106][107] On May 4, Raniere pleaded not guilty. The downfall of NXIVM (pronounced Nex-ee-um) began in October 2017, when the Times published an expos in which former members claimed that they had been blackmailed, branded and nearly starved. 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. [150][151], While incarcerated, Raniere has maintained his leadership role over NXIVM, regularly communicating with his followers by phone and through TRULINCS email. [256][255][257], Keith Raniere, founder of NXIVM, arrested and indicted on a variety of charges related to DOS (a "secret sisterhood" within NXIVM), including sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy, and conspiracy to commit forced labor in March 2018. Steely resolve and passion. In response, authorities at the MDC moved Raniere to another unit to keep the dancers out of his line of sight. The complaints focused on a secretive subgroup within the organization called The Vow or D.O.S. He then asked her questions about her sexual history while another person performed oral sex on her, she said. The company values the land at $20-$25 million. guy . Both focus on NXIVM, the cult-like . (for wordpress.com hosted blogs and archive.org item <description> tags) . 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". [163], In January 2021, Raniere was transferred from Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn to begin serving his 120-year sentence. in violation of a non-disclosure agreement) was fair use since the secondary use was transformative as criticism and was not a potential replacement for the original on the market. NXIVM is an alleged sex cult covered up as a self-improvement company. Former Nxivm publicist Frank Parlato was first to expose the alleged "sex cult" on his website before the New York Times picked up on the story last year.He told VICE Vancouver was one of the . agent stated that Mr. Raniere had maintained a rotating group of 15 to 20 women with whom he maintained sexual relations. Here's where other former and current NXIVM members and leaders are now. and video recording.[213][233]. At his trial in May 2019, jurors heard a seemingly endless slew of. In Federal District Court, Ms. Mack sobbed as she admitted that she had lured women into D.O.S. That happened when his wife Bonnie Piesse told Vicente she felt something was off about Raniere and was leaving the organization herself in 2017. 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. Sarah Edmondson spent 12 years in the now-infamous . The event included "tribute ceremonies" to Raniere by NXIVM members. "[82], In 2014, Raniere founded the NXIVM-affiliated news organization The Knife of Aristotle,[83] later known as The Knife and The Knife Media. Clare Bronfman was arrested by federal agents on July 24, 2018, in New York City and charged with money laundering and identity theft in connection with NXIVM activities. The1,270-square-foot property is currently listed as owned by Raniere's longtime girlfriend . Oxenberg produced a docuseries on Starz about her experience in DOS and the first episode aired on October 18. [] 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.". A July 16, 2020, intelligence analysis memorandum from the Federal Bureau of Prisons' Counter Terrorism Unit states that Raniere instructed his follower Suneel Chakravorty to get more women to dance "erotically" outside of the MDC. Vietnam - France joint website of archive photos launched. drawing from innovations from courses in emotional intelligence (NXIVM), using only mind over body, and sheer will. Sources. In 2019, Salzman pled guilty to one NXIVM-related federal crime. 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. "[69], The World Ethical Foundations Consortium, an organization co-founded by Raniere and the Bronfman sisters, sponsored a visit to Albany by the Dalai Lama in 2009. She faces up to 20 years in prison. In Federal District Court in Brooklyn, Ms. Salzman admitted that she had planned invasions of privacy involving email accounts and the altering of recordings edited to remove sections we did not want to turn over to opponents in a lawsuit. [288] In August 2018, Catherine Oxenberg's book Captive: A Mother's Crusade to Save Her Daughter from a Terrifying Cult was published. NXIVM reportedly kept dossiers on Soares, Spitzer, political consultants Roger Stone and Steve Pigeon, U.S. 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 . ", "Revelan video de Emiliano Salinas bailando en celebracin a Keith Raniere", "Self-help guru denies enslaving, branding women in Nxivm sex cult", "Leader of alleged cult that ensnared Vancouver woman appears in court", "Feds say self-help guru coerced followers into sex, had them branded with a cauterizing pen", "NXIVM female sex 'slaves' allegedly branded with secretive group leader's initials", "Founder of 'NXIVM', a Purported Self-Help Organization, and Actor Indicted for Sex Trafficking and Forced Labor Conspiracy", "Smallville Actress Arrested for Role in Alleged Sex Cult that Branded and Enslaved Women", "Smallville's Allison Mack was allegedly a 'top member' of cult that abused women", "Allison Mack of 'Smallville' granted bail in sex cult case", "Allison Mack granted bail in sex trafficking case", "Self-help guru denies enslaving, branding women in sex cult", "Raniere, Mack appear in court on sex-slavery charges", "Trial date set for Keith Raniere and Allison Mack", "Foreclosure Complaint Reveals NXIVM Sex Cult Rituals In Upstate New York", "NXIVM suspends all operations; founder's bail denied", "Clare Bronfman, Seagram's heiress, arrested in Nxivm sex-trafficking case", "Seagram's heiress Clare Bronfman charged in connection with alleged sex cult NXIVM Bronfman and five others accused of racketeering related to operations of a cult-like pyramid group", "Self-help guru Raniere faces U.S. child porn charges; associate pleads guilty", "Nxivm co-founder Nancy Salzman pleads guilty in sex cult case", "Leader of alleged NXIVM sex cult pleads not guilty to child porn charges", "Spiritual leader of alleged NY sex cult hit with child porn charges", "Federal prosecutors recommend leniency in high-ranking NXIVM sentencing", "Smallville star Allison Mack pleads guilty to racketeering in Nxivm case", "SENTENCING MEMORANDUM by USA as to Allison Mack", "Actress Who Recruited Women for Nxivm Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison", "Clare Bronfman Pleads Guilty in Nxivm 'Sex Cult' Case, Leaving Leader to Stand Trial Alone", "NXIVM trial prosecution's opening statements lasted ninety minutes", "Supplemental Sentencing Statement & Order as to Keith Raniere", "Seagram's heir sentenced to prison in branded sex slave case", "Prominent NXIVM cult leader Lauren Salzman avoids jail time after 'extraordinary' cooperation", "NXIVM Co-Founder Nancy Salzman, Featured in 'The Vow' Docuseries, Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison", "Judge hands down final sentence in NXIVM case", "3 years after Raniere's arrest, NXIVM divides into victims, loyalists, guilty", "LETTERS OF SUPPORT ACCOMPANYING SENTENCING MEMORANDUM ON BEHALF OF KEITH RANIERE", "Nxivm leadership accused of illegal psychological experiments and systematic abuse in federal lawsuit", "Docket for Edmondson v. Raniere, 1:20-cv-00485 - CourtListener.com", "Podcast: NXIVM members dance outside federal lockup for Keith Raniere", "Dancers outside Brooklyn jail are 'cover movement' for Nxivm sex cult", "Brooklyn Prison Dancers Linked to 'Sex Cult' NXIVM Start Social Justice Organization", "Exhibit D, Response in Opposition re: 7 First Motion for Preliminary Injunction", "NXIVM Cult Leader's Jailhouse Call to Disciples: 'The Judge Needs to Know He's Being Watched', "Raniere, facing possible life sentence, wants judge to know 'he's being watched', "Government's Sentencing Memorandum as to Defendant Keith Raniere", "Exhibit D, Sentencing Memorandum by USA as to Keith Raniere", "Sentencing Memorandum as to Clare Bronfman", "Seagrams heiress keeps paying as NXIVM's Keith Raniere adds big-name lawyers", "Raniere in Quarantine in USP Lewisburg PA; Likely Headed for Sex Offender Prison in Tucson Next", "Leader of New York sex cult transferred to federal prison in Tucson", "Larry Nassar now housed in Arizona prison", "Oral Argument for United States v. Raniere (Bronfman) CourtListener.com", "NXIVM 'Cult' Founder Keith Raniere Loses Appeal of 120-Year Sentence Following Sex Trafficking Convictions", "Appeals court upholds sentences for NXIVM sex cult leaders Keith Raniere, Clare Bronfman", "NXIVM loyalist files $12 million suit against Starz network", "Former Epstein lawyer drops out of appeal for NXIVM leader Raniere", "NOTICE OF MOTION AND SPECIAL MOTION TO STRIKE FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT PURSUANT TO C.C.P. [164][165][166], In a hearing on restitution claims against Raniere, criminal defense attorney Marc Fernich represented Keith Raniere and stated that Bronfman had paid his fee. [147][148], In summer 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic preventing in-person visitation to the Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn, Raniere's remaining followers including actress Nicki Clyne began assembling to dance near the jail. Brandon Porter, a medical doctor, conducted unlicensed human-subjects research on 200 people for NXIVM. In 2019, multiple members including Raniere were convicted of various crimes related to their roles at NXIVM. NXIVM is an American company based near Albany, New York. In "The Vow," Ames said he's in intense therapy to work through his time with the cult. In March 2018, FBI tracked Raniere down to a $10,000-a-week villa in a gated community near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where he was staying with several womenincluding Mackwho ran after the . I have been moulded in hot fire; stretched, folded, pounded, shaped and reshaped. NXIVM was a cult-like group, where some female members were branded with Raniere's initials and were forced to have sexual relations with him. Based on statements of support, it was estimated that about 50 to 60 persons remain loyal to Raniere. [287] India left the group in June 2018, after Raniere's arrest. A Forensic Psychiatrist Evaluates ESP, by John Hochman, M.D. The first rule of storytelling is "show, don't tell.". C-SPAN is a private, non-profit public service of the cable television industry that covers the political process. publication beginning with the 2020 Inaugural Issue. nxivm website archive By on July 1, 2021 Publication date. Salzman met Raniere through her mother who helped co-found the group. [112] On June 12, 2018, the Times Union reported that NXIVM had suspended its operations owing to "extraordinary circumstances facing the company". Mr. Raniere and Nancy Salzman, a former psychiatric nurse, founded Nxivm (pronounced NEX-ee-um) as a purported self-help organization near Albany, N.Y. This is the story about NXIVM and the disappearance of Kristin Snyder. The Vow's final episodes focus largely on the stories of Daniela and Camila, sisters in a family of five who all became NXIVM members.After grooming Daniela for two years beginning when she was . McLaughlin, Kelly and Nichole Einbinder. 2021. Every birthday involves some massive introspective, existential examination. In handing down the sentence, Judge Garaufis said Ms. Mack had used her celebrity status to recruit and groom women as sexual partners for Mr. Raniere. [52] According to Vanity Fair, NXIVM leadership, who had spoken to Forbes, had expected a positive story. NXIVM is an alleged sex cult covered up as a self-improvement company. He is among the NXIVM members who remain loyal to Raniere. Vicente is also one of the key voices in "The Vow" docuseries. In her decision, Judge Sykes found that the documentary did "imply that Plaintiff was a devoted member of an organization whose leader has been implicated in a range of serious sexual crimes, but this assertion however unflattering is substantially true. Anyone can read what you share. [185] When comparing the distinctions between cults and religions, cult expert Janja Lalich stated: "A legitimate religion is going to have you worshipping a higher source. 02. In October, Raniere was sentenced to 120 years in prison for sex trafficking of children, conspiracy, and conspiracy to commit forced labor. 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. [22][23][24][25][26], Raniere chose to go to trial in 2019. Here is a timeline of some of the events that led to Nxivms downfall. Nxivm trial evidence On Wednesday, Salzman apologized for keeping a woman named Daniela captive in a room from 2010 to 2012 at Raniere's request and threatening to deport her to Mexico. Joseph J. O'Hara was an attorney who departed NXIVM in 2005 after accusing the group of misdeeds. NXIVM, an organization that allegedly brainwashed and blackmailed women into being "sex slaves," has crumbled in the past year.In March 2018, its founder, Keith Raniere, was arrested and charged with sex trafficking for his role in the group, which then set off a domino effect: In the ensuing months, federal prosecutors would go on to charge more and more people for their alleged . [263] After Raniere's conviction, Roberts was among the dancers outside the jail in which he was incarcerated. [159] She is presently imprisoned at Federal Correctional Institution, Danbury. [190], As established by prosecutors, according to several sources, including former high-ranking members of NXIVM, Raniere's word is final within NXIVM, and nothing of import happens within NXIVM without Raniere's approval. And yet, I could say this particular existential marker has been going on for 3 years: Help bring about Justice (check) Lose MANY cherished people I care about Turn my life upside down Regain my soul But, there are gifts to these challenges and I am SO grateful. [Read our coverage of Keith Ranieres sentencing.]. Raniere sought an injunction allowing visitation and phone calls from follower Suneel Chakravorty, who he claims is a paralegal working on his appeals. [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. [214], NXIVM conducted "Intensives," classes conducted for 12 hours daily for 16 days. Prosecutors revealed a decades-long pattern of grooming, sexual abuse of girls and women, physical and psychological punishments against dissenters, and hacking and vexatious litigation against enemies. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider Much of the footage in "The Vow" comes from Vicente's filming, since he took the clips with him when he left the cult. Former NXIVM member Sarah Edmondson describes being branded with sex cult leader Keith Raniere's initials during a secret initiation ceremony. Also arrested and charged with the same crime were NXIVM President Nancy Salzman; her daughter, Lauren Salzman; and another NXIVM employee, Kathy Russell. A truly disturbing organisation with allegations of slavery, mind control, and alleged people and even child sex trafficking. In a letter to the court, Ms. Mack apologized to the people she had brought into D.O.S. A few months later, she convinced Vicente to join her. [2] [219] In 2006, Raniere founded Rainbow Cultural Garden, an international chain of childcare organizations in which children were to be exposed to seven different languages.[220]. [191], Well before co-founding NXIVM, Keith Raniere made fantastical claims about his intelligence. After a report about the branding appeared in The New York Times in late 2017, the authorities began a criminal investigation and Mr. Raniere moved into a villa near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Ames helped run SOP, or Society of Protectors, a fraternity-like group that NXIVM men could join. Station Archive Station Archive. 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. nxivm website archive. [211], NXIVM taught that some people, called "Suppressives", try to impede progress within NXIVM. In an affidavit filed as part of the criminal complaint, an F.B.I. NXIVM loyalist files $12 million suit against Starz network. A former nurse, Salzman worked with Keith Raniere in the development of the organization beginning in the 1990s. During a "fright study", Porter exposed subjects to disturbing videos, including actual footage of a decapitation. Once she realized she'd been brainwashed, Oxenberg turned over flash-drive evidence to the FBI that proved the brands contained Raniere's initials. [171], In reply, Lions Gate Entertainment made a special motion to strike the lawsuit pursuant to the California Anti-SLAPP statute. [51] Lauren bonded with Mack (the two women eventually became Raniere's inner circle and his sexual partners). One of the victims was 15 years old when the abuse began. [37][38] At his direction, members of the group danced outside Raniere's jail and staged protests against individual prosecutors. [44], By 2003, 3,700 people had taken part in ESP classes. He is not sorry for his conduct or his choices, Mr. Ranieres lawyers wrote in a court filing in September. [81] Kristin Keeffe, a longtime partner of Raniere and mother of his child, left the group in 2014 and called Raniere "dangerous", saying, "[a]ll the worst things you know about NXIVM are true. NXIVM was founded by Keith Raniere and Nancy Salzman, a nurse and hypnotist, in the '90s. Rick Alan Ross is the executive director of the Ross Institute, which specializes in studying cults. Bronfman may only appeal the sentence, as she has forfeited the right to appeal her conviction as part of her plea. Here Are the Major Players in the Case", "Lder de secta NXIVM enseaba que la violacin y el abuso infantil no son delitos", "Inside Nxivm, the 'Sex Cult' That Preached Empowerment (Published 2018)", "Inside the Tangled Web of NXIVM: The Surprising Players Sucked Into the Alleged Cult's Orbit", "Ordered to seduce Raniere, woman planned escape from NXIVM", "NYC Prison Dancers Linked to 'Sex Cult' NXIVM Start Social Justice Org", "NXIVM members dancing for Raniere outside federal prison", "Doctor Associated With Cult-Like New York Group Loses License", "NXIVM Trial: Prosecution's opening statements lasted 90 minutes", "NXIVM Leader Keith Raniere Convicted on Sex Trafficking Charges. From a supplemental sentencing statement & order, filed July 20, 2021, by Judge Garaufis: The assets of NXIVM were held by Nancy Salzman, including several corporate entities and titles to intellectual property. [95], Seven socially prominent Mexican citizens, including Emiliano Salinas (son of former president Carlos Salinas de Gortari) and Ana Cristina Fox (daughter of former president Vicente Fox), Rosa Laura Junco, Loreta Garza Dvila (a business leader from Nuevo Leon), Daniela Padilla, Camila, and Mnica Durn, have been accused of involvement. Then there's sadness at time gone by and memories so many memories (SAUDADE' - as the Portuguese say) and then theres the existential marker on the timeline of my life. [56][44], NXIVM claimed its training is a trade secret, subject to non-disclosure agreements, but reportedly uses a technique the organization calls "rational inquiry" to facilitate personal and professional development. She was originally scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 11, 2019, but the date was postponed twice. "[213] Some members of NXIVM's inner circle were reportedly taught that, in past lives, they were high-ranking Nazis. I had to get Gaelyn away. When former NXIVM members left the organization and spoke about the manipulation tactics its leaders used, they were oftenbombarded with lawsuits. [71] In 2017, Lama Tenzin Dhonden, the self-styled "Personal Emissary for Peace for the Dalai Lama" who had arranged the appearance, was suspended from his position amid corruption charges; the investigation also revealed a personal relationship between Dhonden and Sara Bronfman, which began in 2009.