TV actor Allison Mack, who played a key role in a scandal-ridden, cult-like upstate New York group, is facing sentencing Wednesday after pleading guilty to charges she manipulated women into becoming sex slaves for the group’s spiritual leader.
Mack — best known for her role as a young Superman’s close friend on the series “Smallville” — is set to appear Wednesday in Brooklyn federal court.
She’s expected to seek credit for cooperating against NXIVM leader Keith Raniere and taking responsibility for helping him create a secret society of brainwashed women who were branded with his initials.
Devoting herself to the self-improvement guru “was the biggest mistake and greatest regret of my life,” she wrote in a letter filed with the court last week.
Mack, 38, was once part of the inner circle of Raniere, whose group attracted millionaires and actors among its adherents. Prosecutors said she became a “master” for “slaves” she ordered “to perform labor, take nude photographs, and in some cases, to engage in sex acts with Raniere.”
Read our Allison Mack sentencing live blog for the latest news and updates…
- Mollie Mansfield
WHAT IS THE NXIVM SEX CULT?
The Nxivm sex cult was allegedly founded by Keith Raniere and Nancy Salzman.
Nxivm presented itself as a multi-level marketing company that offered seminars through “Executive Success Programs” for its members.
The movement garnered the attention of several celebrities and public figures such as former Surgeon General Antonia Novello, Allison Mack, and the daughter of Mexican President Vicente Fox.
Novello and Fox's daughter have not been charged or linked to any wrongdoing.
- Mollie Mansfield
HOW LONG COULD MACK BE JAILED FOR?
Mack pleaded guilty to racketeering and conspiracy charges regarding her involvement with the cult.
The applicable advisory guidelines range for her crimes is 14 years to 17 and a half years behind bars.
- Mollie Mansfield
WHAT SHOWS DID ALLISON MACK APPEAR IN?
She also briefly featured in Opposite Sex in 2000, R.L. Stine's miniseries The Nightmare Room, as well as film roles in Police Academy 6: City Under Siege, My Horrible Year, Camp Nowhere and Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves.
She is best known for co-starring in Smallville in 2001 as Chloe Sullivan – one of teen Clark Kent's best friends.
From 2003 to 2004, Allison's character appeared in her own miniseries titled Smallville: Chloe Chronicles, and in 2006, Smallville: Vengeance Chronicles.
She won several awards and nominations for her portrayal of Chloe, including the Teen Choice Award for Best Sidekick in 2006 and 2007.
- Julia Fields
ALLISON MACK ARRIVES TO COURT TODAY
- Julia Fields
WHO IS MACK'S WIFE NICKI CLYNE?
Nicki Clyne is a 37-year-old Canadian actress, born on February 11, 1983.
She is best known for starring in the 2003 SyFy television series Battlestar Galactica.
Clyne was a member of the sex cult NXIVM, but in an exclusive interview with The Sun she told us she was proud to be in the group and said: "I was part of a group that really tried to uphold accountability, discipline, honor, and trust amongst women, which is something I think is important and needed.
"I think there were misunderstandings and things that are still misunderstood."
- Mollie Mansfield
WHO IS ALLISON MACK?
Allison Mack, 38, starred in Smallville as Chloe Sullivan and also worked as a producer and director.
The actress was born on July 29, 1982, in Preetz, West Germany to Jonathan – an opera singer – and Mindy Mack, who were in Germany at the time of her birth because her father was performing there.
While she is best known for her roles as Chloe Sullivan on Smallville and as Amanda on Wilfred, her acting career began at four years old in advertisements for German Chocolate.
She began studying at the Young Actors Space in Los Angeles when she was seven years old, and in 1998 landed her first television role in an episode of 7th Heaven in which she played a teenager who self-harmed.
- Mollie Mansfield
MACK HAS HAND HELD AS SHE ARRIVES
Mack's hand was held as she appeared at court on WednesdayCredit: AFP - Julia Fields
WHY IS MACK DIVORCING HER WIFE?
Mack and Clyne wed in 2017.
Mack filed for divorce in Orange County, California on Friday, December 11, 2020.
According to court testimony, their marriage is allegedly connected to the NXIVM cult co-founded by Keith Raniere.
Federal prosecutors claimed in 2018 that Raniere ordered Mack and Clyne's marriage.
That was the same year that Mack was arrested on charges of sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy, and forced labor conspiracy in connection to her involvement with NXIVM, which some accuse of being a sex cult.
Mack pled guilty to one count of racketeering and one count of racketeering conspiracy in April 2019.
- Julia Fields
WHAT DOES NXIVM MEAN?
NXIVM is pronounced as "nexium".
It is not clear what those initials actually mean.
The sex-slave subsect of the group led by Raniere was known as "DOS," which victims say stands for “dominus obsequious sororium" – Latin for “master over the slave women”.
- Julia Fields
RANIERE PREVIOUSLY ARRESTED IN MEXICO
Raniere was arrested in Mexico.
In June 2019 he was found guilty of sex trafficking, forced labour conspiracy, racketeering, wire fraud conspiracy, possession of child pornography and other crimes.
A jury in federal court in Brooklyn took less than five hours to find Raniere guilty on all counts, prompting ex-Nxivm members to burst into applause.
Raniere showed no reaction as he learned the verdict. He would be sentenced to 120 years behind bars.
- Julia Fields
NEW MEMBERS BRANDED AND FORCED TO DIET
New members were later taken by surprise, told to strip naked, and then forcibly branded, according to Parlato.
They allegedly had to follow strict 500 to 800 calorie a day diets because leader Raniere prefered skinny women and told his followers that fat “interferes” with his energy levels.
The controversial leader is also said to have had a harem of women who willingly slept with him, believing that they will have been "healed” by having sex with him.
- Julia Fields
WHAT IS THE NXIVM SEX CULT?
NXIVM claimed to be a self-help group and a multi-level marketing organization.
Within the organization, there was a women’s-only subsect led by Keith Raniere known as "DOS."
The group’s former publicist Frank Parlato claims that to join, women are brainwashed into handing over blackmail-worthy material such as pornographic pictures or financial information.
Once they became a member – or “slave” – they were allegedly encouraged to recruit new women into their “slave pods" to be on call 24 hours a day to their “master."
If they don’t recruit enough "slaves" or respond to their “masters” fast enough, they were beaten with paddles, Parlato claims.
- Julia Fields
WHAT SENTENCE DOES MACK FACE?
She faces up to 40 years in prison on charges of sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy, and forced labor conspiracy.
Raniere was previously sentenced to 120 years in prison.
- Julia Fields
MACK PROMISES TO DEDICATE HER LIFE TO BECOMING 'A MORE COMPASSIONATE WOMAN'
Allison referenced “those harmed by the collateral damage of my destructive choices,” in which she wrote that she is dedicated to spending the rest of her life working to make amends and become a “more compassionate woman.”
- Julia Fields
MACK CALLS INVOLVEMENT 'BIGGEST MISTAKE AND REGRET' OF HER LIFE
She said, according to The Hollywood Reporter: “It is now of paramount importance for me to say, from the bottom of my heart, I am so sorry.
“I threw myself into the teachings of Keith Raniere with everything I had,” she said.
The former TV star continued: “I believed, whole-heartedly, that his mentorship was leading me to a better, more enlightened version of myself.
“I devoted my loyalty, my resources, and, ultimately, my life to him. This was the biggest mistake and regret of my life.”
- Julia Fields
WHERE IS ALLISON MACK NOW?
Mack has been under house arrest as she awaits sentencing.
She wrote a lengthy letter to the court claiming to be remorseful ahead of a hearing in July of 201 when she will be punished for her criminal activity.
She called her involvement in the NXIVM sex cult the “biggest mistake and regret of her life” as she begged the judge for “no jail time.”
Allison apologized to anyone who had been “harmed” by her actions.
- Julia Fields
'SLAVES' WERE FORCED TO FAST FOR 12 HOURS
In one shocking email seen by Sun Online, slaves were told to fast for 12 hours a day, take cold showers and perform a "daily act to honor" their master.
NXIVM put out a statement at the time saying: "The allegations relayed in the story are built upon sources, some of which are under criminal investigation or already indicted, who act as a coordinated group."
- Julia Fields
MORE THAN 12K PEOPLE SIGNED UP
It is said more than 12,000 people signed up for classes between 1998 and 2010.
- Julia Fields
MACK 'BRANDED INITIALS ON OTHER WOMEN'
Writing in a blog post on his personal website, Frank Parlato claimed that Allison even started branding her initials on other women.
He claimed: "Mack, the second in command of DOS – which stands for Dominus Obsequious Sororium (translating to 'the slave women under the master') – reportedly has Raniere’s initials branded on her pubic region.
"And she has her own initials, along with Raniere’s, branded on dozens of other women.
"She used her celebrity status to persuade women into sending Raniere graphic nude pictures and confessions to use as blackmail and used her own home to have them branded with a hot iron by physician Dr Danielle Roberts, one of the slave women of Mack and Raniere."
- Julia Fields
MACK PREVIOUSLY PLEADED GUILTY TO BLACKMAILING WOMEN TO BECOME SEX SLAVES FOR CULT
An ex-publicist for the "cult" claimed Allison was in charge of recruiting new women into NXIVM – and in April 2019 Mack pleaded guilty to blackmailing women into becoming sex slaves for the cult.
- Julia Fields
HOW IS MACK LINKED TO THE NXIVM SEX CULT?
NXIVM claimed to be a self-help group that gives classes and seminars that help clients on a path of personal and professional development.
There was a training system, where students refer to founder Keith Raniere as "founder."
Allison Mack was allegedly a "master" in the cult and therefore had to obey orders from leader Raniere.
She allegedly had to find bed partners for him, run 40 miles a week and keep a strict diet to stay as skinny as possible.
- Julia Fields
WHAT IS ALLISON MACK BEST KNOWN FOR?
She is best known for co-starring in Smallville in 2001 as Chloe Sullivan – one of teen Clark Kent's best friends.
From 2003 to 2004, Allison's character appeared in her own miniseries titled Smallville: Chloe Chronicles, and in 2006, Smallville: Vengeance Chronicles.
She won several awards and nominations for her portrayal of Chloe, including the Teen Choice Award for Best Sidekick in 2006 and 2007.
- Julia Fields
WHO IS ALLISON MACK?
Allison Mack, 38, starred in Smallville as Chloe Sullivan and also worked as a producer and director.
The actress was born on July 29, 1982, in Preetz, West Germany to Jonathan – an opera singer – and Mindy Mack, who were in Germany at the time of her birth because her father was performing there.
While she is best known for her roles as Chloe Sullivan on Smallville and as Amanda on Wilfred, her acting career began at four years old in advertisements for German Chocolate.
She began studying at the Young Actors Space in Los Angeles when she was seven years old, and in 1998 landed her first television role in an episode of 7th Heaven in which she played a teenager who self-harmed.
She also briefly featured in Opposite Sex in 2000, R.L. Stine's miniseries The Nightmare Room, as well as film roles in Police Academy 6: City Under Siege, My Horrible Year, Camp Nowhere and Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves.
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