Survivors of an alleged sex cult will reportedly share their story in an upcoming documentary series. New A&E series Cults and Extreme Belief will reportedly premiere with an episode all about NXIVM, the controversial organization allegedly involved in sex trafficking and slavery.
Branded as a "professional development group," NXIVM (pronounced nex-ee-um) came under fire when its founder, Keith Raniere, was arrested for sex trafficking. Former Smallville actress Allison Mack, a prominent member of the organization, was also arrested in the case.
The organization has allegedly branded members, deprived them of food, and used them as slaves for both labor and sex.
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According to Deadline, the upcoming A&E special will have former members of NXIVM sharing their stories and experiences within the cult. Hosted by Elizabeth Vargas, members speaking out in the special will include Psych actress Sarah Edmondson. Edmondson will also star in a separate documentary about the cult alongside her husband, fellow actor Anthony Ames, who was also recruited into the organization.
NXIVM will reportedly be just one cult spotlighted in the first season of the show. Other groups to be explored will include Twelve Tribes, Sanctuary Church, United Nation of Islam, Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Jehovah’s Witness, and The Family.
For those interested in the bizarre tale of NXIVM, a fictionalized version of the cult is also on its way to the small screen. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Annapurna Television has acquired the rights to Barry Meier's 2017 New York Times exposé "Inside a Secretive Group Where Women Are Branded." The show, to be produced by Westworld star Shannon Woodward, will explore "what happens when women, who join what they're told is a secret sisterhood created to empower them, find themselves psychologically enthralled and horrifically sexually enslaved to its leader — and their flesh branded with his initials."
A&E's Cults and Extreme Belief will air a two-night premiere on Monday, May 28 and Tuesday May 29 at 10 p.m. EST. Check out the trailer below: