Celebrities Surprisingly Linked To Cults and Unconventional Communes

Cults have dominated pop culture, with some famous ones turning up in some of the biggest blockbusters. In recent times, we have seen the box-office profits of Tarantino’s Manson family-based movie, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood or Ari Aster’s horrific depiction of a rural Sweden pagan community in Midsommar. While many consider the world of cults as a disturbing and bizarre occurrence, many celebs grew up in and later joined cults. Here are some celebrities born into these communes, and others that began the organisation themselves:

Rose McGowan

Creator: Jane Barlow – PA Images | Credit: PA Images via Getty Images | Copyright: PA Wire/PA Images

She and her family were involved with the Children of God until she was 9 and entirely cut off from the world. Women were objects in the cult and were basically to serve the men intimately, while men could have more than one wife. Her family escaped the cult when indecent relations between adults and children were encouraged. She escaped with her parents in the middle of the night, running through a cornfield in thunder and lightning and were chased.

Michelle Pfeiffer

Upon arriving in Los Angeles, she became involved with the breatharianism, without any idea it was actually a cult until her ex-husband, Peter Horton, was researching a movie about this “Unification Church” – a group which was very controlling. Michelle paid for all the time she was there and was financially  draining. Breatharianism stresses the ability to live without food or water, using sunlight as the sole nourishment, if people are sufficiently spiritual.

Allison Mack

Credit: Flickr

The infamous NXIVM cult was exposed when two whistle-blowers came forward in 2018 to expose horrific psychological and indecent abuse. Smallville actress Allison Mack was a key figure in the organisation’s operations and pleaded guilty in court to racketeering conspiracy. Rumors exist of sadism and cruelty as also forced branding of women cauterised on their groins with the group’s symbol. Dynasty star Catherine Oxenberg’s daughter India was a notable recruit.

Megan Marx

Fame followed The Bachelor’s Megan Marx , but she has spoken about her unusual upbringing in an extremely religious community which banned television, drinking, and revealing clothes. Though not a cult, its explicit purpose was to save all its followers from hell.

Winona Ryder

Creator: FREDERIC J. BROWN | Credit: AFP via Getty Images

Winona Ryder and her family lived in a commune in Northern California with six other families which was unconventional, but set amidst 380 acres of a beautiful redwoods forest.

David & Patricia Arquette

The Arquette’s lived in Virginia’s Skymont Subud commune, a spiritual movement that began in Indonesia in the 1920s. Their parents planned to build a utopian society, but violence and drug abuse had turned it all into hell for their kids. The family had no access to bathrooms, electricity, or even running water.

Andrew Keegan

Creator: Paul Archuleta | Credit: FilmMagic Copyright: 2016 Paul Archuleta

Andrew Keegan co-founded Full Circle, a California-based spiritual community, through which he seeks to empower and inspire his peaceful community to build a better world together. Keegan is referred to as a guru, promoting organic experiences such as hand-holding, spooning, crystals, candles, group meditation, and soul medicine. Followers call it advanced spiritualism as all members are enlightened.

Joaquin Phoenix

The Gladiator actor and his siblings – Summer, Liberty, Rain, and the late River Phoenix, were raised in a community called “Children of God.” Joaquin was 4 when his family left as they wanted a community that shared their ideals. When his parents realised there was something more to it, they opted out.