Entertainment
Allison Mack’s rise and seismic fall from Smallville darling to NXIVM sex cult madam as she’s sentenced
Allison Mack pleaded guilty to her involvement in NXIVM (Picture: Getty)
Allison Mack will today be sentenced for her involvement with the NXIVM sex cult, finally closing the chapter on what has emerged as one of the most shocking falls from grace in Hollywood.
A judge will announce how long Mack, 38, will spend in prison after she pleaded guilty for her role as a ‘slave master’ in the New York cult led by Keith Raniere, who recruited sex slaves and branded them with his initials.
Former fans of the actress have been equally gripped and horrified as the revelations of her involvement in the cult gradually emerged over the past two years.
For those who grew up watching the hit Superman series Smallville, Mack was a warm and familiar face across the noughties TV landscape. However, she’s now become the face of something miles apart from her girl-next-door image, instead fronting an abusive and sadistic group.
As Mack prepares for sentencing, here’s a look back at where her career began and how she fell from grace…
Who is Allison Mack?
Mack was born in Preetz, West Germany on July 29, 1982. She stayed there for two years before her parents moved the family back to California.
Mack rose to prominence with her TV roles in the 90s and 00s (Picture: Getty Images)
What TV shows and films has Allison Mack been in?
Mack’s acting career started early with appearances in TV adverts before she started studying at the Young Actors Space in Los Angeles at the age of seven.
She landed her first major TV role in 7th Heaven and received praise for tackling a heavy storyline, playing a teenager who cut herself.
Who did Allison Mack play in Smallville?
In 2001, Mack bagged her most notable role to date, starring as Chloe Sullivan who was one of Clark Kent’s (Tom Welling) best friends.
Chloe was the editor of the school newspaper and was best known for being in love with Clark, although her feelings were unrequited.
Mack played the character for 10 years and 10 seasons until 2011. Chloe proved to be such a popular character that she starred in her own miniseries, Smallville: Chloe Chronicles, from 2003-04, and in Smallville: Vengeance Chronicles.
Her performance as Chloe earned Mack the Teen Choice Award for best sidekick in 2006 and 2007.
After the CW series ended, Mack went on to play Elijah Woods’ love interest in FX sitcom Wilfred in 2012.
She also had a guest role as a policewoman named Hilary in one episode of Kevin Bacon’s thriller series, The Following, which ironically was about an FBI agent chasing down a serial killer cult leader.
What is NXIVM?
NXIVM is a cult founded in 1998 by Keith Raniere, who was widely known as Vanguard to members, alongside Nancy Salzman aka Prefect.
It was presented as a self help group offering workshops that members could enroll in, such as the Executive Success Programs.
Raniere’s method was to enlist the women within the organisation, such as Mack, to recruit other women for sub-groups. Once initiated, the women were often sexually assaulted, blackmailed and even branded with Raniere’s initials.
In 2019, Raniere was convicted and sentenced to 120 years in prison.
Mack was arrested and charged with sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy and forced labour conspiracy in 2018.
Raniere was sentenced to 120 years in prison (Picture: Leon McGowran)
She was accused of being a key player and second-in-charge of a diabolical ‘secret sisterhood’ called DOS, involving exploitation, blackmail and the branding of Raniere’s name on victims’ skin, as well as, it’s been claimed, her initials.
The Daily Beast reported at the time that the United States Attorney wrote that Mack had been charged with ‘using force, fraud, and coercion to recruit and maintain DOS slaves, and instructing those slaves to engage in sexual acts with Raniere, among other assignments. The defendant aggressively recruited DOS slaves and required those slaves to recruit slaves of their own.’
The ‘cult’ DOS, which loosely translates to ‘Master Over the Slave Women’, was said to be run by Raniere with Mack claimed to have been the second in command.
Documents alleged: ‘DOS masters, including the defendant, groomed DOS slaves for sex with Raniere by requiring DOS slaves to adhere to extremely restrictive diets and not remove their pubic hair (in accordance with Raniere’s sexual preferences) and by requiring them to remain celibate and not to masturbate.
‘DOS masters, including the defendant, who directed their slaves to have sex with Raniere, received financial benefits in the form of continued status and participation in DOS, as well as financial opportunities from Raniere.’
In April 2019, Mack pleaded guilty to the charges, including racketeering and extortion.
Mack faces up to 17 years in prison (Picture: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Weeping in court, she told Judge Nicholas Garaufis: ‘I’m here to plead guilty before your honour. I must take full responsibility for my conduct. I am very sorry for my role in this case.’
‘I am very sorry to my family and to the good people I hurt through my misguided adherence to Keith Raniere’s teachings,’ she later continued.
Days before her sentencing, Mack apologised for her role as a ‘slave master’ and said she was ‘sorry from the bottom of my heart’. She also handed the judge a tape of Raniere discussing a branding ritual.
In a letter, the former actress explained: ‘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. 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.’
She went on to apologise to the victims, writing: ‘I am sorry I ever exposed you to the nefarious and emotionally abusive schemes of a twisted man.
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‘I am sorry that I encouraged you to use your resources to participate in something that was ultimately so ugly.
‘I do not take lightly the responsibility I have in the lives of those I love and I feel a heavy weight of guilt for having misused your trust, leading you down a negative path.’
What sentence did Allison Mack get?
Mack faces between 14 and 17 and a half years in prison. The judge will announce the court’s decision on June 30.
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MORE : Allison Mack handed prosecutors tape of NXIVM leader talking about branding ‘slaves’
