It was a mother’s worst nightmare. In 2011, actress Catherine Oxenberg — best known for her role on ‘80s primetime soap Dynasty — introduced her daughter India to a group she thought was promoting self-help and personal growth. She couldn’t have been more wrong.
As India got more involved in the organization, which was called NXIVM and headed by a charismatic man named Keith Raniere, Oxenberg grew concerned. Soon, she was convinced her daughter had been seduced by sinister con man, as she related in her 2018 memoir Captive: A Mother’s Crusade to Save Her Daughter from a Terrifying Cult.
But Oxenberg wasn’t going to let her child go easily. She made it her mission to rescue her daughter and expose Raniere, a journey depicted in Lifetime’s new ripped-from-the-headlines movie Escaping the NXIVM Cult: A Mother’s Fight to Save Her Daughter.
Keith Raniere was found guilty of sex trafficking and other crimes
As Oxenberg was growing more and more fearful for her daughter’s safety, others were also asking questions about Raniere and NXIVM. Disturbing allegations began to surface in the press about a secret society within the organization called Dominus Obsequious Sororium, a Latin phrase that roughly translates to “master over slave women.” Women in the group were branded, forced to provide compromising information photos of themselves that could be used as blackmail, and kept on restrictive diets. Some were imprisoned or forced to have sex with Raniere. The group’s second in command after Raniere was Smallville actress Allison Mack.
An F.B.I. investigation eventually led to the arrest of Raniere, Mack, and several other leaders of the group, including Seagram’s liquor heiress Clare Bronfman, on charges including sex trafficking and forced labor conspiracy.
In June 2019, a jury found Raniere guilty on all seven counts against him. In April, Mack pleaded guilty to racketeering and racketeering conspiracy. Bronfman pleaded guilty to harboring an illegal immigrant and credit card fraud.
Where is Keith Raniere today?
Raniere faces between 15 years and life in prison for his crimes. Currently, he’s incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. Originally, his sentencing was scheduled for September 25. However, that has been delayed until 2020, according to the New York Daily News.
Mack is currently free as she awaits sentencing, which has also been delayed. She faces up to 40 years in prison, though experts say it’s unlikely she’ll serve that much time.
Where is India Oxenberg?
Oxenberg’s daughter India eventually left the group. She did not testify at Raniere’s trial but was present during closing arguments.
During a September 18 appearance on Good Morning America, Oxenberg said India is “doing amazing … It’s been a year since she’s been out and there’s been a lot of healing and she’s in a very empowered place”
“I’m really, really proud of her,” she added. “It was a terrifying ordeal.”
Escaping the NXIVM Cult: A Mother’s Fight to Save Her Daughter premieres Saturday, September 21 at 8/7c on Lifetime.
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