Bethany Joy Lenz, beloved for her role in One Tree Hill, is opening up about a challenging chapter in her life involving her experience in an alleged cult. In a recent interview with People magazine, she revealed how she became involved with this community at the age of 20, driven by a desire for belonging. “I had always been looking for a place to belong. It still looked normal, and then it just morphed. But by the time it started morphing, I was too far into the relationships to know,” she shared.

Lenz was later invited by a pastor to live in a communal environment with a group known as The Big House Family. Her involvement raised concerns among her One Tree Hill co-stars, especially Craig Sheffer, who asked her directly if she was in a cult. “I was like, ‘No, no, no. Cults are weird. Cults are people in robes chanting crazy things and drinking Kool-Aid. That’s not what we do,’” she explained.

After spending a decade in the group, Lenz eventually realized she wanted out, acknowledging the high stakes involved. “They were my only friends. I was married into this group, and I had built my entire life around it. If I admitted that I was wrong, everything else would come crumbling down,” she said. She ultimately divorced Michael Galeotti in 2012 after five years of marriage.

In her upcoming memoir, Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show While Also in an Actual Cult, Lenz aims to share her story to help others recognize and escape similar situations. “I don’t think of it as brave; I think of it as important,” she stated, highlighting her commitment to raising awareness about the dangers of cult-like environments.

Bethany Joy Lenz’s candid reflections offer a powerful look at her personal journey and the complexities of seeking community and belonging.