PopHorror Let's Get Scared
I recently binge-watched HBO’s controversial new series The Idol, and have to say, I loved it. My opinion however has not been entirely matched by the public, and this has brought some negative attention to star and co-creator Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, and actress Lily-Rose Depp.
Lily-Rose plays Jocelyn in the series. Jocelyn is a figure that drew comparisons from me to Britney Spears or Miley Cyrus, due to her outlandishly glamorous if not concerning life. When I say ‘concerning’ I mean, the general public may often wonder how idols like the aforementioned can trust those around them, and how are their round-the-clock work schedules affecting both their physical and mental health? In The Idol, vulnerable Jocelyn is struggling due to the recent death of her mother, who possibly abused her. Most people say ‘yes’ to Jocelyn, except when it comes to having control over the creative direction of her image and her art.
When Jocelyn meets the owner of a hot new nightclub in L.A, Tedros, her world is turned upside down. Tedros and a group of his extremely talented followers and hangers-on are immediately welcomed into Jocelyn’s world and mansion. Tedros uses Jocelyn’s vulnerable state due to her trauma, and her need for something new, to create along with her, the most open and honest music she has ever recorded. It is quickly realized by those closest to Jocelyn that Tedros is a dangerous cult leader, but can Jocelyn be saved before he takes over her life entirely?
The Idol has been controversial both due to its highly sexual content, which some have deemed borders on exploitative, and due to last-minute changes by Abel Tesfaye which moved the story from the female perspective and Tedros as the villain, to a guessing game of who the real victim in this scenario is.
We are all familiar with The Manson Family and their ties to Hollywood, or have heard the infamous and disturbing recordings of what went on in The People’s Temple, but after viewing The Idol, which, if I can reiterate, I loved, I decided to take a look at some lesser-known cults throughout history and the world. Below are four lesser-known cults that have ties to Hollywood and/or have operated worldwide for long periods of time:
*TRIGGER WARNINGS* : Child pornography, sex trafficking, branding, stabbing, poisoning, shooting
- Love Has Won
Love Has Won was a religious cult operating out of Colorado and started in 2006 by Amy Carlson. Carlson was known to her followers as ‘Momma’, ‘MommaG’, or ‘MommaGod’. Also known as The Galactic Federation of Light, the beliefs of the group were based on new-age spiritualism, the Abrahamic religions (Muslim, Hebrew, and Christian), and a myriad of conspiracy theories including the belief in reptilian humanoids walking among us.
Carlson was believed to be a 19 Billion-year-old being who had been reincarnated hundreds of times and whose lives included Jesus, Marilyn Monroe, and the daughter of Donald Trump. Followers believed that Carlson was the queen of the lot continent of Limuria, that she could speak with angels, cure cancer, and that she was to lead 144,000 people into the 5th Dimension. Love Has Won also believed that deceased actor Robin Williams was actually archangel Zadkiel and that Carlson had spoken with his spirit.
Carlson’s remains were found in Colorado, oddly, mummified and decorated with Christmas Lights, on April 28th, 2021. Love Has Won was featured on an episode of Dr. Phil as they had been accused of stealing followers’ money, and dehydration and sleep deprivation of members. In 2021, the cult reappeared online under the new name ‘5D Full Disclosure’, with the statement ‘God was here, she ascended, now it’s our turn.’
I want to clarify that I have not described in length the extent of beliefs by Love Has Won followers in an attempt to mock them, but to highlight how easily some can be persuaded to believe certain things, with no discerning proof, when guided by an individual with the goal and focus on doing so with no concern for the well-being of individuals involved.
2. NXIVM
We may have a preconceived notion that cults are only attractive to those who appear less emotionally stable than ourselves, but in fact, all cults lure their followers by dangling an attractive carrot in front of their faces, and that carrot only needs to match the needs of the people. For example, NXIVM was formed in 1998 by a man named Keith Raniere, and at that time they sold the idea of mental, physical and spiritual health, as well as a community or ‘sisterhood’ of sorts to women.
In 2017, some NXIVM members came forward about their experiences in a ‘secret society that exists within the group where women as young as 15 years old were used as sex slaves for their ‘master’, Renier. Renier would even brand his initials above new members’ pelvic areas and force them to say ‘Please brand me, master, it would be an honor.’ In 2020, Renier was charged with sex trafficking, racketeering, and child pornography.
Smallville actors Allison Mack and Kristen Kruek were affiliated with the cult and Mack pleaded guilty to racketeering and conspiracy of racketeering in 2019. The 2020 HBO docuseries The Vow outlines a thorough history of NXIVM and its practices.
3. The Order of the Solar Temple
Formed in 1984 in Switzerland, by Luc Jouret and Joseph De Mambro, the cult had lodges throughout Switzerland, Canada, and elsewhere, to perform ceremonies with members living in those locations. Jouret had previously been a member of a group called The Renewed Order of the Temple, which had roots in the founders’ attempt to rebuild the Knights Templar in 1805.
A main focal point in the philosophy of The Order of the Solar Temple was that a global emergency would occur during the mid-1990s that would wipe out humanity. Another belief was that as the apocalypse approached, a child would be born who was the son of God. Founder De Mambro had declared his newborn son with the title. Members paid a steep fee to join and the higher the fee, the more indication that in death, their souls would transcend to a ‘higher spiritual plane.’ Followers believed that the higher plane existed on a planet orbiting the star Sirius and that that’s where their souls would flourish for the rest of time.
In October 1994, 53 members throughout Switzerland and Canada were murdered or died by suicide for this purpose, then the buildings they died in were burned to the ground. In 1995, 16 members died the same, and in 1997, 5 more were the same. Causes of death included stabbing, poisonings, and shootings. Shockingly, these tragedies did not end the cult and it went on into the early 2000’s with some believing there are even still members to this day.
4. The Children of God aka The Family
In the 1960s, free love reigned and a Christian minister, David Berg, formed The Children of God in Huntington Beach, California. The cult expressed all the practices and belief systems of the anti-establishment hippy movement occurring at the time. Members were made to quit their jobs and children were not allowed to attend school.
Shortly after forming, Berg moved the group to Arizona, claiming to have had a premonition that California would be hit by a large earthquake. All these factors indicate a large amount of isolation inflicted by Berg on members. By the mid-1970s The Children of God operated in over 70 countries with membership topping out at 15,000. The cult renamed itself ‘The Family‘ and actors like Joaquin Pheonix and Rose McGowan were even raised in it for part of their lives.
Later in it’s existence, the group’s controversial views on sex would garner negative attention. Accusations included child sex abuse, and the enforcement of ‘flirty fishing’ which demanded female members recruit by having sex with potential followers. Phoenix has stated that it was the introduction of Flirty Fishing which caused his parents to part ways with The Family, so it can be presumed that no such horrible acts of abuse were inflicted upon him or his siblings, including the late actor River Phoenix.
Unfortunately, this can not be said for all members, and in future years, members who were children at the time would go on to die of suicide. Membership began to decline in the 1980s due to the rise of sexually transmitted diseases, and in 2004 ended entirely. What seemingly started as a free love and good time party, had turned into nothing short of a horror film.
No matter what one thinks about cults and the people who join them it’s very clear that at one point in all our lives, we can find ourselves vulnerable. Maybe even vulnerable enough to fall prey to the people who generally lead these groups. Those people are always manipulative, self-serving, and likely lacking in conscience. Cults serve to fill voids within people searching for something they feel they can not find on their own.
Watch The Idol streaming on HBO now, and view the official trailer below:
