Smallville’s Allison Mack has been sentenced to 3 years in prison due to her involvement in the NXIVM cult. The 38-year-old actress was officially sentenced to 3 years in prison. Many of her accusers, and victims all agree, that she has gotten off very light in her participation in the notorious American cult (based in New York), NXIVM. The NXIVM cult, whose leaders were guilty of racketeering, forced labor, and sex trafficking.
The sentence on Allison Mack has been made over two years since she was initially charged with racketeering conspiracy and racketeering charges. These things, however, were the only “provable” accusations by her participation with NXIVM. She was an accomplice under the cult’s “original” leader and founder, Keith Raniere. Originally, Mack’s sentence was expected to be a minimum of 15 years to life. The fact she only received 3 years for her involvement has raised a lot of eyebrows.
Mack’s Involvement with Keith Raniere
Some former cult members and victims have claimed that Mack’s role far exceeded the charges in which she initially received. It has often been speculated and believed that she was not only second in command at the time (after being recruited into the Vancouver chapter with fellow Smallville actress Kristin Kreuk). She was believed to be one of the founder’s (Keith Raniere) sexual partners. One of the cult’s victims, Jessica Joan, came forward and claimed that Mack was “a predator and evil human being” and was “cut from the same cloth” as Raniere. Jessica Joan claimed that Mack tried to emotionally blackmail her into “seducing” Raniere to set aside her past sexual abuse. Joan refused to do so.
NXIVM Cult Participation
Mack’s sentence was eased up because the judge and prosecutors felt it “right” that she deserved credit for pointing a finger at Raniere. Yeah, okay, she did it for reasons of morality, and not self-interest. Insert eye roll. Even though Mack has called this the biggest mistake of her life it doesn’t necessarily mean there is guilt there. She isn’t wrong about it being a huge mistake, though. There could be a small bit, but according to one aspect of psychology, emotional blackmail and psychological torment are things that manipulative human beings, who lack remorse, do *cough* sociopath *cough*.
Yes, these are harsh words, however, Allison Mack didn’t just emotionally blackmail one person, but many. Many of these women came to this cult in the hopes that their traumas and abuses would be healed. Raniere and his accomplices exploited that trauma and didn’t just use it to abuse, but in fact, profited off of it. Members were branded with Raniere’s initials (many claimed it was Mack’s idea), they were convinced to starve themselves to prove their devotion, and the list goes on and on.
Allison Mack made a statement in a letter on Saturday, “It is now of paramount importance for me to say, from the bottom of my heart, I am so sorry.” Yes, it could be emotional brainwashing. The fact remains, even if you are brainwashed, there has to be that line of ethics you just will not be willing to cross. She jumped across that line. Not to mention we as human beings are fully capable to question “Does this seem like an awful and sadistic thing that I am doing?” There might be a little remorse there…but…acting was her day job, right? “Somebody save me.”
