Cults have the reputation of being hubs of brainwashing and sometimes abuse, and they are certainly no place to raise young people. Thankfully, these celebrities were able to escape the cults that they were brought up in and find great success.
Rose McGowan
Rose McGowan is a beauty best known for her role in the cult hit TV series “Charmed.” Rose grew up among the Children of God, a sect that combined religion and hippie ideals that is rumored to have partaken in sexual abuse. Thankfully McGowan says that she was never abused and resented how the women of the cult were treated as if their only job was to sexually serve the men.
Glenn Close
Glenn Close has had a long and stellar career known for her landmark role in the film “Fatal Attraction” and for winning two Emmy Awards for her work on the TV drama “Damages.” She grew up in a cult known as the Moral Re-Armament, which she couldn’t escape until she went off to college. As part of the cult, she says she wasn’t allowed to do much of anything and was made to feel guilty for feeling desire.
Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin gained fame for his role as the villain in Ridley Scott’s epic film “Gladiator.” The eccentric Phoenix grew up in the Children of God movement, traveling all over South America and sharing their belief in Jesus. The actor says he has no bad memories of the cult and that his parents got the family out when they sensed something wasn’t right.
Lisa Marie Presley
The daughter of Elvis and the ex-wife of Michael Jackson was involved with Scientology for a few years. She badmouthed the cult in a song about the group, claiming that Scientology was corrupt. She has made vague comments on people in the cult causing her to self-destruct, but, like many who deal with Scientologists, keeps the details to herself.
Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Pfeiffer, of “Scarface” fame, was a member of the “breatharians.” This particularly odd cult espoused that belief that humans could live on nothing more than air and sunlight if they were to meditate enough. She has said that the cult took a lot of her money and that they were extremely controlling.
David Arquette
David Arquette, star of “Scream” grew up in a cult known as the Skymon Subud. The commune they lived on was a place where there was no electricity or running water. The Arquettes left the cult when David’s dad became a regular on “The Waltons.”
Emily Schromm
A reality star featured on MTV’s “The Real World: D.C.,” Schromm grew up in a fundamentalist Christian group. She has claimed that it was an oppressive group that didn’t allow members to have a personal identity. Since leaving the group at the age of 14, Schromm has tried to do “normal kid things” that the cult forbade, like rock-climbing and playing football.
Christopher Owens
Owens, who fronted the influential band known as Girls, had a very difficult time growing up in the Children of God cult. His older brother died shortly after being born because the group didn’t believe in health care. His mother had to resort to prostitution to make ends meet.
Winona Ryder
Winona Ryder grew up in a place known as the Rainbow Commune. The commune had no electricity and tried to exist without leaders and organization. The group believed in “peace and love” and still gather in forests each year to pray for peace on Earth.
Leah Remini
Remini is known as the only good thing associated with " ;The King Of Queens”. She was a member of the Scientology group for many years. She quit and declared that the cult was trying to tell her who she should and shouldn’t talk to.
Jerry Seinfield
The legendary comedian was affiliated with the Church of Scientology for a time when he was first getting his career started. He has nothing but nice things to say about the group. He claims that they had communication courses that helped him with his stand-up act.
Jason Beghe
Beghe, who starred in “Monkey Shines” and “G.I. Jane,” had a long relationship with Scientology before having a very public falling out with the cult. He claimed that the cult brainwashed members and that the cult wanted defectors “to die”. He requested a refund of $70,000 from them but never received it.
Katie Holmes
For years the entire world seemed to be begging the “Batman Begins” star to flee the Church of Scientology and her then-husband Tom Cruise. Legend has it that Holmes fled the church due to her concerns that they were negatively influencing her child. Scientology doctrine dictates that as a defector, she should not have contact with Cruise.
Nicole Kidman
Like Katie Holmes, Nicole Kidman was dragged into Scientology by Tom Cruise. Kidman does not speak publicly about Scientology despite the fact that both of her kids are still members of the cult. Rumor has it she divorced Tom Cruise over his affiliation with the cult.