After revealing last year that she spent a decade in a cult, One Tree Hill star Bethany Joy Lenz has divulged more details about her past—including naming the cult that subjected her to “manipulation, abuse, and fear.”
On Thursday, Lenz, 42, unveiled the cover and release date for her forthcoming memoir, Dinner for Vampires, which she said would cover “the decade i spent in an abusive, high-demand group (aka, cult).”
“This isn’t the first book I thought I’d write, publicly, but as difficult as this subject matter is to untangle, I’m grateful I get to share my story, my way,” the actress shared on Instagram. “It’s a story of forgiveness and a roadmap to how manipulation works, with heartache and humor along the way. We all make mistakes and I hope Dinner for Vampires reminds you that, no matter what weird roads you’ve gone down, you’re not alone.”
ADVERTISEMENT
On Simon & Schuster’s website, the publisher says that Dinner for Vampires contains the story of Lenz’s “secret double life.”
“An only child who often had to fend for herself and always wanted a place to belong, Lenz found the safe haven she’d been searching for in a Bible study group with other Hollywood creatives,” the publisher’s description continues. “However, the group soon morphed into something more sinister—a slowly woven web of manipulation, abuse, and fear under the guise of a church covenant called The Big House Family.”
Lenz, the description continues, ultimately fell under the control of “a domineering minister who would convince Lenz to marry one of his sons and steadily drained millions of her TV income without her knowledge.”
The actress was married to musician Michael Galeotti from 2005 to 2012. The couple had a daughter, Maria Rose, in 2011.
Lenz first spoke out about her history on the Drama Queens podcast last July, where she told her co-hosts and former One Tree Hill co-stars Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton Morgan, “You know, I was in a cult for 10 years. I would love to write about my experience.”
“There’s a lot to tell,” she said at the time, adding that she felt “the pressure of getting it right and everything having to be exactly real, and all the people that are involved.”
Lenz’s Dinner for Vampires will be released on Oct. 22.
