Bethany Joy Lenz has revealed the cover of her new memoir and for the first time named the “violent, wanted group (aka cult)” she spent a decade of her life in.
Her new memoir, Dinner for vampireswill describe in detail the actress, singer-songwriter and ex One Tree Hill star’s life — including her years in a cult and the associated “spiritual abuse,” Lenz, 42, told PEOPLE when she first announced the book. She adds that she has since undergone “a lot of therapy” over nearly a decade to help her heal.
As an only child, Lenz always longed to belong, according to the book’s description. She found a safe haven in a Bible study group with other industry members, but it “soon turned into something more sinister — a slowly woven web of manipulation, abuse and fear under the guise of a church alliance called The Big House Family,” per. publisher.
‘Vampire Dinner’ by Bethany Joy Lenz.
courtesy of amazon
As she got deeper and deeper into the group, Lenz moved to the family’s Pacific Northwest estate, where the publisher said she was persuaded by a “dominant minister” to marry one of his sons. She describes how she lost millions in her TV income, as well as her autonomy.
‘One Tree Hill’ star Bethany Joy Lenz says she has ‘a lot to tell’ after 10 years on ‘Cult’
The process was a challenge for Lenz, but not because of the writing. “I’m a writer at heart, so it’s easy for me to turn a phrase,” she told PEOPLE. “Exploring memories and really dealing with them can be challenging – but I’m doing it.”
“Recovery looks different for everyone, depending on your trauma experience,” she explains of what it was like to leave the group. “I had to start from the foundation of my personal understanding of God and the experiences I had. And then there was a lot of going back to who I was before and remembering that and then admitting that there was so much that I just didn’t know.”
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In addition to working on her book, the actress and singer-songwriter has also been focusing on her new music since moving to Nashville last summer. After playing the good-natured Haley James Scott for nine seasons on the popular CW coming-of-age drama, she’s also working on a nostalgic film Drama queens podcast with former actresses Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton.
‘One Tree Hill’ Students Have a Little Reunion at Bethany Joy Lenz’s Holiday Party — Look Who Was There!
Like the book, Lenz was initially nervous about the podcast, which launched in 2021 and was “intended as a memoir of everything we’ve been through.” But opening up to listeners ended up paying off.
“It was really rewarding,” she says. “I came to the conclusion that difficult things should be shared, not hidden. They can be helpful and healing.”
Dinner for vampires will be published by Simon & Schuster on October 22, 2024 and is available for pre-order now, wherever books are sold.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education