In a rare interview with the New York Times, actress Allison Mack takes full responsibility for instituting alleged sex-cult NXIVM’s disturbing practice of branding the flesh of its female “sex slaves.”
On April 20, Mack was arrested and charged with sex trafficking for her role in NXIVM, which has masqueraded as a self-help organization since a man named Keith Raniere founded it in 1998. (In late March, Raniere was arrested and charged with sex trafficking.) While Mack has remained tight-lipped ever since her arrest, six months beforehand, she granted the Times an interview, in which she proudly claims she started the ritual of branding “sex slaves” with Raniere’s initials that was first reported by the Times in October 2017.
In an interview at her Brooklyn apartment with Times reporter Vanessa Grigoriadis, Mack goes into detail about DOS, a secret society within NXIVM that purportedly aims to “empower women.” To join the alleged slave-master sorority, devotees are reportedly forced to follow low-calorie diets, subject themselves to ritual humiliations, and cauterize their pelvic flesh with the initials “KR.” At one point during the interview, Mack reportedly scoffs at the idea of forcing slaves to get a tattoo — a gesture she finds to be too weak and insignificant.
“I was like: ‘Y’all, a tattoo? People get drunk and tattooed on their ankle ‘BFF,’ or a tramp stamp,” Mack says. “I have two tattoos and they mean nothing.’ ”
While some women reportedly joked during the branding ritual, others reportedly wore masks to shield their nose from the smell of burning flesh. At the end of the practice, though, all women were reportedly expected to chant together, “Badass warrior bitches! Let’s get strong together.”
Mack and Rainere are currently awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, which carry a minimum sentence of 15 years.
Read the full Times report here.
