6 Celebrities Who Were Raised in Cults
Image Credit: Harald Krichel via Wikimedia Commons
Cults, often viewed as dangerous, controlling, and controversial, have surprisingly played a significant role in shaping the lives of some of the most famous individuals in the world. While these groups are frequently associated with isolation, manipulation, and secrecy, they have also fostered a unique sense of community and belonging for their members.
Some celebrities, whose names are now recognized worldwide, were raised in these environments. Their stories shed light on how their early experiences in these unconventional settings influenced their careers, personal lives, and outlooks on the world.
Michelle Pfeiffer
Before Michelle Pfeiffer became a celebrated Hollywood star, she found herself involved with a couple who adhered to breatharianism, a belief system that holds that individuals can survive without food or water, drawing sustenance solely from sunlight. The couple’s lifestyle seemed, at first, like an alternative way to achieve enlightenment, but Pfeiffer eventually recognized it was a cult-like existence.
The couple had convinced Pfeiffer and others that only those who reached the highest level of spiritual “enlightenment” could survive on nothing but sunlight. Her exposure to breatharianism occurred while she was preparing to marry Peter Horton, her first husband, who was researching a role about the Moonies, followers of the Reverend Sun Myung Moon’s Unification Church. This realization was a turning point for Pfeiffer, who recognized the cult-like behavior and distanced herself from the group.
Joaquin Phoenix
Perhaps one of the most well-known celebrities with a cult upbringing is Joaquin Phoenix. Raised in the Children of God, a controversial religious cult, Phoenix spent his early years in an environment that would later be marred by scandal. His parents, originally named John and Arlyn Bottom, joined the cult in the early 1970s. As a child, Joaquin and his siblings, including his late brother River Phoenix, lived in several communes across South America.
The Phoenix family eventually escaped the clutches of the cult when Joaquin was just four years old. In a symbolic act of rebirth, they changed their last name to “Phoenix.” Joaquin has spoken publicly about the traumatic effects the cult had on his family, particularly in the aftermath of their departure, when allegations of sexual abuse and child exploitation emerged within the group. Despite his difficult childhood, Phoenix went on to become an acclaimed actor, earning multiple awards for his performances in films like Joker and Her. His story is a testament to resilience, highlighting how a traumatic past can shape an individual’s future, both positively and negatively.
David Arquette
David Arquette, the actor known for his roles in the Scream franchise and as a former WCW Champion, spent his formative years in the Skymont Subud commune. Subud is a nonsectarian spiritual practice that emphasizes personal experiences of spiritual truth through meditation and movement. However, the commune’s lack of basic necessities, such as electricity and running water, starkly contrasted with the luxuries of modern life.
Growing up in this unorthodox environment, Arquette learned early on about unconventional lifestyles. Though he was not fully immersed in Subud’s spiritual practices, his upbringing in such a unique environment undoubtedly played a role in his development as an individual and in his later successes in both film and wrestling.
Glenn Close
Glenn Close’s early years were marked by an unsettling experience with the Moral Re-Armament (MRA) cult, a conservative Christian movement that stressed the ideals of absolute purity, love, honesty, and unselfishness. Close’s parents joined the MRA when she was just seven years old, and the family lived in several communal centers for over a decade. The MRA’s rigid structure and its emphasis on emotional suppression had a profound impact on Close’s upbringing.
Close’s personal struggles were later shared in her interview on the Apple TV+ series The Me You Can’t See, where she discussed how the cult’s practices negatively affected her relationships. Despite the trauma, Close credits the experience with helping her hone her acting skills. The emotional pretensions she had to adopt while living in the MRA made her a more adept performer, although the psychological scars lingered for years.
Rose McGowan
Actress Rose McGowan, best known for her role in Charmed, had a particularly harrowing childhood in the Children of God cult. Born in Italy, McGowan’s family joined the cult when she was just a young child. Her father managed the Italian chapter of the group, and McGowan was raised in various communes across Europe.
The Children of God cult became notorious for its encouragement of sexual promiscuity among young members. McGowan and her family managed to escape before she was subjected to the group’s disturbing practices. However, the psychological and emotional toll of her upbringing stayed with her for years, influencing her activism and outspoken views on women’s rights. McGowan has since used her platform to advocate for survivors of abuse and to expose the dark truths of the entertainment industry.
Winona Ryder
Long before becoming a household name with Stranger Things and Beetlejuice, Winona Ryder spent her childhood on the Rainbow Commune in California. At the age of seven, Ryder’s family moved to this 300-acre property, where they lived alongside seven other families in a self-sustained commune. The commune embraced a countercultural lifestyle, eschewing conventional modern comforts like electricity.
Ryder has spoken fondly of her time in the commune, often describing it as a formative experience. The years spent living in this isolated community undoubtedly shaped her worldview, and her artistic career later benefited from the deep sense of individuality and freedom she developed there.
Celebrities and the Complex Legacy of Cult Upbringings
The stories of these celebrities reveal the profound impact that cults can have on the lives of young individuals, especially those who grow up within these insular, often dangerous environments. While their personal experiences differ, one common thread runs through their stories: the struggle to reconcile their past with their present. Many of these celebrities have used their traumatic experiences as fuel for their professional careers, channeling the emotional turmoil and resilience into their performances.
For those raised in cults, the path to self-discovery and personal growth is often a difficult one. The psychological scars of early exposure to manipulation and control can take years, even decades, to heal. Nevertheless, these celebrities have triumphed over their pasts, becoming symbols of perseverance and success.
