Allison Mack Breaks Silence on NXIVM, Her Own Abuse

Allison Mack, best known for her role in Smallville, has broken her silence about her involvement in the notorious NXIVM sex cult, describing her actions as "abusive" in a new podcast. Speaking for the first time since her release from federal prison, Mack, 43, reflects on the influence she wielded within the organization and how her celebrity status played a role in recruiting women, per the Guardian. "I was excited by the power that I felt having these young, beautiful women look to me and listen to me," Mack says in Allison After NXIVM, a CBC-produced podcast.

Mack explains that she was first introduced to NXIVM by her Smallville co-star Kristin Kreuk and was drawn into the group, which marketed itself as a self-improvement organization. Mack says leader Keith Raniere convinced her that being physically intimate with him would help her process her own history of childhood sexual exploitation. She describes being indoctrinated into recruiting others, who were then branded with Raniere's initials and coerced into sex. "I capitalized on the things that I had," Mack admits. "The success I had as an actor ... was a power tool that I had to get people to do what I wanted."

Mack acknowledges that she was "very effective in moving Keith's vision forward," per NBC News. Mack, who pleaded guilty in 2021 to charges related to her role in NXIVM and served time in prison, concedes that she victimized women and was "emotionally aggressive" and "callous." Mack's sentence followed her cooperation with authorities as they built a case against Raniere, who's now serving a 120-year sentence for sex-trafficking crimes. Reflecting on her actions, Mack says, "I was not kind, and ... I was abusive."

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She recounts a specific incident in which she pressured a woman to comply with Raniere's demands, describing the situation as escalating to rape. In court, Mack expressed deep regret, stating, "I made choices I will forever regret." In the podcast, she addresses public perceptions of her, saying, "People assume I'm this pervert. But that's not what happened—what it was for me. People can believe me, or people can think I'm full of s--- and not listen. But I feel like I at least have to say it out loud for myself—once."