HBOs The Vow explores the story of Keith Raniere and his cult NXIVM, as well as a number of ex-members who left the group before it imploded in 2018. What a magnificent piece of writing, giving so much and with amazing feeling. Barbara Bouchey a high-ranking member of the self-help group NXIVM and ex-girlfriend to leader Keith Raniere for nearly nine years before leaving in 2009 told the audience at CrimeCon 2019 in New Orleans that watching court proceedings involving the group "horrified" her.. Bouchey tried to explain how someone like herself strong-willed, intelligent, and a self-made millionaire . Most recently, a superseding indictment against Clare Bronfman, Nancy Salzman and other members of NXIVMs innermost circle named several of the allegations Keeffe and Bouchey discussed back in 2015. The two suits contain dozens of allegations, which she denies. Gardener, Amanda Wellington (Cricketer): Bio Amanda Wellington is a great cricketer from Australia. It was subtle. The women . Ever since her birth, shes been celebrating her birthday on the 16th of October. I feel very sorry for Bonnie Piesse and Sarah Edmondson who seem to have to go along with all the bullshit out of fear of their husbands Mark and Nippy. For a long time, Barbara was compelled to remain silent. Due to the relentless harassment, Barbara was forced to keep a low profile for many years but she never backed down from trying to expose the group. Keeffe told Bouchey shed left Raniere and NXIVM, and was currently in hiding with her son. Love your style. Entrepreneur, Certified Financial Planner, Investment Adviser, Advocate for Justice, Forgiveness & Compassion. I didnt know if it was real. Then Agnifilo tried to make this sweeping generalization that we, for various reasons, chose to leave. 3:45. "Keith caused a lot of pain," she told The Sun. They didnt know about the corruption. Bouchey said defending herself from NXIVM's litigation is sapping her time and resources. Bouchey said her nine years as a NXIVM member and leader, including several as a girlfriend of Raniere, came to a halt in April 2009 because she believed Raniere was committing "ethical breaches." And that he wasted years with NXIVM. Barbara in conversation on Megyn Kelly Today show. They were very professional and I give them credit for that. Barbara Bouchey's Asset Management Firm Barbara was a local town girl who achieved the American dream by becoming a self-made millionaire, and doing so with a strong work ethic, while helping many others in her community. Her bankruptcy case alone took nine months and amassed over 8,000 pages of legal documents in 338 filings, including lawsuits in which her adversaries -- NXIVM and the Bronfmans -- issued more than 50 subpoenas to her business associates and vendors which, Bouchey contends, "had nothing to do with my filing personal bankruptcy." By the time she was done, there was no doubt in anyones mind about what he did to her. Id think the NXIVM-5 would be on the show. She was wrongfully arrested and faced false extortion charges in addition to an onslaught of character assassination that attempted to ruin her reputation as a trusted member of her community. The sentencing hearing took place in the large, ceremonial courtroom. What were these fools thinking? 4. For more than a decade, Bouchey was relentlessly pursued . Hes not trying to succeed, hes trying to enslave, Keeffe told Bouchey. It was an even larger plot, allegedly involving sex slavery and branding, that pushed federal agents to arrest Raniere and his second-in-command Allison Mack. She described being personally overwhelmed. Barbara was first introduced to Keith Raniere and his vision of the world through Nancy Salzman, with whom Barbara had therapy sessions. Most former members didnt know the extent of what was going on behind the scenes, but Keeffe seemingly had more dirt than anyone else who left before. They do, however, know Bouchey. The filmmakers also feature footage of NXIVM members raving about the effectiveness of the course, such as Marc Elliott, a member who says that Raniere and cofounder Nancy Salzman helped cure his Tourettes syndrome. I cant tell how the judge was reacting when I spoke, but I watched him when others spoke. His work to expose and take down NXIVM is featured in books like Captive by Catherine Oxenberg, Scarred by Sarah Edmonson, The Program by Toni Natalie, and NXIVM. In the seats normally assigned to spectators sat Adriana and her son, Adrian, nicknamed Fluffy, and her daughter Daniela, who were also victims scheduled to speak. LOL, Curved lines are much more difficult than straight lines, the R was even made with straight lines. This conversation would eventually become evidence presented in US court as part of Boucheys criminal defence. Then Keith tried to make a witty remark about how he listened to all the victims, and some of us were lying. Id be curious to hear Ms. Boucheys thoughts about the remaining convicted NXIVM members and what she thinks the sentences should be. destiny 2 best warlock build 2021 pve; Clare Bronfman arrives at federal court, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. The Senior Director at University of Virginia, Andrew Selfridge, has been one of Barbara's client over 20 years. If KR had stayed on the right side of the law, hed still be free. "I'm really tired," she said. She was independently wealthy, undergoing a divorce and optimistic about trying a self-improvement program. HBO's The Vow explores the story of Keith Raniere and his cult NXIVM, as well as a number of ex-members who left the group before it imploded in 2018. According to Barbara Bouchey, it was Keith Raniere who, in late 2003, suggested that Sara and Clare become clients of her asset-management firm. I just felt there was stuff happening in the world that was scary for me, the shifting of power, she explains. Parlato appeared on the Nancy Grace Show, Beyond the Headlines with Gretchen Carlson, Dr. Oz, American Greed, Dateline NBC, and NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, where Parlato conducted the first-ever interview with Keith Raniere after his arrest. Thank you so much for sharing and that incredible retelling of the courtroom proceedings; I felt like I was there. Her first memorable feature in Britain was her starring role in "Cat Girl" (1957) which was following with notable performances in "The Camp on Blood Island" (1958) , "Blood of the Vampire" (1958), "Quatermass and the Pit" (1967). I feel you would be great. She is from Grenada and, Tahlia McGrath (Cricketer): Bio Tahlia McGrath is a cricket player from Australia (All-rounder). Family friend, Stanley Zareff, accompanies India.After the victims spoke, Keiths attorney Marc Agnifilo argued how even Toni Natalie said that we were good people at NXIVM. I mean this is why Ive had to take these extraordinary measures before I could get involved in this. She always came across as highly competent and honest about her perspective when speaking about being both inside, then outside the organization. The US Marshal opened the door behind to the left of the judge and Cami emerged out of that door. I think, you know, like, it looked like he was really hurt and disturbed. You lost me at Keith is not a pathological liar. Uh, no he doesnt believe everything he says. They havent done anything wrong. At the beginning, we wanted to document what we were doing, because we were certain Clare [Bronfman] was going to sue us and we wanted to have everything on tape. 5. Thats what pathological liars do.. Oh please, Karen. He couldve been great, she says, blinking back tears while watching old footage of Raniere playing piano. For more than a decade, Bouchey was relentlessly pursued by the company in civil and criminal court after departing in 2009, a battle thats left her destitute, according to her own accounts. Suddenly, everything Keith did was all bad and wrong. Barbara thought that she and Keith were in a committed, monogamous relationship for nearly a year until she found out that he was also involved with other women in his inner circle. NXIVM, whose top members are now awaiting trial for sex trafficking, racketeering and other charges, had accused Bouchey of defamation and breach of client confidentiality, and she was still fighting low-level felony charges for allegedly accessing their computer servers using a former clients login credentials. Phone / Text: (305) 783-7083 It was shown in The Vow that he wanted to remove emotions from people to make them more rational, and that is an example of not understanding what thinking is, which is not just deduction. Meet the Heiresses Who Funded an Alleged Cults Legal Battles, unload her knowledge of many alleged crimes, accessed bank records on six federal judges, A Former Nxivm Insider Told Us How Celebrities Were Preyed On, released today in one of the final episodes of. Bouchey says she only provided information when legally required to do so. This is an effective strategy, as The Vow,more than anything else, is focused on highlighting not the salacious details of what happened when people were drawn into Ranieres web, but why they were in the first place, without drawing conclusions or making judgments. With Anthony Ames, Barbara Bouchey, Clare Bronfman, Sara Bronfman. Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis was on the bench. 34 following. This is a SMART project where the off-taker is the utility. The Vow(or at least, the first seven episodes provided to media so far) largely focuses on the escape of two members: Mark Vicente, a longtime devotee and filmmaker; and Sarah Edmondson, the former head of the organizations Vancouver center. "The mere word of Bronfman out of my mouth in any form or shape will have me slammed in (court)," she told Judge Roger McDonough. As she said in a deposition made public by a NXIVM law firm: "There were nine of us total that spent 12 hours with Keith addressing what we referred to as his ethical breaches and the breaches of the company and leadership and the executive board and other various people.". Because if Keeffe had really defected from NXIVM, a group described by experts as a highly controlling cult, it meant there was a possibility that anyone could wake up and leave. Raniere wasnt in a position to be so generous. *Story has been updated to reflect an earlier call between Bouchey and Keeffe. Read More:Laurence Leboeuf Wiki: Husband, Net Worth, Height, Age, Allison Mack Bernard Bouchey Joyce Carey Keith Raniere Nancy Salzman NXIVM The Vow. The FBI is continuing its investigation into NXIVM, and has suggested there could still be more charges. As he made his grand confession of innocence, and how he hurts that everybodys got pain and suffering, his voice trembled a little bit. Some are men. They were 10 layers out of all of that. Ever since her birth, she's been celebrating her birthday on the 16th of October. And thats a beautiful dream. She said NXIVM's inner circle supported Raniere's lifestyle and held it against her when she complained about his multiple relationships with women. Barbara Bouchey is a hero who fought NXIVM at great cost. She is 5 feet 7 inches tall and has a height of 63 years. Slowly, Barbara began to realize the ugly truth of the company. Given how much Keeffe knew, she feared even worse might happen. And I think that if we judge those who dare to dream, it says a lot more about us than it does about them., Related Barbara Bouchey Biography. Barbara Bouchet (ne Gutscher; born 15 August 1943) is a German-American actress and entrepreneuse who lives and works in Italy. Her father was an alcoholic. The defendant, Keith Raniere was sitting at the defense table between his lawyers, Marc Agnifilo and Paul DerOhannesian, facing the judge. One of those people is Barbara Bouchey, an ex-girlfriend of Keiths and one of the first women who left the group back in 2009. Jennifer Gish contributed to this report. He worked on this for years. She began recruiting more students to learn from Raniere, a Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduate who boasts having a genius IQ. She was first drawn to Keith Ranieres world through Nancy Salzman, with whom Barbara had done a couple of therapy sessions over the years. And it was, in my opinion, a holographic understanding of what Keith did, because everyone covered some different area. It was a bit like my divorce. He wanted people to see that he felt great pain over this, but that he was innocent. Barbara Bouchey was speechless. The evidence of Keiths corrupt side is not apparent to them. Very soon, Barbaras husband began abusing her. Born 1943 in Reichenberg, Sudetenland, German-American actress Barbara Bouchet began her career modelling for magazine covers and appearing in television commercials, before eventually becoming an actress. Bouchey, Robert J. ', In disputing this description, Noujaim is not entirely without bias: She has a personal connection to NXIVM. She looked slender but not emaciated. 4:01. Born and raised in a low-income housing project in South Troy, NY., Barbara J. Bouchey's mother died when she was eight years old. Watch new episodes of The Vow, Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on HBO. For further education, Barbara joined Hudson Valley Community College and studied business and finance there. While attending a conference on Richard Bransons Necker Island in 2008, she met Sara Bronfman, another heiress to the Seagram fortune and one of NXIVMs most prominent members. Reach Odato at 454-5083 or jodato@timesunion.com. Where was the sex? In July 1982, Robert Beckowitz was watching the Benny Hill Show in his apartment in northwest Detroit's 19300 block of Woodbine with his friend James Edward Glover, age 37, and his girlfriend Jeannine Lynn Clark, age 21. She also owns and operates a fitness studio. DOS was presented as a way for us to have influence of good, and this would be the best way to, ironically, counter other abuses of power in the world, not seeing that this would be a massive abuse of power in itself., What NXIVM offered its members, and what is in short supply for the rest of the world right now, was a promise of community and belonging. There was a lot of good there. He did not wear black robes and instead, wore a navy-blue suit. Bouchet's first acting role was a minor part in What a Way to Go! I thanked her for being a witness and said that she made a big difference in all of our lives. "What the Bronfmans and NXIVM have employed as a strategy, and it's an effective strategy to bombard the court with thousands and thousands and thousands of pages of allegations and accusations," she said, referring to her view of the voluminous court filings. She had 12 years of Keiths abuse; she was abused from a very tender age. She said she had used Salzman, a nurse, for private "therapy sessions" as she was going through a divorce. If Nx men are having sex with Nx wives then those wives are not being monogamous. She completed her high school education from Troy School. A collection of experienced writers and editors, we aim to provide relevant and informative articles related to your favorite celebrities. Digital Original. This means Scott Johnsons Radio Podcast: Whenever Scott Johnson advertises himself, he should always point it out immediately. William Savino, a lawyer for the Bronfmans, pointed to an April 9, 2009, letter to NXIVM leaders in which Bouchey and several others who left the group said they planned to go to the press. She cried as she described a newfound . Its hard to imagine Mark would have lifted a finger against Keith Raniere if the cameras werent rolling, and HBO wasnt paying him enormous sums. Keith Raniere can see peoples past lives and who they were reincarnated from. Also, what are her thoughts about the remaining loyalists, in general? The Vow: Barbara Bouchey and Keith Raniere Dated For Nearly a Decade Before She Fled NXIVM. If you felt like nine episodes of Mark Vicentes sanctimoniousness, painting himself as THE BIGGEST VICTIM OF ALL made you want to gag and throw up, Seduced will be cathartic. Her attempt at extortion, they claim, came in the form of a letter Bouchey emailed to NXIVM executives calling for a payment of more than $2 million. Nice jacket/dress! You know the truth. ..Surely, goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life. Im hearing things I cant even comprehend, and my mind is racing so fast to try and understand what happened during my time there and why.. She read slowly and carefully. September 27, 2020 Perhaps surprisingly, it was not the alleged plot to have enemies thrown in Mexican prison that would catch law enforcements attention. Everybody who joined NXIVM, what they had in common is they dared to dream they could do something that can fundamentally change their lives, Amer explains. Judge Garaufis was appalled. NXIVM critics were losing in court. The last person she was expecting to call her was Kristin Keeffe, one of Ranieres most loyal girlfriends, mother to his child, and longtime overseer of the very lawsuits that intimidated and silenced perceived enemies like Bouchey. Anyone who turned against Raniere could expect intimidating phone calls and in some cases spying from private investigators. She says that, in her opinion, she is a target. The series also tracks how Raniere laid the groundwork for his members to accept some of the more extremist aspects of his philosophies, such as the all-female organization JNESS and the all-male group Society of Protectors, which inculcated members to his more misogynistic beliefs. To this day, none of the allegations against Raniere have been proven in court. Both came forward to the New York Timesin 2017 about DOS, a secret society within NXIVM consisting of masters and slaves that starved and branded female members. And The Vowis, at its core, a hopeful project. 24. No one would believe an intelligent woman and self-made millionaire like Barbara herself can also fall in the trap in the form of NXIVM laid by her ex-boyfriend, Keith Raniere. For the entire proceeding, this was his most visible reaction. This included an alleged plot to get Bouchey and others thrown in Mexican jail. Danny's . For education, Barbara went to Catholic Central High School. To see the full wolf, you have to have all the pieces to connect, and not just be having sex with him in his bedroom. In all fairness, Barbara did not have the same upbringing her childhood friends had. I sat right behind Cami and all of the victims when they took their turn to speak at the podium. Barbara's hometown is in South Troy, New York. But they werent in the inner circle. Very elegant! She came across as fragile, but her statements left a deep impression. American Veterans Care Organization Inc (EIN# 261704879) is an tax exempt organization filed with Internal Revenue Service (IRS). She had her speech in a binder. It looks great on you. Despite her suspicions that Keeffe had other motives, Bouchey earnestly hoped she was telling the truth. (Courtesy of Barbara Bouchey) "My first thought was, 'This guy doesn't look like he sells out stadiums so people can . LOL. Distractify is a registered trademark. This is problematic already, but also being anti-social (not caring at all about anyone else, only caring to achieve his wishes/goals, some of which appear to be humanitarian but are, in fact, nothing more than trying to shape the world to what he thinks it should be), means there is no proper self-correction, and further that there is a reversal of values in such a person, that he thinks makes sense. It is the same with trying to take out a cult. He had on his orange prison garb with a navy-blue t-shirt underneath. The lawsuits allege she breached her fiduciary duties by publicly disclosing financial information or proprietary material to the press and in other lawsuits, which she denies. I felt deeply moved by Ms. Boucheys experience in the NXIVM story. To me, she is taking back her power and strength. ' The series shows the former members of NXIVM struggling with whether to expose the group, and their ultimate decision to come forward to the New York Times in 2017, then to approach the federal government to intervene. Keith helped write it, and there were issues about Emiliano translating it. Now Vicente claims he was shocked. Barbara Bouchey was born in 1959, which made her age, as of September 2020, to be 60. The judge was moved, listening to Kristin a mother with a child who Keith hasnt supported while he spent millions trying to silence and destroy people. Barbara chose not to stand the abuse, therefore, she returned to the US and divorced him. When the judge reprimanded Keiths attorney (which he did many times), I noticed that Keith did not look at the judge but only looked at his attorney, which I found odd. Ironic that he was head of a self-help group that taught how to deal with emotions but he couldnt do it himself. LOL. Since Barbara was not able on her own at the time and she could not leave her siblings, she chose to stay with them, but in a condition that she would never mention her brothers in front of her dad. Barbara J Bouchey, age 54, Saratoga Springs, NY Search Report Locations: Saratoga Springs NY, Clifton Park NY, Waterford NY Possible Relatives: Barbara J Bouchey, Stephen B Bouchey, Susan B Bouchey Former NXIVM executive board member Barbara Bouchey (Will Waldron / Times Union), Barbara Bouchey, right, is interviewed by Times Union reporter, James Odato, left, Thursday, June 23, 2011. Barbara Bouchey was born in 1959, which made her age, as of September 2020, to be 60. She has testified that when she was in NXIVM, Raniere, 50, of Clifton Park, guided lawsuits against opponents. Thats another reason why people should have worked together earlier, but it took Frank to do so, and even then most of them didnt work with each other. Barbara Bouchey, a former girlfriend of Keith Raniere and a former high ranking Nxivm member, was one of 15 victims permitted to make statements at Ranieres sentencing on October 27, 2020. July 29, 2011 Updated: July 29, 2011 9:29 a.m. ALBANY -- In 2000, when she joined the secretive Colonie-based training group called NXIVM, Barbara J. Bouchey headed a mature financial planning . Blame me., But what he really meant was: I am innocent but blame me., When someone you know is lying in front of you, a part of your brain goes like: Wait a minute. Im not surprised when Bouchey says in the moment she could have accused Keeffe of ruining her life. NXIVM was a cult alleged to have formed a secret society, termed as The Vow, where women were forced into sexual slavery. He just felt remorse about our pain and suffering meaning he claims he doesnt know what caused it and he alleges not to be connected to it but he just felt bad that we experienced it. When are they going to leave me alone?". Last week, a state judge announced in court that he was approving a restraining order sought by NXIVM and the Bronfmans limiting what Bouchey can say. However, after Keiths arrest in 2018, Barbara finally began to speak out and reveal the dirty secrets of The Vow., After the guilty verdict was read, Barbara saidI have a feeling of freedom and safety . In all fairness, Barbara did not have the same upbringing her childhood friends had. Repeated efforts by the Times Union to interview Raniere in recent months have been similarly rebuffed. By her own account, Bouchey threw herself into the study. She said I was the first person she called the first week she quit, Barbara says of the two phone calls in 2014 and 2015* that would ultimately change both of their lives. Sarah, Mark, and Nippy contact additional news outlets to provoke outrage and pressure law enforcement to pay attention. Attorney Neil Glazer, who represents many of the victims, was there. LOL. Some of the women Ive spoken to suspect Keeffes exit in 2014 is what tipped Raniere into the paranoid and vengeful headspace that birthed the sorority that required members to hand over damaging collateral to prove their commitment to secrecy. She was in the courtroom during the entire five-hour long proceedings and shares her recollections of the hearing with the Frank Report. Dont Miss:Danielle Mullins Wiki: Net Worth, Height, Job, Weight Loss. Thats a very nice speech. This is clear from everything he writes and says. Everything he says, he believes. They werent in his bedroom. Where Is Lauren Salzman, NXIVM Co-Founder Nancy Salzman's Daughter Today? Whistleblower Barbara Bouchey, who dated Raniere for nine years until fleeing the cult in 2009, said she was satisfied with the outcome but would "carry (my) scars and wounds for the rest of my life". Keith Rainiers aura/chi life energy weakens when women leave him or cheat on him. Chain Chain Chain Marin County Bike Tours. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time By 10, Barbaras life became more troublesome as her dad married again, and divorced three months later. The women who would intercept Barbara's calls to Keith when they were dating and act like a phalanx of 14-year-olds, preventing him from reaching him until she could play by his rules. Oxygen sits down with Barbara Bouchey to discuss NXIVM and Keith Raniere at CrimeCon 2019. But it needs to be said because were not idiots. After they married, the couple moved to Germany. Barbara Walsh Bouchey is the current Grant Manager and Secretary for the NA Meitheal Fund. Woman identified as Jane Doe 12 leaves the Brooklyn federal court after Rainiere was sentenced to 120 years in prison on October 27, 2020 in New. And they alleged that before he was arrested and charged with, among other things, sex trafficking and racketeering, he had reconvened some of his devoted female followers in Mexico for a group blow job. Barbara makes several really great points here, especially about mens opinions of Keith Raniere. Put your Investigative Journalist hat on, Frank, and get back to work! View this post on Instagram. I noticed that Toni and India came into the courtroom together and sat together And when the proceedings were over, they left together. It is never right or noble to rape a girl at 15, you branded your initials in my flesh, she said. Barbara Bouchey. Because its fucking black. Same for Ms. Dones. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. The Vow is such a whitewash of the overt misogyny of NXIVM its embarrassing to watch. An intelligent woman and self-made millionaire by the age of 40, Barbara didn't seem like the kind of person to willingly join a cult. As for Michelle and Nicki, they were in his bedroom. Thats when he started hammering Agnifilo. HBO Drops First Teaser for NXIVM Docuseries 'The Vow' Keith believed intimacy with several women gave him the knowledge to control and manipulate females as a whole. But, even after leaving the cult, Barbara went on to face harassment through legal cases by Keith and his supporters. They get to hear the well-woven tales about my extortion, stories that have been rewritten by Keith, Nancy, and Lauren all along the way. The NXIVM women believed the one man, many women mantra as much as the men was that key issue addressed in Oxenbergs series? Two years later, she took NXIVMs flagship course, a 16-day intensive curriculum called Executive Success Program (ESP). Barbara Bouchey married her husband at a young age of 19. I was about 7 feet away. . That I hoped that she can heal. At this point Raniere was still at the height of his power. Thats easy. She said she feared that NXIVM and the Bronfmans would try to silence her beyond what's contained in the agreement. She was their legal liaison, commanding seven law firms in four states, Bouchey told me. She joined NXIVM in 2000 on the pretext that the companys self-help workshop and curriculum would make her life easier. And I think the world is showing us time and again, especially now with Covid, were a lot more vulnerable and a lot more fragile. The radiance coming from the faces in that last photo is so beautiful and spectacular to see, at last. I know people are mad at her, but Ive never lost the feeling that she just got suckered in just like everyone else. Image Source: YouTube user . Bouchey says she believes she is being harassed through the courts to prevent her from revealing details of her time with Raniere. The new docuseries details why so many were enthralled with Keith Raniere, the leader of the self-help organization, How HBOs The Vow Tells the Non-Sex-Cult Side of NXIVM, People Are Getting Pregnant on TikToks Trendy On-Demand Birth Control, Netflixs Perfect Match Is Horny, Utterly Ridiculous Fun, She Built a Following as Taylor Swifts Doppelgnger. Parlato is a consulting producer and appears in TNT's The Heiress and the Sex Cult, which premieres on May 22, 2022. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Parlato,_Jr. Barbaras hometown is in South Troy, New York. Another woman, Victoria, a beautiful Mexican with sparkling blue eyes, sat in one of the seats. One of those people is Barbara Bouchey, an ex-girlfriend of Keith's and one of the first women who left the group back in 2009. Barbara notes that while she didnt find Keith that impressive at first, she began to view him through a different lens after completing her workshop. Because of COVID restrictions, the court was not full and people were seated to maintain social distancing. To date, however, courts have largely authorized NXIVM's requests. Oh my God! An heiress to the Seagram's liquor fortune has been sentenced to nearly seven years in prison for fraud and forced labor as a leading member of Nxivm, a cult-like self-help .