“Smallville” star Allison Mack, who pleaded guilty for her role in an NXIVM-related sex trafficking case, acknowledged in her first public comments since leaving federal prison two years ago that she used her fame as an “instrument of power.”
In a new seven-part podcast produced by CBC’s Uncover, “Alison After NXIVM,” Mack chronicles her journey from child star to NXIVM’s top lieutenant. NXIVM is billed as an upstate New York self-help group led by Keysar Raniere, but prosecutors say it is a sex cult pyramid scheme that enslaves and brands women.
Mack, 43, was sentenced to three years in prison in July 2021 for his role in the group after pleading guilty to several crimes, including extortion and forced labor. She was released from a federal prison in California in early July 2023.
In one episode, Mack talked about using his celebrity to recruit women to NXIVM. “That’s why I was successful as an actor, and I think I was able to put that to good use. And it was a powerful tool that I needed to get people to do what I wanted them to do.”
At Mr. Raniere’s trial, former NXIVM members described how Mr. Raniere established a secret sorority within NXIVM called DOS, where women, referred to as “slaves,” were fed a near-fast diet, branded with the initials of Mr. Raniere and Mr. Mack, and ordered to have sex with Mr. Raniere.
Prosecutors said at trial that Mack and other leaders used nude photos and other compromising material as “collateral” to pressure members to comply. In the podcast, Mack admits that he was “very effective in moving Keith’s vision forward.”
“I wasn’t kind, I was aggressive, I was abusive,” Mack said in one episode. “I was harsh, insensitive, aggressive, forceful, and in a way that caused people pain.”
But in one episode, Mack admitted that he had “abused his power” but said: “I can’t deny the fact that there was a part of me that was altruistic and really wanted to help people.”
She added, “I wanted to be better. I was going to do anything to be better myself and help others be better.”
Mack also described how her family sat in the courtroom during her sentencing hearing in Brooklyn federal court as prosecutors explained her crime. At the time of the sentencing, prosecutors said the actress deserved a reduced sentence because of her cooperation in the case against Raniere, who is currently serving a 120-year sentence for numerous crimes including sex trafficking and extortion.
“Oh my god, my poor little brother behind me had to ask about his little sister,” Mac said in one episode. “Poor mom! I’m so sorry, you guys…I don’t think I’m innocent and neither do they.”
Since her release in 2023, Mack has remarried and is pursuing a master’s degree in social work. In one episode, host Natalie Robemmed explained that Mac had countless opportunities to tell his story, but he turned them all down.
“Allison has not spoken publicly since her incarceration,” Robemed said. “She’s had a lot of offers, but she’s always turned them down. Until now. She loves podcasts and doesn’t like being in front of the camera like she used to anymore, so she wants to tell her story in podcast form.”
