Highlights
- Bethany Joy Lenz's career on One Tree Hill was not significantly impacted by her involvement in a cult.
- Lenz missed out on a project she wanted to be cast in due to the influence of the cult.
- Despite her involvement in the cult, Lenz earned a high salary on One Tree Hill and has a net worth of $1 million.
Every once in a while, there are rumors that a celebrity is involved in a cult. For instance, there was talk that Adam Driver's relatives were in alleged cult The Odyssey Group. Stars don't often comment on these rumors. In the case of One Tree Hill star Bethany Joy Lenz, she spoke out about being in a cult on her podcast Drama Queens, and she explained that she spent ten years under their control.
It makes sense that Lenz opened up about this terrible experience on the podcast considering the fact that she's still good friends with her One Tree Hill co-stars and podcast co-hosts. Here's the truth about whether Bethany Joy Lenz's career was impacted because she was in a cult.
What Happened To Bethany Joy Lenz's Career And Net Worth When She Was In A Cult?
In an interview with Variety, Bethany Joy Lenz talked about the cult that she was part of and shared that she was a member "the entirety of my time on 'One Tree Hill.'" Since she was part of this organization while she was on One Tree Hill, it doesn't sound like it changed her acting career completely. She still came to work every day and she was still able to continue with her career once One Tree Hill ended.
However, there was a project that Bethany Joy Lenz wanted to be cast in, and she wasn't able to because of the cult. It sounds like this was a heartbreaking experience for the actress. This also meant losing out on some money.
RelatedWhy Do One Tree Hill Fans Think Paul Johansson And Bethany Joy Lenz Dated?
Paul Johansson and Bethany Joy Lenz starred as very different characters on hit teen drama One Tree Hill, and fans wonder about their relationship.Lenz talked about the cult with The Daily Mail and said that she was always passionate about musical theater. When she was cast in a Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast as Belle, she was thrilled. But members of the cult said that "rest" was more important and that she needed to say no.
Lenz said:
"It was totally my absolute Broadway dream role. I had auditioned, and then I went in again and I read for producers, and then I had a work session with the musical director. And I got the offer, and I couldn't believe that."
As she told The Daily Mail, Lenz was glad that she didn't star in the production because she would have gone down another path in life that meant she would never have married her ex-husband and become a mom to her daughter. Still, it must have been awful to be influenced to say no to such an exciting opportunity.
But, since she worked steadily while in the cult, Lenz kept earning her One Tree Hill salary. The OTH actors earned a high salary and are said to have earned $100,000 for every season 4 episode. Lenz was a main cast member throughout every season, which means that she continually earned a lot of money.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Lenz has a net worth of $1 million. Although she has a lower net worth than many other actors, Lenz has explored creative avenues other than acting. She is a talented singer who has released a few albums. She was also married to Michael Galeotti for almost a decade and has been raising her daughter Maria Rose Galeotti since 2011. While Lenz has acted fairly frequently since One Tree Hill, she has had other things keeping her busy, which could explain why her net worth isn't in the millions.
RelatedWhat Bethany Joy Lenz Has Said About Her One Tree Hill Co-Stars
Lenz played Haley James on teen drama 'One Tree Hill' between 2003 and 2012.However, even though Lenz was able to keep acting, it was of course terrible to be part of a cult for such a long time. Lenz explained that her fellow cast members knew that she was in the cult, which must have been a tough experience for everyone involved.
In her interview with Variety, Lenz explained why she began talking about what she went through:
"I was beginning to feel like I was hiding something because it was such an integral part of my personal journey while I was on 'One Tree Hill.' As we’re just talking about all the behind the scenes, we keep talking about all the times everybody was hanging out. I keep saying, 'Wish I had been there.' Eventually, it started to feel like, why don’t you just be honest, Joy?"
Bethany Joy Lenz's Acting Career:
- Lucy Ralston in Five Star Christmas (2019)
- Keri Allen in Pearson (2019)
- Haley James Scott in One Tree Hill (2003-2012)
- April in American Gothic (2016)
- Jenna Hudson in Snowed-Inn Christmas (2017)
- Erica Shaw in So Cold The River (2022)
- Linda Halleck in Thinner (1996)
In various interviews, Bethany Joy Lenz always sounds grateful to have been a One Tree Hill cast member. Playing Haley was great for her career since it's the role that she is most famous for. However, it sounds like being on One Tree Hill is also ultimately what allowed her to leave the cult.
In her Variety interview, Lenz explained that it was helpful to have a life in North Carolina, where One Tree Hill filmed, and to know that the people around her supported her and cared about her. She decided to exit the cult when the show was over.
What Cult Was One Tree Hill Star Bethany Joy Lenz Part Of?
Bethany Joy Lenz has never shared the name of the cult that she was in, at least not at the time of this writing. She did explain in various interviews that it was a religious group.
According to Entertainment Weekly, it's possible that Lenz was part of the Mosaic Church. She was critical of the church in an Instagram post in May 2021 and said that she went to the church for two years.
RelatedFans Want Jared Leto Canceled Over Similar Cult Leadership With Russell Brand
Jared Leto has been accused of misconduct and running a cult with his band, Thirty Seconds to Mars.In her post, Lenz called it "textbook 101 of cults" and added, "And usually, unless you're in the inner circle, it's much harder to spot."
Docuseries Focused On Cults (According to Parade.com):
- Wild Wild Country
- The Vow
- Waco: The Rules Of Engagement
- Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult
Bethany Joy Lenz is working on a memoir that will chronicle what it was like when she was in the cult. While it's possible that she will mention the name of the cult in the book, it seems unlikely as she might feel safer not sharing this information publicly.
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