The publication of 2017’s blockbuster New York Times story - which alleged that women in DOS were forcibly branded, held as slaves and compelled to recruit additional slaves for their “masters” - helped set the group’s downfall in motion. Bloch touches on his own dismay at seeing his friend’s life unravel under the influence of Raniere.Įdmondson rose within the group’s ranks for more than a decade, finally deciding to flee the group and blow the whistle on what she experienced there. This investigative podcast from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation looks at the case from the inside perspective of actor Sarah Edmondson, a high-ranking NXIVM member who alleged to the New York Times that she was branded as part of the group’s side sect, DOS.Ī twist that lends the podcast a noteworthy touch: Escaping NXIVM is reported by Josh Bloch, a producer and childhood friend of Edmondson’s. Since last year, Rolling Stone has been tracking the bizarre story of NXIVM, a secretive alleged sex cult founded by multi-level marketing guru Keith Raniere in Albany, New York. Moore, who was a teenager when she learned about her father’s double life, uses her painful upbringing to explore deeper questions about family grief and the splintering effects of trauma. But its biggest strength is the way it focuses on the more potent personal impact of Jesperson’s crimes - not only on the victims, but on his long-suffering family. Happy Face stands out because of Moore’s intimate tie to the criminal in question.