Keeping it Together: She joined a cult by accident. Don’t let this be you.

It's scary to think about, but you might fall for a cult. Just ask "One Tree Hill" actress Bethany Joy Lenz.

My name is David Oliver, and I am one of Paste BN's wellness reporters. Lenz spent 10 years in a religious cult she calls the "Big House Family" – something she recounts in her new memoir "Dinner for Vampires," out now – and considers her childhood with divorced parents a key motivator for why she sought out an ill-fated community. (The "Big House Family" is a pseudonym.)

What exactly happened? It started out as bible study with a group of artists. But the group slowly pried her away from loved ones including her parents; the leader quashed her dreams of playing Belle in "Beauty and the Beast" on Broadway after telling her it wasn't a good idea; the group's financial managers spent $2 million of her money on risky investments leaving her effectively broke. Incessant whispers broke out on the "One Tree Hill" set and splattered across the entertainment industry. She married the cult leader's son – even though she knew he wasn't the right man for her – and gave birth to a daughter.

One might ask: How could someone fall for such deception? Cult experts say anyone is vulnerable because everyone is susceptible to influence. Charismatic leaders hoodwink highly intelligent, creative people, too.

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