All articles tagged with #cult
Silicon Valley insiders warn Anthropic’s staff treat Claude as more than a tool, staging a ‘funeral’ for Claude 3 Sonnet and launching a Claude Corps fellowship to embed the AI in nonprofits, while critics say the culture resembles a cult and risks conflating machine intelligence with human motives.
Bill Maher slammed MAGA on Real Time and in social posts, calling supporters 'not that bright' and describing the movement as a cult for falling for Trump's latest promise to give every American adult a $5,000 dividend if Republicans win the midterms; he notes Trump has made similar pledges before, mocks Mitch McConnell's absence, and portrays the promise as a political con rather than a serious policy offer.
Carrie Coon delivers a breathtaking, multi‑temporal performance as Rita/Naia in Guy Nattiv’s The Liberation, a tense, deeply personal thriller about a middle‑aged woman drawn into a predatory female cult; the film blends intimate drama with suspenseful cult‑story psychology, anchored by precise direction, period detail, and a gripping final act as Rita fights to reclaim her life.
The Hollywood Reporter profiles The Liberation, Guy Nattiv’s Telluride world premiere about Rita, a Holocaust survivor in 1980s New Jersey who leaves her family to join a female-led cult headed by Ricki (Lily James). Carrie Coon portrays Rita, delivering a nuanced performance as she balances resilience with an intense craving for spiritual fulfillment. Drawing from his grandmother’s diaries, Nattiv crafts a drama that probes trauma, autonomy, and healing, with production spanning Vancouver and Vancouver Island. Bleecker Street will release it in December for an awards-qualifying run.
Years before four women accused Jared Leto of sexual misconduct as teens in a BBC documentary, Mars Island—a three-day wellness retreat on a private Croatian island run by his band Thirty Seconds to Mars—was described by attendees as cult-like; the new program renews scrutiny over the event, though Leto denies the allegations.
Michelle Zajko, linked to the cultlike Zizians, is charged with murder, burglary and conspiracy in the 2022 killings of her parents in Chester Heights, Pennsylvania; prosecutors say she did not act alone and the case ties to broader crimes associated with the group, including past gun involvement, while she remains jailed in Maryland on unrelated charges.
Prosecutors charged Michelle Zajko—with ties to the cult-like Zizians—with first-degree murder and conspiracy in the 2022 killings of her parents in Chester Heights, Delaware County; investigators say shell casings at the scene matched a firearm used at a Vermont home and an enhanced audio capture includes a shout of 'Mom' at the door, and officials say she was not acting alone, with broader links to other Zizians-connected killings; Zajko has been jailed in Maryland on related charges since 2025 as the inquiry continues.
A member of the cult-like Zizians group is charged in the 2022 killings of her parents in Chester Heights, Pennsylvania; the case is linked to other group members in Maryland and Vermont, with prosecutors describing the killings as occurring after a text seeking reconciliation and noting additional charges as investigators pursue the broader group’s activity.
NBC News profiles Greg Baer's Real Love Company, a self-help network he built on unconditional love that drew thousands but allegedly grew cult-like, with women subjected to intimate 'naked holding' and other boundary-crossing practices; multiple women allege abuse, leading to 2019 settlements of two lawsuits, Mormon church proceedings, and a police review that yielded no charges, while former members describe coercive control over dating, marriage, and careers.
Naomi “Nomz” Bistline, a former FLDS “spiritual wife” of Sam Bateman, is rebuilding her life through music after prison and planning to study psychology while releasing her debut, as Netflix’s Trust Me: The False Prophet chronicles her escape and Christine Marie’s undercover work that helped free Bateman’s victims.
Allison Mack, known for Smallville, was convicted for her role in the NXIVM cult, where she was a senior member involved in trafficking and branding women as slaves. She served two years in prison, was released in 2023, and has since spoken openly about her involvement, acknowledging her abuse of power and her remorse, while also expressing a desire for personal growth.
Allison Mack, a former 'Smallville' actress and NXIVM member, shares her story of brainwashing, involvement in the cult's sex trafficking activities, and her subsequent prison sentence in the CBC podcast 'Allison After NXIVM,' which explores her complex role as both victim and participant.
The horror film 'Him' explores the intersection of football and religion, depicting a satanic cult led by Marlon Wayans's character, Isaiah White, and delving into themes of hero worship and sacrifice. The film is visually striking but narratively vague, focusing on the cult-like obsession with the sport and its players, with a mix of biblical and occult imagery, though it leaves many plot questions unanswered.
'28 Years Later: The Bone Temple' is an upcoming horror film set in a dystopian England, featuring more violence and a new cultlike threat, directed by Nia DaCosta and promising a wild, off-the-wall energy that expands the franchise's universe. The film follows Spike as he navigates between two worlds—infected chaos and cult fanaticism—while exploring themes of evil, humanity, and nature's dominance, with a cast including Ralph Fiennes and Jack O’Connell.
Authorities in Kenya have exhumed nine bodies from graves linked to a notorious starvation cult in Shakahola Forest, where over 400 bodies were previously discovered, raising concerns about ongoing cult activity and recent evidence suggesting foul play and continued communication from jailed cult leader Paul Mackenzie.