Bethany Joy Lenz revealed the name of the ‘cult’ she spent a decade in in her upcoming memoir, Dinner for Vampires.

The One Tree Hill actress, 42, took to Instagram on Thursday to announce the presale of her tell-all, in which she recalled the ‘manipulation, abuse and fear’ she experienced in what she thought was a church covenant.

In her book, a memoir about her ‘life on a cult TV show while also in an actual cult’, she said she was under the control of the ‘domineering minister’ of The Big House Family for a decade before she finally left.

In her book description on Simon & Schuster publishing company’s official website, she said that he convinced her to marry his son and stole millions of dollars from her television income from One Tree Hill, which ran for nine seasons from 2003 to 2012.

The Drama Queens podcast host previously revealed in July 2023 that she was working on a memoir about the 10 years she spent in a cult and the following decade she spent healing from the ‘deep trauma’.

Bethany Joy Lenz revealed the name of the ‘cult’ she spent a decade in in her upcoming memoir, Dinner for Vampires. The One Tree Hill actress, 42, took to Instagram on Thursday to announce the presale of her tell-all, in which she recalled the ‘manipulation, abuse and fear’ she experienced in what she thought was a church covenant

In her book, a memoir about her ‘life on a cult TV show while also in an actual cult’, she said she was under the control of the ‘domineering minister’ of The Big House Family for a decade before she finally left

The Drama Queens podcast host previously revealed in July 2023 that she was working on a memoir about the 10 years she spent in a cult and the following decade she spent healing from the ‘ deep trauma ‘; seen in September 2022

In her Instagram caption posted alongside an image of her newly unveiled book cover, she announced that presale orders were available for ‘my memoir about the decade I spent in an abusive, high-demand group’.

‘Being a writer has been a great, private joy in my life since I was about 12,’ she wrote. ‘This isn’t the first book I thought I’d write, publicly, but as difficult as this subject matter is to untangle, I’m grateful I get to share my story, my way. 

She called her story one of ‘forgiveness and a roadmap to how manipulation works’ with ‘heartache and humor’ woven in between.

She wrote the book because she wanted to remind people that everybody makes mistakes and ‘no matter what weird roads you’ve gone down, you’re not alone.’ 

The book description recalled Lenz being cast as one of the leads of One Tree Hill.

Despite her career on the rise, ‘her personal life was slowly beginning to unravel’ because nobody, not even her fans or co-stars, knew she was living a ‘secret double life in a cult’.

The narration described Lenz as ‘an only child who often had to fend for herself and always wanted a place to belong’ and discovered what she thought was a ‘safe haven’ in ‘a Bible study group with other Hollywood creatives’.

However, she had gotten entangled in ‘a slowly woven web of manipulation, abuse, and fear under the guise of a church covenant called The Big House Family’. 

In her book description on Simon & Schuster publishing company’s official website, she said that he convinced her to marry his son and stole millions of dollars from her television income from One Tree Hill, which ran for nine seasons from 2003 to 2012

The Drama Queens podcast host previously revealed in July 2023 that she was working on a memoir about the 10 years she spent in a cult and the following decade she spent healing from the ‘ deep trauma ‘

She did not ‘find the courage to leave’ until a decade later when she gave birth to her child and became a mother because she wanted to ‘spare her child from a similar fate’. She gave birth to her only child, daughter Maria Rose, 13, in 2011

Back in December 2005, the singer-songwriter married Michael Galeotti, formerly of the band Enation. She shares daughter Maria Rose with the late musician

She wrote about losing her autonomy and later moving to the cult’s Pacific Northwest compound ‘overseen by a domineering minister who would convince Lenz to marry one of his sons and steadily drained millions of her TV income without her knowledge’.

Back in December 2005, the singer-songwriter married the late musician Michael Galeotti, formerly of the band Enation.

The couple gave birth to daughter Maria Rose, now 13, her only child, in 2011. 

Four years after their separation in January 2016, he tragically passed away at age 31 from atherosclerotic heart disease.

Within the cult she said, there were Family ‘minders’ keeping an eye on her on set as well as ‘Maoist struggle session’-inspired meetings in a ‘filthy’ basement.

In her book, she also opened up about ‘regular counseling’ with whom she called ‘Leadership’, which she claimed kept her under their control. 

She did not ‘find the courage to leave’ until a decade later when she gave birth to her child and became a mother because she wanted to ‘spare her child from a similar fate’.

She also credited the ‘unlikely help’ of a One Tree Hill superfan with helping her ‘escape the family’s grip and begin to heal’.

Dinner for Vampires will be available in bookstores on October 22.