Nxivm trial: Allison Mack starved 'Dynasty' actor Catherine Oxenberg's daughter because sex slaves had to be 'skinny, sleep-deprived'
'Dynasty' actor Catherine Oxenberg's daughter India was put on a 500 calorie-per-day diet for a year while she was a part of the Nxivm’s secret sex cult, according to testimony on Friday by a former member, who was identified as "Nicole".
She also said that 'Smallville' actor Allison Mack was so manipulative that she would threaten to starve India if Nicole was not obedient. During the sex-trafficking trial of accused Nxivm leader Keith Raniere, Nicole explained, "When India and I became close, they would use her to make me behave."
According to a report in New York Post, she said, "Alison was trying to have [Oxenberg] get down to a certain weight, and they decided that goal weight was 107 pounds." Previous witnesses have also testified as to how Raniere preferred his 'slaves' to be a certain weight. Nicole also added, "It was just really hard to watch, sometimes. It was tough on her."
Previous witnesses have described how Raniere preferred his “slaves” skinny, sleep-deprived and compliant.
When Nicole did gain the courage to leave the cult, Mack tried to lure her back in by using her friend again. "The first thing Allison said is ‘Look what this is doing to India, she hasn’t eaten since she got your email'. And India said ‘Well, that’s not entirely true'," recalled Nicole as the witness.
The 31-year-old broke down multiple times during her testimony as she spoke about the humiliating rituals she endured for her “master” Mack including naked group photos for Raniere.
She asked the jurors, "This was supposed to be a woman’s empowerment group, how is it empowering to make us take off our clothes to send photos to a man?" and added, "How is it empowering? Because it feels completely degrading."
According to Nicole, the alleged cult members met at Mack's residence in New York for what she termed 'church service' and she addressed all the members with nicknames.
Mack called Nicole 'the brat' while she referred to India as 'princess'.
Even as Nicole recalled how it was to get the initials of Raniere seared into her flesh with a cauterizing pen, her parents wept from the gallery.
She said, "I was resigned to the fact that I was getting branded."
Nicole also said that it was the thought of her family that kept her going. She said, "It sounds stupid now, but I thought, ‘What would you go through for your little brother?’ And I thought, ‘I can do this. I can do this'.” It was after coming across a blog by a former member of the same cult that Nichole felt that she had a way out. "It was like, a flash of reality," she said.