Ex-‘Smallville’ star Allison Mack freed after just two years behind bars for sex cult scandal
Allison Mack walks free early
US actress Allison Mack has been released from prison early after serving two years for her role in the notorious Nxivm sex-trafficking case. The 40-year-old, best known for her part in TV hit Smallville, pleaded guilty in 2019 to racketeering and conspiracy. She admitted recruiting women into the twisted Nxivm cult.
The dark truth behind Nxivm
Nxivm, pronounced “nexium,” started out in 1998 as a seemingly innocent self-help group. It claimed to have helped over 16,000 people, including high-profile names like the son of a former Mexican president and Hollywood actresses such as Mack.
But prosecutors revealed a sinister reality. Mack was a top henchwoman for Keith Raniere, Nxivm’s leader, grooming women to become his sexual partners. Recruits were reportedly branded with Raniere’s initials and pressured into sex to gain entry to the cult, based in Albany, New York.
Cooperation cuts sentence short
Mack’s prison term was slashed from three years after she cooperated with investigators. Initially facing up to 17 years, her help in building the case against Raniere earned her an early release, confirmed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons on Monday.
Raniere’s downfall and Mack’s remorse
In 2020, Raniere got handed a staggering 120-year sentence for masterminding coercion and sex slavery within Nxivm. Before her own sentencing, Mack publicly apologised, calling her involvement “the biggest mistake and regret” of her life. She expressed sorrow for those she recruited into the emotionally abusive cult.
