In the early 2000s, after years of hard work and determination to breakthrough as an actor, Bethany Joy Lenz was finally cast as one of the leads on the hit drama One Tree Hill. Her career was about to take off, but her personal life was slowly beginning to unravel. What none of the show’s millions of fans knew, hidden even from her costars, was her secret double life in a cult.
An only child who often had to fend for herself and always wanted a place to belong, Lenz found the safe haven she’d been searching for in a Bible study group with other Hollywood creatives. However, the group soon morphed into something more sinister—a slowly woven web of manipulation, abuse, and fear under the guise of a church covenant called The Big House Family. Piece by piece, Lenz began to give away her autonomy, ultimately relocating to the Family’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. Family “minders” assigned to her on set, “Maoist struggle session”–inspired meetings in the basement of a filthy house, and regular counseling with “Leadership” were just part of the tactics used to keep her loyal.
Only when she became a mother did Lenz find the courage to leave and spare her child from a similar fate. After nearly a decade (and with the unlikely help of a One Tree Hill superfan), she finally managed to escape the family’s grip and begin to heal from the deep trauma that forever altered her relationship with God and her understanding of faith. Written with powerful honesty and dark humor, Dinner for Vampires is an inspiring story about the importance of identity and understanding what you believe.
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Haunting.
I have read several celebrity memoirs throughout the years. I've never been as astonished while reading Dinner for Vampires. I have no words for what I read and what Bethany Joy Lenz endured in those years. Even before I started reading the book, I was surprised to learn that she had been in a cult, and I was curious to learn how she got there. Dinner For Vampires was a very emotional. Although I had never been a part of a cult, reading the memoir made me feel I had because she described what was happening. I felt her fear, sadness, and doubt. I can’t even begin to imagine what I would done if I were in her situation and endured it for as long as she had, but I understand why she had. She appeared happy on TV and during the interviews, and being in the cult was the last thing I expected.
I'd been a big fan of One Tree Hill for years, and Haley was always one of my favorite characters, along with Joy's singing. I had no idea Paul Johansson was his closest friend out of the entire cast of the show, but I am glad he was able to support her. I never imagined Bethany wouldn't want to do One Tree Hill, but I'm pleased she did since I can't imagine anybody else playing Haley. I enjoyed reading about her acting career, and it was evident how enthusiastic she was about being an actress. I couldn’t believe that the people who called her ‘family’ didn’t even watch a single episode of her show. I was suspicious of most of them from the beginning; it’s the way that she described and what she shared I didn’t trust them.
I despised the way they treated and dominated her. I don't think I've ever felt so angry as I did while reading those sections. The book was not always easy to read. I wondered about the title. Dinner For Vampires , but as I started reading the book, it fit exactly what Bethany went through, that her 'family' was vampires. I'm very grateful that I got an opportunity to read this book, and I'll acquire a physical copy in the future to reread it. Even if you have never seen One Tree Hill, I highly recommend this book.
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