Who is Allison Mack and how is she linked to NXIVM sex cult?
SMALLVILLE star Allison Mack is facing time behind bars for her connection with a sex cult that enslaved women. The actress called her involvement with NXIVM the biggest mistake and regret" of her life. Allison Mack, 38, starred in Smallville as Chloe Sullivan and also worked as a producer and director. The actress was born on July 29, 1982, in Preetz, West Germany to Jonathan - an opera singer - and Mindy Mack, who were in Germany at the time of her birth because her father was performing there. While she is best known for her roles as Chloe Sullivan on Smallville and as Amanda on Wilfred, her acting career began at four years old in advertisements for German Chocolate. She began studying at the Young Actors Space in Los Angeles when she was seven years old, and in 1998 landed her first television role in an episode of 7th Heaven in which she played a teenager who self-harmed. 8 Allison Mack is awaiting sentencing Credit: AP:Associated Press  She also briefly featured in Opposite Sex in 2000, R.L. Stine's miniseries The Nightmare Room, as well as film roles in Police Academy 6: City Under Siege, My Horrible Year, Camp Nowhere and Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves. She is best known for co-starring in Smallville in 2001 as Chloe Sullivan - one of teen Clark Kent's best friends. From 2003 to 2004, Allison's character appeared in her own miniseries titled Smallville: Chloe Chronicles, and in 2006, Smallville: Vengeance Chronicles. She won several awards and nominations for her portrayal of Chloe, including the Teen Choice Award for Best Sidekick in 2006 and 2007. 8 Mack won awards for her role in Smallville including a Teen Choice Award Credit: Warner Bros  In 2012, she was cast in a recurring role in the second season of the FX sitcom Wilfred, as Amanda, the love interest of Elijah Wood's lead character Ryan. In 2014, Mack guest-starred as a policewoman named Hilary in an episode of the Fox thriller The Following. The former star was reportedly arrested in New York for her role in the NXIVM DOS sex cult in April 2018. In May 2017 it was reported the actress was "brainwashed into recruiting up to 25 women into the terrifying slave cult." NXIVM claimed to be a self-help group that gives classes and seminars that help clients on a path of personal and professional development. There was a training system, where students refer to founder Keith Raniere as "founder." Allison Mack was allegedly a "master" in the cult and therefore had to obey orders from leader Raniere. She allegedly had to find bed partners for him, run 40 miles a week and keep a strict diet to stay as skinny as possible. An ex-publicist for the "cult" claimed Allison was in charge of recruiting new women into NXIVM - and in April 2019 Mack pleaded guilty to blackmailing women into becoming sex slaves for the cult. 8 Alison Mack was allegedly a 'master' in the NXIVM DOS sex slave cult Credit: Channel 4  Writing in a blog post on his personal website, Frank Parlato claimed that Allison even started branding her initials on other women. He claimed: "Mack, the second in command of DOS  which stands for Dominus Obsequious Sororium (translating to 'the slave women under the master')  reportedly has Ranieres initials branded on her pubic region. "And she has her own initials, along with Ranieres, branded on dozens of other women. "She used her celebrity status to persuade women into sending Raniere graphic nude pictures and confessions to use as blackmail and used her own home to have them branded with a hot iron by physician Dr Danielle Roberts, one of the slave women of Mack and Raniere." It is said more than 12,000 people signed up for classes between 1998 and 2010. The cult's name, DOS, is believed to be short for "dominus obsequious sororium" - Latin for the "master over the slave women." 8 Escaped cult members have told how they were pinned down and given this brand on their pubic area Credit: Frank Report  Personal information and pictures were collected as part of the initiation. Branding is also said to be used on some members - reportedly dubbed "slaves." In one shocking email seen by Sun Online, slaves were told to fast for 12 hours a day, take cold showers and perform a "daily act to honor" their master. NXIVM put out a statement at the time saying: "The allegations relayed in the story are built upon sources, some of which are under criminal investigation or already indicted, who act as a coordinated group." Mack has been under house arrest as she awaits sentencing. She wrote a lengthy letter to the court claiming to be remorseful ahead of a hearing in July of 201 when she will be punished for her criminal activity. She called her involvement in the NXIVM sex cult the biggest mistake and regret of her life as she begged the judge for no jail time.  Allison apologized to anyone who had been harmed by her actions. 8 Allison Mack Credit: Splash News  She said, according to The Hollywood Reporter: It is now of paramount importance for me to say, from the bottom of my heart, I am so sorry. I threw myself into the teachings of Keith Raniere with everything I had, she said. The former TV star continued: I believed, whole-heartedly, that his mentorship was leading me to a better, more enlightened version of myself. I devoted my loyalty, my resources, and, ultimately, my life to him. This was the biggest mistake and regret of my life.  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