Where is Jessica Joan now? Details from How I Escaped My Cult, explored 

Hulu's new docuseries How I Escaped My Cult dropped on February 20, 2025. Episode 8 NXIVM/The Vow deals with the story of Jessica Joan and how she escaped the s*x maniac cult NXIVM led by Keith Raniere and companion Allison Mack.

Jessica Joan is an actor, author, poet, and an advocate for the survivors of cults. Currently, she is based in Los Angeles, California, where she uses her social media as a platform to speak about healing, mental awareness, and self-love.

She gained significant attention for her involvement in exposing a secret cult called NXIVM led by Keith Raniere. Her determination and courageous action played an important role in exposing the cult's activities to the world.

Let's have a look at what Jessica Joan's life is like after escaping NXIVM.

Jessica Joan's post NXIVM journey: How I Escaped My Cult

Jessica Joan leads a successful life as a published author, actor, advocate for cult survivors, and poet from Los Angeles, California. Originally from Anaheim, CA, she moved to Los Angeles to start her career as an actor and model. She also uses her social media to reach a global audience and share thoughts on mental well-being and self-love. Recently she appeared on the Tamron Hall Show where she shared her journey and how she escaped the NXIVM cult. On February 14, 2025, she hosted a workshop for The Kinn which included activities like breathwork, cacao, and sound healing.

Apart from posting motivational quotes on her Instagram, she loves spending time with her close friends and family, and vacations with them too. She also hosts workshops based on healing and self-love.

In 2021, Jessica wrote a book 'The Untouchable Jessica Joan: A Real Life Journey of Love, Forgiveness and Evolution' where she shared her journey from being recruited to the NXIVM cult to finally escaping it. In 2023 she also published another book called The Untouchable Jessica Joan: The Downfall of NXIVM.

What is the NXIVM as shown in How I Escaped My Cult?

NXIVM was a multi-level marketing company (actually a cult ) that was founded by Keith Raniere and Nancy Salzman, a nurse in 1998 near Albany, New York. The company advertised as a self-help personal development program, but was exposed for its criminal activities, which included s*x trafficking, forced labor, racketeering, and abuse.

Under this organization, operated several subgroups, called The Vow or DOS, a sub-group where women were branded and forced into s*xual servitude. The members were required to have physical relations with Keith Raniere.

To gain access to the organization, reportedly one had to give a bare photograph or any other compromising photographs, and were blackmailed later that if they disclosed anything about the group's existence, their photos would be leaked. It is said that around 16,000 people were part of this cult.

The exposure of this cult led to multiple arrests, including that of Keith Raniere for 120 years. Let's have a look at how Jessica Joan escaped it.

How did Jessica Joan escape the NXIVM?

Jessica Joan first encountered NXIVM through an invitation by India, daughter of Catherine Oxenberg, to attend the group's Executive Success Program (ESP) which was supposed to be based on personal growth and empowerment. However, with time she realized that within the DOS group, the women were forced to be s*xual slaves for the group's leader Keith Raniere. She was tasked with a 'special assignment' by her mentor and Grandmaster Allison Mack that required her to have physical relations with Keith Raniere.

At this point, Jessica took the brave decision to extricate. She joined hands with the FBI, NYPD, and District Attorneys for three years and helped in the investigation against the cult. Her testimony was crucial to arresting and leveraging charges on Keith Raneire.

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In 2021, NXIVM founder Keith Raniere was sentenced to 120 years in prison for sex trafficking and other crimes. The actress and Keith's accomplice Allison Mack pleaded guilty to conspiracy and racketeering charges. However, she was released in 2023 after serving her two-year term out of the three-year sentence. Nancy Salzman, the co-founder, was also found guilty and was sentenced to 42 months in prison, and her daughter Lauren Salzman, for up to five years of probation and 300 hours of community service.

Read More: Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown: What's the story behind the Jim Jones documentary?

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