>>> WELL, IT'S BEEN NEARLY A
YEAR SINCE A SHOCKING PHOTO ON
THE COVER OF THE NEW YORK TIMES
EXPOSED AN ALLEGED SECRET
SOCIETY.
WOMEN SAY THEY WERE BRANDED.
REFERRED TO AS SEX SLAVES AND
FORCED TO GIVE COLLATERAL TO
GUARANTEE THEIR SILENCE.
THEY SAY THEY WERE ALL MEMBERS
OF A SELF-HELP GROUP, NXIVM.
THE LEADER IS A MAN NAMED KEITH.
HE'S IN FEDERAL PRISON.
OUR NEXT GUEST WAS AN ACTIVE
MEMBER OF THE GROUP FOR NINE
YEARS.
BARBARA SAYS SHE WAS ALSO
KEITH'S GIRLFRIEND.
SHE LEFT IN 2009 LONG BEFORE THE
SECRET SOCIETY WAS FORMED.
BARBARA IS GOING TO JOIN ME LIVE
IN A MINUTE.
FIRST, WATCH THIS.
BARBARA MET KEITH IN THE SPRING
OF 2000 THROUGH HER THERAPIST
AND FRIEND.
A FINANCIAL PLANNER, AND SHE WAS
GOING THROUGH A DIVORCE AND LOST
HER BEST FRIEND WHEN SHE WAS
ENCOURAGED TO JOIN A
SELF-IMPROVEMENT COURSE.
>> IT WAS SO LIFE CHANGING AND
PROFOUND.
KEITH ACTUALLY TAUGHT MORE THAN
HALF OF THE PROGRAM BECAUSE IT
WAS NEW.
>> Reporter: WITHIN A FEW MONTHS
SHE SAYS HER FEELINGS TOWARD HIM
GREW AS DID HER CONNECTION TO
THE PROGRAM.
>> I AM NOW VERY MUCH IN LOVE
WITH KEITH.
VERY ALIGNED WITH THE
PHILOSOPHY, AND REALLY HAVE
EXPERIENCED THE CHANGES WITHIN
ME.
SO I BEGAN HELPING KEITH AND
NANCY DEVELOP INFRASTRUCTURE AND
ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS, AND SALES
AND MARKETING MATERIAL, AND
HELPING TO TRAIN PEOPLE.
>> Reporter: SHE SAYS THEIR
RELATIONSHIP WAS NOT TYPICAL.
>> DATING KEITH DID NOT LOOK
LIKE GOING TO DINNER OR A
WEEKEND AT THE BEACH.
KEITH DIDN'T DO THOSE KIND OF
SOCIAL THINGS.
>> Reporter: STILL, SHE BELIEVED
THEY WERE IN A COMMITTED
RELATIONSHIP.
>> I DROVE KEITH TO ALL THE
EVENTS.
HE SLEPT AT MY HOUSE THREE OR
FOUR NIGHTS A WEEK.
PEOPLE WOULD MOVE IF THEY WERE
SITTING ON THE COUCH NEXT TO HIM
FOR ME.
FOR ALL GENERAL PURPOSES, MY
OBSERVATION OF HOW IT LOOKED TO
THE PEOPLE IS I WAS HIS SOUL
MATE, HIS COMPANION AND HIS
SIGNIFICANT GIRLFRIEND.
>> Reporter: SHE NOW ADMITS
THERE WERE RED FLAGS THAT CAUSED
HER TO FEEL UNEASY.
FROM OTHER WOMEN.
>> I DIDN'T KNOW FOR A YEAR THAT
THERE WAS ANYBODY ELSE HE WAS
INVOLVED WITH AND DURING THE
NINE YEARS THERE WERE 12 WOMEN
HE HAD INSTANCES WITH.
>> Reporter: A PATTERN OF
MANIPULATION.
>> THE PEOPLE GOT TO SEE THE
GLIMMERS OF THE DARK SIDE OF
KEITH AND THE ABUSE WITHIN HIS
INNER CIRCLE THAT STARTED TO
TRICKLE DOWN.
>> Reporter: BY 2009 SHE HAD TO
GET OUT.
>> I GAVE IT A GIRL SCOUT TRY.
I REALLY DID.
>> Reporter: SHE SHARES HER
STORY WITH THE NEW PODCAST,
UNDER COVER, ESCAPING NEXIVM.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS.
WE TALK ABOUT THESE GROUPS SO
OFTEN WITHOUT SPENDING MUCH TIME
ON WHAT WOULD SUCK YOU INTO A
GROUP LIKE THIS ?
THIS GROUP FORMS A SECRET
SOCIETY WHERE WOMEN SAY THEY
WERE GETTING BRANDED AND ALL
SORTS OF THINGS.
WHAT WAS THE ATTRACTION
INITIALLY?
>> SO THE ATTRACTION WAS THE
TRANSFORMATIONAL, INSPIRATIONAL
CURRICULUM AND MATERIAL.
AND THE PEOPLE THAT TAUGHT THE
WORKSHOPS WERE REALLY AMAZING
EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE.
AND SO WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS
EVERYDAY PEOPLE WOULD GO IN AND
TAKE A WORKSHOP, AND IT WAS SO
LIFE CHANGING THAT THEY'D GO
BACK TO THEIR LIVES AND THEIR
BROTHER WOULD SAY OH, MY GOSH,
WHAT DID YOU DO THERE?
THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT YOU.
MY WHOLE STAFF SAID HOLY COW.
WE WANT WHAT YOU GOT.
THERE'S PEACE ABOUT IT.
>> YOU WIND UP BECOMING KEITH'S
GIRLFRIEND, AND WE KNOW, WHAT
WAS HE LIKE?
EVERYONE IN THE GROUP CALLED HIM
VANGUARD.
THERE WAS LIKE A TWO-WEEK
CELEBRATION OF THE MAN'S
BIRTHDAY.
AT ANY POINT WERE YOU LIKE THIS
IS WEIRD?
>> YEAH.
WELL, ACTUALLY TO CLARIFY, HE
WAS ONLY CALLED VANGUARD WHEN HE
SHOWED UP VERY RARELY AT THE
TRAINING CENTER WITHIN DOING A
FORUM.
SO IT WASN'T HIS EVERYDAY NAME.
IT WAS JUST IN A CERTAIN
ENVIRONMENT.
AND AS FAR AS VANGUARD WEEK IS
CONCERNED, I DEVELOPED IT AS A
AN ANNUAL CONFERENCE MORE SO
THAN TO CELEBRATE HIS BIRTHDAY
FOR TEN DAYS.
WHAT HE WAS LIKE AS A PERSON IS
DIFFERENT THAN WHAT A LOT OF
PEOPLE SAW.
HE LED A VERY PRIVATE SHELTERED
LIFE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T -- PEOPLE
SAW HIM LIKE A MOVIE STAR, AND
LIKE HAD CELEBRITY-LIKE WHEN
THEY'RE AROUND HIM.
FOR ME IN EVERY DAY LIFE, KEITH
WAS A VERY DYNAMIC PERSON.
HE WAS VERY SOFT SPOKEN.
VERY ENGAGING IN DIALOGUES.
HE WAS FUNNY.
HE WAS WITTY.
HE COULD PLAY THE PIANO AND WAS
MOVING.
>> HE WAS A BRAGGART ABOUT HIS
RESUME.
THIS IS -- DO WE HAVE A SOUND
BITE IN WE HAD A SPICY EXCHANGE
ON THE STORIES ABOUT HIMSELF.
HERE'S SOME OF IT.
>> WHAT ABOUT KEITH AND HIS
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TRUTH?
HE CLAIMED HE GRADUATED FROM
HIGH SCHOOL AND STARTED RPI AT
16.
THAT'S NOT TRUE.
>> I DON'T KNOW.
>> HE CLAIMED HE COULD MAKE FULL
SENTENCES BY THE AGE OF ONE.
>> IF EXAGGERATING ABOUT ONE'S
RESUME IS A CRIME, I THINK WE'RE
ALL IN TROUBLE.
>> I'M NOT.
>> I'M PROBABLY NOT EITHER, BUT
EASTERN THE TWO OF US.
>> HE'S A LIAR.
HE HAS A HISTORY ABOUT LYING
ABOUT HIMSELF AND HIS
ACHIEVEMENTS, INCLUDING HIS TIME
AT RPI WHERE HE WAS A 2 .2 GPA
AND NOT --
>> THAT DOESN'T WORRY ME IN THE
LEAST.
>> NO?
>> NO.
>> BUT THIS, HE DID DO A LOT OF
SORT OF PUFFERY AS WE REFER TO
IT IN LAW ABOUT HIMSELF.
>> I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY THAT
HE DID.
A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY TO ME WAS HE
SMART AND DID HE DO THESE
THINGS?
AND MY RESPONSE IS GENERALLY I
DON'T KNOW HOW HIGH HIS IQ WAS
OR WHETHER HE SPOKE AT THE AGE
OF TWO, BUT WHAT I OBSERVED WAS
A VERY INTELLIGENT MAN WHO WAS
VERY SKILLED AT MANY THINGS, AND
WAS VERY WELL READ AND EDUCATED
ABOUT A LOT OF TOPICS, AND I
WATCHED HIM WITH THOUGHT
LEADERS, EXPERTS FROM EVERY WALK
OF LIFE, POLITICS AND FINANCE
AND BUSINESS COME IN THE DOORS
THAT I BECAUSE OF MY POSITION
WAS ABLE TO SIT AND OBSERVE HIM
INTERACT.
SO HE WAS A BRIGHT MAN.
>> IT WAS BELIEVABLE.
THOSE STORIES WERE BELIEVABLE TO
YOU GIVEN THAT HE WASN'T -- HE
WAS ARTICULATE?
>> CONEXACTLY.
>> HE WAS SMART OFF TO ROPE IN A
LOT OF PEOPLE AND ULTIMATELY TO
BE WHAT PROSECUTORS SAY WAS
THETHE
>>> WE'RE BACK NOW WITH A FORMER
MEMBER OF THE CONTROVERSIAL
SELF-HELP GROUP NIXUIM.
ANOTHER FORMER MEMBER EXPOSED AN
ALLEGED SECRET SOCIETY WHEN SHE
PUBLICLY SHARED THIS SHOCKING
IMAGE OF A BRAND ON HER OWN
PELVIC REGION LAST FALL.
HERE SHE IS TALKING ABOUT IT.
>> I'M FEELING PAIN AND I HAVE
ALL THESE WOMEN AROUND ME
HOLDING ME.
IT WAS LIKE AWFUL, AND AT THE
SAME TIME IN THOSE MOMENTS,
LIKE, CRAZY INTENSE TO GO
THROUGH THIS WITH A BUNCH OF
WOMEN THAT I WAS LIKE STARTING
TO FEEL CLOSE TO BECAUSE WE'RE
GOING THROUGH [ BLEEP ] TRAUMA
TOGETHER.
OH MY GOD.
THIS IS CRAZY, AND I'M ALSO LIKE
PUSHING MYSELF JUST TO GET
THROUGH IT.
>> THINK OF THAT.
THAT WAS SARA ED MONOSON FROM AN
INVESTIGATIVE SERIES.
JOSH BLOCK IS JOINING US NOW,
THE HOST AND PRODUCER.
YOU KNOW SARA PERSONALLY.
I TALKED TO RANIERE'S LAWYER,
AND HE WAS LIKE YOU KNOW WHAT?
SARA, SHE DID THAT VOLUNTARILY.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROVE IN A
COURT OF LAW THAT THAT WAS
COMPLETELY VOLUNTARY.
THAT THESE WOMEN WERE EMPOWERED
AND IF THEY WANT TO BRAND
THEMSELVES LIKE A TATTOO, IT'S
UP TO YOU.
THERE'S NOTHING UNLAWFUL ABOUT
IT.
WHAT WOULD SHE SAY ABOUT THAT?
>> SHE WOULD SAY SHE PROCEEDED
WITH THE BRANDINGER CEREMONY AFR
HANDING OVER DAMAGING COLLATERAL
THAT WOULD HAVE DESTROYED HER
LIFE.
IT WAS NUDE PHOTOS, FALSE CON
FEGS ABOUT LOVED ONES AND SHE
SAID SHE DID NOT KNOW IT WAS
GOING TO BE A BRAND OR THE KR.
SHE ONLY FOUND OUT, SHE SAYS,
THAT'S WHAT WAS ON HER BODY TWO
MONTHS AFTER BEING BRANDED AND
THAT'S WHAT STARTED THE PROCESS
FOR HER OF WAKING UP AND SAYING
I NEED TO GET OUT.
>> DID SHE KNOW SHE WAS JOINING
A SEX SLAVE GROUP?
>> WHAT WAS PITCHED TO HER 12
YEARS INTO THE GROUP.
SHE'S APPROACHED BY A GROUP
OF -- BY PEOPLE CLOSE TO HER,
SAYING BE A PART OF THIS WOMEN'S
EMPOWERMENT GROUP TO TAKE YOUR
PERSONAL GROWTH TO THE NEXT
LEVEL.
IT'S ALL WOMEN.
WE'RE COMING TOGETHER AND WE'RE
GOING TO REALLY ACHIEVE THE
GOALS WE WANT TO ACHIEVE, AND
SHE THOUGHT THAT THAT'S -- SHE
DID HAND OVER COLLATERAL TO JOIN
IT, BUT THAT WAS PART OF HER
COMMITMENT TO IT.
SHE DIDN'T KNOW THAT KEITH
RANIERE WAS A PART OF THIS AND
SHE SAYS SHE LEARNED LATER WOMEN
IN THE GROUP WERE BEING
INSTRUCTED TO HAVE SEXUAL
ENCOUNTERS WITH KEITH.
>> WHEN YOU WERE WITH KEITH IN A
RELATIONSHIP, YOU SAY YOU FOUND
OUT HE HAD 12 LOVERS AT THE SAME
TIME.
WHAT WAS THAT REVEAL LIKE?
WAS IT LIKE HE'S SLEEPING WITH
EVERYBODY IN THIS GROUP?
OR WAS IT LIKE HE'S JUST A
PROLIFIC CHEATER?
>> THAT'S A REALLY GOOD
QUESTION.
I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE AND
HIS SOUL MATE FOR ABOUT A GOOD
YEAR.
I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT ANYBODY.
AND THEN AFTER A YEAR I FOUND
OUT ABOUT SOMEONE THAT THEY THEN
PORTRAYED WAS GAY AND JUST A
STUDENT TEACHER KIND OF THING, A
COUPLE TIMES A YEAR, AND SO THEY
FRAMED THINGS.
IN MY NINE YEARS THERE, I ONLY
KNEW ABOUT A FEW OF THEM.
THEY ALL KNEW ABOUT EACH OTHER
AND THERE WAS 12 OF THEM, AND
NOT CONSECUTIVELY AND
CONTINUALLY, BUT CERTAIN PERIODS
OF TIME, AND I DIDN'T FIND OUT
ABOUT NINE OF THEM UNTIL AFTER I
LEFT.
THEY HAD A VERY CAREFULLY
CRAFTED CONSPIRACY TO WITHHOLD
THIS FROM ME BECAUSE KEITH KNEW
THAT IF I KNEW THAT, I WOULDN'T
HAVE STAYED.
AND I WAS IN INTEGRAL IN HELPING
CREATE THE COMPANY AND PUTTING
SYSTEMS IN AND PLUS HE LOVED ME,
ALLEGEDLY.
I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT ALL THOSE
WOMEN, AND I COULDN'T TELL.
LIKE I SAID, IF I WALKED IN THE
ROOM, EVERYBODY MADE WAY FOR ME
LIKE IT WOULD BE NORMAL THAT I
WAS HIS GIRLFRIEND.
>> I ASKED HIS LAWYER ABOUT THE
ALLEGATIONS THAT HE WAS SLEEPING
WITH BIG NUMBERS OF WOMEN WITHIN
THE GROUP, AND HE SAID IT'S A
FAR MORE LIMITED NUMBER THAN IS
BEING ALLEGED AND THAT HE'S A
VIBRANT MAN WHO IS A
>>> WE'RE BACK NOW.
WE'RE BACK WITH A ONCE HIGH
RANKING MEMBER OF NEXIUM WHO
SAID SHE DATED THE FOUNDER KEITH
RANIERE, AND ALSO JOSH BLOCK.
CAN I ASK ABOUT SARA AND THE
BRAND.
YOU'VE SOON IT?
>> I HAVE.
IT WAS SHOCKING TO SEE.
I SAW IT WHEN SHE WAS ON THE
FRONT PAGE OF THE NEW YORK
SOMETIMES.
IT WAS STUNNING TO SEE SOMEONE
YOU GREW UP WITH SHOWING THE
BRAND.
SHE SHOWED ME AS WELL.
IT WAS STILL HEALING.
SOME LINES WERE STHIN SCARS.
>> SOME SCARS YOU CAN SEE AND
SOME SCARS YOU CANNOT.
SHE EXTRICATED HERSELF FROM THE
GROUP.
IT HASN'T ALWAYS BEEN THAT EASY.
EVEN WHEN YOU LEFT IN 2009,
THERE WERE ATTEMPTS TO GET YOU
BACK THERE.
THIS IS BEFORE DOS AND THE
ALLEGED SEX SLAVERY.
>> YES.
>> WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE
ALLEGATIONS THEY WENT ONTO FORM
A SECRET SOCIETY.
THIS WERE ALLEGED SEX SLAVES AND
BRANDING THEMSELVES.
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT?
>> I HAVE A THEORY ABOUT WHY HE
FORMED DOS.
WHEN I LEFT I WAS THE HIGHEST
RANKING PERSON TO LEAVE AND A
SIGNIFICANT PERSON.
THAT THREW A CURVEBALL AND
OPENED UP PANDORA'S BOX.
ONE OF HIS CLOSEST GIRLFRIENDS
WHO OVERSAW THE LAWSUITS LEFT
FOUR YEARS AGO.
SHE STARTED WORKING WITH THE
AUTHORITIES ABOUT WHAT SHE KNEW
ABOUT THE CORRUPTION.
THAT COMPLETELY UNGLUED HIM, I
THINK.
HERE WAS HIS MOST DEVOTED
KNOWING THE MOST WHO LEFT, AND
TOSSED HIM UNDER THE BUS.
AND IT'S INTERESTING THAT A YEAR
LATER HE FORM THIRD DOWN WOMAN'S
GROUP.
AND HE FORMED IT BEGINNING WITH
HIS INNER CLOSEST WOMEN.
AND I BELIEVE THAT HE DID THAT
IN AN EFFORT TO BEGIN TO TIGHTEN
THE HATCH DOWN, TO TRY TO HAVE
HIM POLICE EACH OTHER AND TRY TO
KEEP INFORMATION CONTAINED,
HENCE THE COLLATERAL TO KEEP
THEM FROM TALKING.
BUT I THINK KEITH WAS A DEEPLY
FLAWED HUMAN BEING.
AND I THINK ONE OF HIS FATAL
FLAWS WAS GOING BEYOND HIS INNER
CIRCLE OF WOMEN TO BRING IN
WOMEN HE HAD NO INTIMATE
RELATIONSHIP WITH LIKE SARA AND
BRINGING THEM INTO THE FOLD WHEN
THEY'RE LIKE THIS IS BIZARRE.
>> AND SO ONE THING, IF YOU
THINK YOU'RE JOINING SOMETHING
FOR FEMALE EMPOWERMENT TO BE
SELF-RELIANT AND THEN YOU'RE
GETTING BRANDED WITHOUT
ANESTHESIA WITH A CAUTERIZING
TOOL.
HE'S IN JAIL RIGHT NOW AWAITING
TRIAL ON MULTIPLE FELONIES.
AND ALSO IS HIS RIGHT HAND WOMAN
ALONG WITH OTHERS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK, JOSH?
WHAT'S THE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM
ABOUT HOW THAT TRIAL IS GOING TO
GO?
>> IT'S HARD.
WE'VE SEEN SOME EVIDENCE THE FBI
HAS PUT FORWARD IN THEIR
INDICTMENT.
IT SEEMS QUITE DAMMING ON THE
ONE HAND.
YOU HAVE E-MAIL EXCHANGES
BETWEEN KEITH RANIERE AND
ALLEGED DOS MEMBERS TALKING
ABOUT HIS ROLE IN IT.
BUT IT'S HARD TO TELL.
WE ALSO SPOKE WITH SOMEONE ELSE.
THEY'RE CONFIDENCE.
>> MARK IS GOING TO GO AFTER IT.
HE GAVE US A STATEMENT SAYING
KEITH AND I FEEL VERY STRONG IN
OUR POSITION LEGALLY AND
FACTUALLY.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY WHEN
PEOPLE WHO HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY
DO SO