logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2020
50m 51s

Naomi Gibson – Children of God and NXIVM...

PodcastOne
About this episode

Episode 9: Lola and Meagan interview Naomi Gibson, former member of both the Children of God (aka the Family) and NXIVM. In part one of this two-part episode, she talks to the girls about living on a commune in the Philippines with the Family, the abuse that went on there, how her mother decided to leave, and why it's so hard to leave a group without a strong support system on the other side. She also touches on the parallels between both groups... to be continued in part two! www.trustmepod.com 

If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or abuse of power, shoot us an email at trustmepod@gmail.com.

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM:

@trustmepodcast

@oohlalola

@vibehigherbitch

OR TWITTER:

@trustmecultpod

@ohlalola

Up next
Aug 20
Claire Hoffman - Levitation, Meditation, and a Childhood in a Transcendental Meditation Trailer Park
In Part 1 of our interview with journalist Claire Hoffman, Claire shares what it was like growing up in an Iowa trailer park community built around the Transcendental Meditation (or TM) movement and its charismatic leader, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi–whose followers included The Beatle ... Show More
39m 56s
Aug 13
Carol Merchasin - The Cult Assassin: Suing High-Control Groups
Attorney Carol Merchasin didn’t set out to expose cults, but after investigating allegations about a high-control Buddhist organization and discovering that the abuse had run more rampant than she’d imagined, she became a lawyer and focused her practice on getting justice for sur ... Show More
1h 11m
Aug 6
Akina Cox - Part 2: The Moonies, ICE, and the Cult Tactics of Trump
Artist and writer Akina Cox returns to share more about her experience growing up in the Unification Church (also known as the Moonies), its physical punishment rituals, and where the church stands now. The girls then transition from the topic of her particular cult to a discussi ... Show More
53m 11s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2022
S3/ E 138 Trust Me: Cults & Stalking
Lola Blanc and Meagan Elizabeth are cult survivors who turned their harrowing experiences into a true crime podcast. As a child, Lola and her mother fell prey to a charismatic “prophet,” who turned out to be a cult leader. Meagan was raised in a high control Christian group known ... Show More
47 m
Jul 2022
Mormon MomTok Drama Ft. Lola and Meagan From Trust Me
This week, Sara and Danny are joined by Lola Blanc and Meagan Elizabeth from the podcast "Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Beliefs, and the Abuse of Power" to talk all about the scandal that swept through Mormon MomTok. They discuss the Mormon MomToker at the center of it all, Taylor Fra ... Show More
43m 2s
Jan 2021
#291: Naomi Gibson Interview Part One
Laura, Jim and Lisa interview Naomi Gibson to hear her first hand account of what it was like inside the NXIVM cult. But Naomi’s story does not start with NXIVM. She survived being born into and growing up in the infamous and horrific “Children of God” aka “The Family Internation ... Show More
41m 40s
Mar 2022
How To Escape A Religious Cult - by Lola Blanc
Actress, singer & “Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and the Abuse Of Power” podcast host, Lola Blanc, was only 12-years old when she and her mom unknowingly joined a religious cult run by a man who claimed to be the new LDS (Church Of Latter-day Saints) Prophet. He split them up, ... Show More
54m 48s
Oct 2022
Cult Survivors: NXIVM ft. Sarah Edmondson and Nippy
Continuing with cult month, today we are diving into the world of NXIVM where we welcome two survivors turned whistleblowers of a very famous cult masked as an MLM company. NXIVM became widely known during their high profile RICO case involving celebrities, billionaire heiresses, ... Show More
1h 7m
Aug 2023
126 - Healing Trauma Caused by Cults and Escaping NXIVM w/ Sarah Edmondson
Sarah Edmondson joins the show to share her experience of escaping the NXIVM cult, her childhood experiences that made her susceptible to joining the organization, and how to heal trauma caused by high-control organizations. Sarah was featured in HBO's NXIVM documentary, spen ... Show More
1h 18m
Nov 2022
#406: Emanuela Orlandi - The Vatican Girl | Part 1
On June 22 1983, 15 year old Emanuela Orlandi was abducted on her way home from a music lesson in the center of Rome, Italy. Emanuela lived with her parents, three sisters and brother in an apartment in Vatican City, where her father worked in an administrative position for the P ... Show More
33m 41s
Jun 2021
The Family Cult
This week, Sara and Danny are back to talk all and about The Family, an Australian doomsday cult founded by Anne Hamilton-Byrne. They breakdown everything from the cult’s beginnings in yoga studios for well-to do people to the spiritual hodgepodge that made up the cult’s belief s ... Show More
48m 46s
May 2024
EP66: God Is A Woman
Love Has Won is a modern-day cult shrouded in mystery and controversy, heralding a woman named Amy Carlson as the Mother of All Creation. According to Amy’s devout followers, she was a 19-billion-year-old reincarnated deity with the power to cure all illness through love. Her adv ... Show More
1h 16m
Jul 2023
The Cult of The Hammer Family
You're sure to *devour* this week's episode analyzing four generations of wealthy men who, in our little opinion, represent a stunning example of how a powerful American family can resemble a cult. This week, Isa and Amanda are joined by a third co-host of sorts, true crime TikTo ... Show More
1h 3m