Back in June, Catherine Oxenberg, the beloved star of Dynasty, was finally able to embrace her daughter India after months apart. It was a moment she cherished deeply. “I showered her with kisses,” Catherine exclusively told Closer Weekly, as featured in the magazine’s latest issue, now available on newsstands. “Even though she was mad at me, it didn’t stop me from expressing just how much I love her,” she added.
The Battle Against Nxivm: A Cult Exposed
For over six years, India had been deeply entangled with Nxivm, a self-help organization that Catherine later helped expose as an alleged sadistic sex cult. Pronounced "nexium," this organization had a tight grip on her daughter. “I knew I had to do everything in my power to get her out,” Catherine explained. “My God, my love for her is boundless!”
Strategic Planning to Free Her Daughter
Since April 2017, when Catherine fully realized the gravity of the situation, she began devising a strategy to convince her daughter, then 27, to leave the cult. This included staging an intervention, a decision that nearly shattered their bond. Now, in her compelling new book, Captive: A Mother’s Crusade to Save Her Daughter from a Terrifying Cult, Catherine, 56, recounts her cautionary tale.
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“My goal was to break down the steps of indoctrination, to show that India had been victimized,” Catherine explained about her book, which she wrote before knowing if her daughter would escape. “If this can happen to India, who is undoubtedly one of the most level-headed, sensible, intelligent young women, it can happen to anyone.”
How It All Began
Catherine's nightmare began in 2011 when she and India, fresh out of school, attended a Nxivm workshop together. “It was marketed as this incredible business seminar to help enhance critical thinking and communication skills,” Catherine recalled. India was immediately drawn to it, but Catherine remained skeptical. “They had these strange rituals,” she recounted. “They had bizarre mission statements they made you recite.”
Participants were also asked to sign non-disclosure agreements and were separated into different groups. “It was already creating a rift between my world and a loyalty to them,” Catherine observed. While Catherine decided to drop out, India chose to stay, eventually moving to Nxivm’s headquarters in Albany, NY.
The Changes in India
Catherine soon noticed significant changes in her daughter. Though they did speak on the phone, India became increasingly secretive and appeared exhausted. “They recruited her as a coach,” Catherine revealed. “She was volunteering all her time and resources,” which included thousands of dollars. “Level One costs $7,500, and as a coach, it’s mandatory every time founder Keith Raniere rolls out a new program,” Catherine explained.
“I didn’t know they were dangerous,” she confessed, admitting to feeling guilty for not realizing sooner. “They didn’t say, ‘Hey, we’re going to brand your daughter and recruit her as a slave.’” But that’s exactly what happened. Smallville actress Allison Mack, 36, was India’s “master,” Catherine said. “Allison recruited her into DOS,” a secret sorority that involved branding women with Keith and Allison’s initials.
Fighting Back and Seeking Justice
After a detective warned her about the reality of the situation, “I flipped out,” Catherine said. Wary of alienating India further, she read books on cults and consulted with experts. “I knew I had to get her out, but I had to be strategic,” she explained. She approached the New York attorney general and the FBI, who eventually arrested Raniere, 57, Mack, and four other Nxivm members. They are currently awaiting trial for sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy, and other serious charges.
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A New Beginning
Now free from Nxivm, India is thriving, Catherine — whose foundation provides exit counseling for defectors of the cult — reported. “I am rediscovering the India I knew before, which is a testament to her incredible strength. The best part is that I get to spend quality time with her, and I cherish every single moment,” she said.
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