'Smallville' actress Allison Mack released from jail after sex cult involvement
Allison Mack is not only known for participating in the hit series 'Smallville' but also for having been convicted for being part of a s e x cult, which led her to receive a 3-year prison sentence in 2021.
Now, the actress has been released from prison, finishing her sentence earlier.
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Allison, 40, was released after being sentenced in June 2021, serving only 2 of the 3 years she was supposed to spend in a federal prison in Dublin, California.
The actress was arrested in 2018 for being a high-ranking member of the NXIVM sect. She recruited women who were then physically and psychologically violated by the group led by Keith Raniere.
In 2020, Raniere was sentenced to 120 years in prison on sex trafficking charges.
The sect's slaves, many of whom were recruited by Allison, were branded with Raniere's initials and forced into relationships with him.
NXIVM was, on the surface, an organization that sought to help people in their personal and spiritual improvement, but, in reality, it was a network of women's trafficking, child abuse, and extortion.
In April 2019, Allison pleaded guilty to charges of extortion and manipulation of women to make them slaves of Raniere. She was the leader's right hand.
In addition, the actress agreed to cooperate in the entire investigation into NXIVM, which benefited her once her sentence was determined.
Among other things, Allison provided the prosecution with an audio recording of Raniere detailing the torture that the victims were subjected to in the ceremonies. There was also evidence of the mistreatment and blackmail they carried out so that the members of NXIVM could abuse them.
Initially, there was talk of a possible sentence of up to 14 years in prison, but prosecutors asked for a reduction due to her cooperation in the case.
In 2021, the actress sent a letter to the judge assigned to her case and apologized to the women she had recruited to join the sect.
"It is now of paramount importance for me to say, from the bottom of my heart, I am so sorry," she wrote. "I threw myself into the teachings of Keith Raniere with everything I had. 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," the letter continued. "This was the biggest mistake and regret of my life."
Now that she's a free woman, it may be difficult for her to resume her profession as an actress.
Allison participated in several series, such as 'Smallville' where she played the character of Chloe Sullivan from 2001 to 2017.
She has also acted in some movies, such as 'Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves!' (1997), and in other series such as 'American Odyssey' (2015) and 'Lost in Oz'. (2015).