One Tree Hill star Bethany Joy Lenz's 'cult' claims fiercely denied by ex-husband's family as they slam her 'clinging to fame'

She has branded them warped cult members who controlled her each move and swindled her multimillion-dollar TV earnings.

But nan erstwhile in-laws of character Bethany Joy Lenz person surgery their soundlessness to cull her lurid allegations of maltreatment and brainwashing arsenic a cynical effort to waste copies of her upcoming memoir.

Lenz, 43, charmed audiences pinch her portrayal of girl-next-door Haley James Scott connected celebrated teen drama, One Tree Hill from 2003 to 2012.

But successful caller interviews, nan Hallmark prima has revealed her wholesome on-screen persona masked a painful, decade-long entanglement successful a parasitic Christian sect that allegedly seized power of her career and finances.

By nan clip Lenz collapsed free of nan cult's grip truthful overmuch money had been drained from her accounts that she had virtually thing to show for her nine-seasons connected nan deed CW show, she claims.

Lenz has not identified nan alleged fanatics, preferring to support backmost immoderate of nan juicier specifications until her caller book, Dinner For Vampires, hits shelves later this week.

But DailyMail.com tin uncover that she's referring to Wild Branch Ministries, a mini covenant religion whose devotees lived 'commune-style' successful a million-dollar mansion successful Battle Ground, Washington known arsenic The Big House.

Its laminitis – a 'domineering' curate Lenz has described arsenic a sociopath akin to Keith Raniere of nan NXIVM activity cult – is 'Papa' Mike Galeotti, her erstwhile father-in-law.

Approached for his broadside of nan story, Galeotti, 62, whose eldest boy Michael was joined to Lenz for six years, described her accusations arsenic 'heartbreaking.'

'Everybody sees things a small otherwise and she's going to cling to nan fame,' he told DailyMail.com successful an exclusive interview.

'Good for her. She's going to make a sanction for herself. But it's not nan measurement it went down.'

Galeotti's son, Michael Jr. assistance he preferred not to dredge up his years-long divorce. 

'I don't cognize what to make of this memoir aft each this time,' he said.

'I person a girl who's really important to me. I don't want it to impact her. It's excessively much. I don't really want to origin immoderate problems for her.'

The sleeve of Lenz's tell-all tome promises to laic bare 'her life connected a cult TV show… while besides successful an existent cult'.

But DailyMail.com tin uncover it's not nan first clip she's levelled claims of affectional and belief maltreatment astatine 'Papa' Galeotti, his woman Sheila, 62, and their devout followers.

During her 2012 divorce, nan actress-turned-podcaster begged a judge successful Washington's Clark County to support her 'controlling' in-laws distant from her past one-year-old girl Maria, according to tribunal papers.

She depicted life successful nan Big House arsenic squalid and filthy, insisting it was not a safe spot for Michael, 40 – a erstwhile indie stone musician – to big their small girl.

'The information of nan spot wherever he is surviving is unsanitary, having caused maine trouble breathing from nan vomit, feces, urine, and mold and nan resulting foul odors,' Lenz wrote successful a scathing declaration obtained by DailyMail.com.

'I americium concerned Maria will walk clip pinch nan petitioner successful what is champion described arsenic a misogynistic exclusive 'community' environment, lorded complete by nan petitioner's father.'

Lenz had shared nan sprawling ceramic assemblage pinch an assortment of disciples that concisely included a man pinch 'a history of drugging and raping young women', she claimed successful nan documents.

Residents were urged to sever ties pinch their relatives and to alternatively give themselves to nan 'chosen family'. It was considered 'illegal' for a female to mobility her spouse.

Anyone who decided to time off nan insular group of respective twelve Wild Branch worshippers was allegedly shunned and slandered.

'Mike Sr and Michael some person said often that 'We are for illustration nan Mafia without violence'. A much existent connection could not beryllium made,' Lenz declared.

Her travel into alleged subjugation began erstwhile she moved to LA successful her early 20s and joined a book study group hosted by Jeanine Jackson, a salient Battle Ground matriarch who was staying successful California to thief her sons Richard and Jonathan motorboat showbiz careers.

Jackson, 68, invited adjacent pal Galeotti to present sermons to nan tight-knit circle of aspiring actors and artists. Imbibing his connection was for illustration uncovering 'water successful a desert', Lenz would later recall.

Galeotti's power grew to nan grade that respective worshippers agreed to relocate to Battle Ground, conscionable crossed nan Washington separator from Portland, Oregon, that is named aft an 1855 standoff betwixt members of nan Klickitat Native American people and a US Army outpost.

'It still looked normal and past it conscionable morphed,' Lenz, nan only kid of evangelical Christian parents, said successful a caller question and reply pinch People magazine.

'But by nan clip it started morphing, I was excessively acold into nan relationships to notice. Plus, I was truthful young.' 

In 2005 – 2 years aft she landed her breakout domiciled successful One Tree Hill – Lenz wed Michael, who was successful nan set Enation pinch Richard and Jonathan Jackson, nan second a five-time Daytime Emmy victor who plays Lucky Spencer successful General Hospital.

According to divorcement filings, nan matrimony crumbled erstwhile Michael remained 'severely bonded' to his parents, refusing to time off his basement digs astatine nan Big House to move pinch her to Northern Carolina, wherever nan play was filmed.

The brace blamed 1 different for outbreaks of violence, Lenz accusing Michael of seeing reddish and punching holes successful their walls while he claimed she had hurled a vase and deed him respective times, nan papers disclose.

Her filings besides included a creepy statement that she claimed Michael dictated and made her pin to nan wall erstwhile they yet moved to their ain house.

'When I consciousness wronged, tally to Jesus – inquire him to show maine himself successful Michael. Submit to Michael's (requests?) and humbly spot God to uncover nan truth,' it read.

'Ask Jesus (pray continually) to uncover to maine nan meaning of unity and submission.'

Lenz said of nan handwritten missive: 'He expects maine to beryllium subservient to him connected a regular basis. He instructed maine to publication this connection each day.'

Michael's friends and family presented sworn declarations of their own, insisting Wild Branch was not a cult.

The Big House had 'taken a bully beating' complete nan years from nan various 'rambunctious preteens' and pets that had called it home.

But it was not arsenic filthy arsenic Lenz described, asserted Jackson's expert hubby Rick, 69, a two-time legislature candidate.

He and his woman built nan 5,400 square-foot spot successful 1989 but fto Galeotti, his woman and their 3 sons unrecorded location rent free and usage it arsenic a 'spiritual hub' for Wild Branch.

Lenz and Michael finalized their divorcement successful 2015 erstwhile a judge ruled that Maria, now 13, should unrecorded pinch her mom successful Los Angeles wherever Lenz said she needed to beryllium to onshore acting gigs.

But Michael was besides awarded regular parenting clip pinch nan woman and – successful spite of her mother's protests – was permitted to big her successful Battle Ground.

'There is nary ground to restrict nan child's interaction pinch father's family aliases friends. There is nary grounds of consequence of harm to nan kid successful father's household,' Judge James Rulli determined.  

Of each nan accusations leveled by Lenz, possibly nan astir damaging are her claims of financial malfeasance.

'The tribunal should cognize that aft 10 years and 182 episodes of a successful TV series, I americium near pinch astir 3 episodes worthy of money successful nan bank,' Lenz wrote during her divorce.

She pointed nan digit astatine nan Q-3 guidance institution operated by Mike Galeotti, Jeanine Jackson, and a 3rd friend, Jeff Quade.

Her signature was forged and her net were spirited distant into a web of shady accounts to beryllium spent connected a drawstring of failing business ventures, including a edifice and 'organic, upscale' restaurant, Lenz alleged.

Accountant Tiffany Couch told nan tribunal that $526,000 was diverted from nan actress's business accounts to nan edifice betwixt 2010 and 2011.

While Galeotti family members drew salaries, Lenz received 'no use aliases distribution' earlier it went bust, Couch alleged.

'In summary, we are concerned astir nan diversion of millions of dollars of Ms. Lenz's net during nan couple's matrimony unbeknownst to her/and aliases nether circumstances that were not afloat disclosed to her,' she wrote.

Jackson, 68, a condolences counsellor and amateur ventriloquist, denied immoderate wrongdoing erstwhile DailyMail.com called astatine her Battle Ground home.

'It's ne'er nosy to person things that are untrue retired there,' she told us, refusing to beryllium drawn further.

The Big House was sold respective years agone but Wild Branch still hosts bi-weekly dream meetings astatine nan Galeottis' downtown vino bar.

It's listed successful authorities records arsenic an progressive non-profit and nan registered supplier is Jackson's girl Candice, a 46-year-old lawyer who served successful nan Trump administration.

Quade, 54 – listed online arsenic Wild Branch's organizational caput – said Lenz's type of events was 'ludicrous.'

'She conscionable seems to spout things that fresh pinch nan communicative that she has created,' he protested.

'I don't person thing to beryllium aliases to opportunity really. I mean, she seems to beryllium wanting to enactment relevant.'

DailyMail.com reached retired to Lenz to inquire whether she ever reported nan alleged fraud to rule enforcement aliases initiated immoderate different shape of ineligible redress.

Neither her manager, nor nan 2 lawyers progressive successful her divorce, instantly responded.

No uncertainty their feisty TV prima customer will person plentifulness much to opportunity connected nan taxable erstwhile her hotly anticipated book yet hits bookstands connected Tuesday.

'I've arrived astatine nan conclusion that nan difficult things are meant to beryllium shared, not hidden,' she said of its impending release.