Inside Former NXIVM Members Mark Vicente And Bonnie Piesse's Lives Today
The following article includes mention of sexual assault and abuse.
Now that there has finally been news about Season 2 of HBO's "The Vow," the 9-part documentary about the NXIVM cult that returns to screens on October 17, fans are curious to know how two of its main protagonists, married couple Mark Vicente and Bonnie Piesse, are doing.
Vicente joined NXIVM (pronounced "Nexium") in 2004, per Oprah Daily, and convinced Piesse to become a member when she grew frustrated with her career. The group, which pretended to be a self-help success program for fulfillment and women's empowerment – popular with many celebrities – was actually a cover-up for fraud, coercive control, and sexual abuse committed by its founder, Keith Raniere. "By being able to do the most distasteful of activities," Raniere says in "The Vow" Season 2 trailer, "you're going to be the agent of change." But Piesse had her doubts — especially noticing how sickly some of the other female members looked — and tried to leave the group amicably in 2017. Raniere, ostracized and blacklisted her instead. Even her husband was too invested in the group to see what Piesse saw. But Vicente came around, and the couple became two of the whistleblowers who took NXIVM down — but not without putting a lot of strain on their relationship.
Fortunately, they seem to be doing much better now. Here's what they've been up to.
Bonnie Piesse and Mark Vicente are finally living their best lives
Fans of "The Vow" will be happy to know that Mark Vicente and Bonnie Piesse are finally living their best lives after all the empty promises from NXIVM. Piesse is active on Instagram, frequently sharing photos and updates. The couple is still married and splitting time between busy Los Angeles and peaceful Lisbon, Portugal. They're also fulfilling their creativity with new projects.
Piesse has reinvigorated both her acting and music careers. She appeared in the Disney+ series "Obi-Wan Kenobi," reprising her role as Beru Lars, Luke Skywalker's aunt in "Star Wars" Episodes II and III. It's the role for which she was best known before joining NXIVM, and is Piesse's first major role in almost 10 years, per ET. She also starred in 2022's "My Favorite Girlfriend," a romcom about a woman with multiple personalities. The Australian singer-songwriter also released two EPs, according to her website, and she owns a tarot-reading business called Soul + Sky.
Vicente, always inquisitive about "what it means to be human," per his website, is writing a memoir about his time with NXIVM and his fight to bring the operation down. It's called "Quest, or How the BLEEP did that Happen," referencing his 2004 film that put him on the map. He's also working on the documentary "NARCS: Invisible Epidemic," where he explores malignant narcissism and the abusive behavior that is the backbone of many cults. This interest is also clear in Vicente's many Instagram posts.
Vicente and Piesse help themselves by helping others
Despite the promises of greatness NXIVM and its leaders Keith Raniere and Nancy Salzman promised, both Mark Vicente and Bonnie Piesse were not able to accomplish much while in the group. That is part of the abuse cults inflict, per Aeon. Similar to domestic violence, they make it impossible — often through starvation, exhaustion, and isolation — for their members to achieve anything other than serving the group. But finally escaping from the group doesn't necessarily mean you can bounce back to your previous life.
"After everything I'd been through, I was still recovering from PTSD," Piesse told Elle about her return to "Star Wars" after leaving NXIVM. "So I did a lot to heal and nourish myself and strengthen myself to make sure that I had all the energy that I needed to be on set." While it was her first major role post-NXIVM, she admitted to helping a friend with a short film right after leaving, while she and Vicente "were being chased and stalked and everything."
Vicente seems to be healing from his experience through his continuing exploration of cults and abusive behavior, posting frequently on his Instagram. One recent post read, "You cannot escape from a jail you don't know you're in..." Both partners seem to help themselves by helping others. Piesse told Elle, "We hear from a lot of people that our story helped them, helped people wake up and get out of bad situations and realize what was happening to them."
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).