What Former NXIVM Member Sarah Edmonson Is Doing Today
The following article includes mention of sexual assault and abuse.
Fans are so excited that HBO's hit documentary series "The Vow" is finally coming back for Season 2, especially after initial promises of its return in 2021. We know that the first season, while telling an amazing story of strength, resilience, and bravery in the face of coercion, manipulation, and abuse, also left viewers with many questions. A lot has happened since Season 1 ended — including the sentencing of cult leader Keith Raniere to 120 years in prison.
"The Vow" follows the story of NXIVM whistleblowers Mark Vicente, Bonnie Piesse, and Sarah Edmonson, and their tireless work to expose and take down the "self-empowerment" group they'd long been part of. NXIVM promised success, self-fulfillment, and women's empowerment, but was actually a front for coercion and sexual abuse, amassing a scandalous rap sheet of racketeering, fraud, and human trafficking — with Edmondson becoming the face of its most notorious offense: branding some women members. It took a long time to amass enough evidence to get people to listen and believe their stories. Finally, the New York Times exposed NXIVM's crimes in 2017, and with "The Vow" airing in 2020, during the pandemic lockdown, now millions of people are aware, and fascinated.
While we wait for Season 2, premiering October 17, which reports five years to the day after the New York Times exposé, to fill us in on what's happened since Raniere's arrest (and hopefully answer more questions about Nancy Saltzman!), let's check in on how Edmondson has been doing these days.
Sarah Edmondson pursues acting while helping others
Sarah Edmondson seems to be getting her acting career back on track, per IMDb, appearing in Hallmark Channel movies like "At Home in Mitford" opposite Andie MacDowell, "Welcome to Christmas," and "Roadhouse Romance." She starred in the sci-fi television series "Salvation," and did voiceover work on the animated series "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic." She lives in her hometown Vancouver, Canada, with husband Anthony "Nippy" Ames (who also assisted with the takedown of NXIVM) and their two young sons, Ace and Troy, per Huffington Post. Ames, also an actor, appeared in small parts in "Supergirl," "Firefly Lane," "Kung Fu," and as Colson on "The Good Doctor."
Like Mark Vicente and Bonnie Piesse, being a part of NXIVM is too large a part of their lives for Edmondson and Ames to ignore, so they continue to examine their experiences to help others. Edmondson published her memoir "Scarred" in 2019 (before "The Vow" aired), and she and Ames started a podcast in 2021, called "A Little Bit Culty," as the website says, "to help people understand, heal from, and avoid abusive situations one little red flag at a time." Season 5 premiered on October 3 with an interview with Evan Rachel Wood, who has had her own experiences with domestic abuse (there is a close correlation between cultic behavior and domestic violence). Edmondson is also a co-founding collaborator in the #IGotOut movement and organization, helping others tell and share their stories of coercive control and undue influence.
Sarah Edmondson's story helps others because it's so personal
While it's been odd for Sarah Edmondson to share her NXIVM stories, especially in such a public way, it's also been better for helping other people.
"I think a lot of people don't actually deal with trauma, they just hide it under a rock and try to move on," Edmondson told Huffington Post. "But in telling my story, and owning it fully ... I had no idea how many people would be moved by it, and relate to it, and deal with their own trauma." She even prefers that people know the whole story, as told in "The Vow," rather than "just think[ing] of me as the sex-cult person," she says.
But it certainly wasn't easy telling her story, especially before the documentary. Responses to the 2017 New York Times exposé were very different from reactions to "The Vow," which took time to illustrate how easy it is to believe in NXIVM's self-help program. Instead of the cruel accusations of stupidity and weakness from the newspapers' commenters, "The Vow" brought messages of awe and thanks. "I'm getting the complete opposite — such an outpouring of 'You're amazing, and you've helped me, and because of you I'm going to tell my story, and I'm confronting my abuser,'" Edmondson said. She's also grateful to connect with other survivors and help people through her podcast, telling the Sydney Morning Herald, "I feel less alone. And I get to help people, which is what I actually love to do the most."
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).