Pop Culture Moms · Good Morning America, ABC Audio

Bethany Joy Lenz on 'One Tree Hill' and her book 'Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show (While also in an Actual Cult!)'

·59 min·3 clips

Lenz describes how a small church group slowly became a "high demand" environment in Idaho.

Sabrina and Andy open with teen-drama nostalgia. They swap memories of Buffy, Felicity, Roswell, Dawson's Creek, and One Tree Hill. The conversation starts playful. The guest joins them to talk about One Tree Hill and a memoir. She describes growing up in a pretty common modern Christian charismatic environment. Bible study, home gatherings, and small-group church life felt normal to her. After moving to Los Angeles, she was lonely. A friend invited her to a Saturday night church group that met in someone's living room. It seemed harmless because it matched the faith rhythms she already knew. Over time, the group changed. She says a pastor from another state began speaking to the group and slowly moved into a leadership role. She describes him as someone who spotted a vulnerable pocket of young Hollywood professionals and creatives. The control did not happen all at once. She talks about a long con built through emotional manipulation and triangulation. Relationships were changed one by one. The story ends up being less about scandal than about how belonging can be weaponized. The hosts keep the focus on the emotional damage and the pop-culture context. The episode lands for listeners who want a candid, conversational interview with real stakes.

As heard by us

Teen drama nostalgia gives way to a clear-eyed story about control, belonging, and escape.

This Pop Culture Moms episode uses Bethany Joy Lenz's memoir talk to move well past the usual teen drama nostalgia. Buffy, Roswell, Dawson's Creek, and One Tree Hill set the table, but the conversation gets sharper once it turns to the church community that first looked harmless…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want the One Tree Hill story that opens into Bethany Joy Lenz's more personal account.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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