Bethany Joy Lenz reveals friends cut her out after she escaped cult

Bethany Joy Lenz has revealed some friends coldly cut her out of their lives after she finally escaped a cult.

The 43-year-old actress was sucked into a religious group known as the Big House Family while she was filming the hit TV show One Tree Hill from 2003 until 2012.

Admitting she acted with a "sense of superiority" while she was in the cult, the star has shared how friends reacted differently when she finally walked away from the abusive organisation.

She told The Hollywood Reporter, "When I got out of the group and started being more open like, 'Hey, I was in a cult. I'm sorry.' You know, some people were really like, 'Let's talk about it.'

"Some people were like, 'We know it's okay. I love you. You're a great person, and I'm sorry you had to go through that'."

But not all friends reacted this way, as she went on, "There were still people in my life, not anyone really on the show, but that are still like, 'Yeah, but you're weird for getting sucked into that so I don't want to interact with you.' That's their reality, and that's their space to believe that."

Joy has written a book titled Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show (While also in an Actual Cult!) which gives more details of her time in the group - which she alleges controlled her career, life choices and bank account.

She added, "I think I've got a powerful cautionary tale. I think it's relatable, and I think I can help so many more people telling this story than I can by acting."