India reacts to “validating” personal letter from Mack, while her mother Catherine Oxenberg sounds off on the “Smallville” star’s 3-year prison sentence.
India Oxenberg, one of the more high-profile survivors of the NXIVM cult, is offering forgiveness to recruiter Allison Mack following her sentencing this week.
Mack, who rose to fame on “Smallville,” was sentenced to three years in prison and a $20,000 fine after pleading guilty to racketeering conspiracy and racketeering charges associated with her role in Keith Raniere’s cult.
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Oxenberg’s mother, “Dynasty” star Catherine Oxenberg, reacted to the prison term while speaking with PEOPLE. “He is incredibly wise, and if this is his sentence that he has chosen for Allison, this is justice,” Catherine said of the judge. “He believes that this woman is remorseful and sincere and he wants to give her a second chance. And I respect him.”
India also felt Mack has been remorseful, telling PEOPLE she and other survivors received personal apologies from the actress before the most recent court appearance.
“I did not expect to get a letter from her, and the tone seemed honest and really sad, and also … like she has seen the truth of who Keith Raniere really is,” said India. “That was validating in itself to know that everything that my mother and I have done and spoke about actually had an effect on her.”
“I don’t have any reason not to [accept her apology],” she added. “It doesn’t take away everything that has happened to myself and her other victims, but it’s definitely something that gives me more peace moving forward.”
India and Catherine Oxenberg React After NXIVM's Keith Raniere Is Sentenced to Life In Prison
India went on to say she was able to find some “forgiveness and closure” because she’s “lucky enough” to have “real love” and “real support” in her life — something that made her realize “what really matters.”
“For India, I think the world is her oyster,” added her mother. “She has come out of this stronger, she’s found her voice, she is deeply involved in activism and all her projects are sort of moving in the direction where she’s found her strength, and I’m very, very happy for her.”
Before her sentencing, Mack wrote a letter which was included along with her lawyer’s sentencing guideline recommendations — addressing “those who have been harmed by my actions.”
“It is now of paramount importance for me to say, from the bottom of my heart, I am so sorry,” she said. “I threw myself into the teachings of Keith Raniere with everything I had. I believed, whole-heartedly, that his mentorship was leading me to a better, more enlightened version of myself. I devoted my loyalty, my resources, and, ultimately, my life to him. This was the biggest mistake and regret of my life.”
“I am sorry to those of you that I brought into Nxivm. I am sorry I ever exposed you to the nefarious and emotionally abusive schemes of a twisted man,” she added. “I am sorry that I encouraged you to use your resources to participate in something that was ultimately so ugly. I do not take lightly the responsibility I have in the lives of those I love and I feel a heavy weight of guilt for having misused your trust, leading you down a negative path.”
Rainere was sentenced to 120 years in prison back in October, after he was found guilty of sex trafficking, extortion, racketeering and obstruction charges.
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