A wealthy heiress is on her way to prison for her involvement in a scandalous organization. There have been documentaries and exposés about the NXIVM cult, a group headed by the disgraced Keith Raniere, and the accusations seemed as if they came from a frightening fiction novel. The group was advertised as a self-improvement organization that helped those in need, but some members describe vastly different objectives. Women were reportedly branded with the NXIVM symbol and held as sex slaves, and Seagram's liquor heiress Clare Bronfman was reportedly connected to nefarious dealings.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Clare Bronfman was sentenced on Wednesday (September 30) to seven years in prison for a variety of charges. She reportedly admitted that she housed an undocumented immigrant for "unpaid labor and services," and Bronfman also stated that she did favors for Keith Raniere, including committing credit card fraud.
Bronfman penned a letter last month where she claimed she “never meant to hurt anyone, however I have and for this I am deeply sorry.” Even with the testimony from victims who were subjected to NXIVM and Raniere's double-dealings, Clare Bronfman added that she couldn't denounce the cult because “NXIVM and Keith greatly changed my life for the better.” Her lawyers insist she had nothing to do with the sex slave allegations and hoped that a judge would grant some form of leniency during this pandemic. Bronfman was sentenced to seven years in prison, must forfeit $6 million of her $200 million fortune, and will pay a $500K fine.
"There can be little doubt that Raniere would not have been able to commit the crimes with which he was convicted were it not for powerful allies like Bronfman," argued prosecutors. Raniere continues to have unwavering support from his members.
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