13 Celebs Who Were Once Associated With Cults

There's a lot you don't know about celebs.

This largely includes some strange facts that are sure to change some perspective. Like these celebs who practice witchcraft and celebs who were once associated with cults.

Whether they joined as kids or by their own will as adults, you may never look at these 13 celebs the same after reading their stories...

1. Jaden and Willow Smith

The Smith siblings are rumored to have founded the Orgonite Society, a "Secret Society Of Individuals Who Create And Place Orgonite To Balance Gaia’s Energies."

The Orgone stone is at the center of this. It's claimed to drain negative energy and emit positive vibes.

In reality, it has a much darker history that's tied to a sex cult.

Unsplash | Hasan Can Devsir

This was founded by Dr. Wilhem Reich who believed that the stone contained "orgone energy" to prepare the body for healing by orgasm. He was later sentenced to two years in jail for "medical misinformation."

2. Kylie Jenner

Since the reality star was dating Jaden at the time of his cult's formation, she was in on the action.

She uploaded a picture of her red, triangular orgonite stone on Instagram, with the caption, "Love."

3. Joaquin Phoenix

The Joker actor's last name wasn't always Phoenix. It was changed to that after the actor's family left The Children of God.

This was the cult helmed by a rogue preacher David Berg. Sadly, the cult was surrounded by child abuse allegations.

"I think my parents thought they'd found a community that shared their ideals," Joaquin told 'Playboy.'

"Cults rarely advertise themselves as such. It's usually someone saying, 'We're like-minded people. This is a community,' but I think the moment my parents realised there was something more to it, they got out."

4. Rose McGowan

The actress's childhood is a lot like Joaquin's. She was also raised in the Children of God cult. She fled with her father when she was nine since they were scared she would be abused.

"Like in most cults, you were cut off from your [outside] family. There were no newspapers, no television," she told 'People.'

She also recalled other strange things, like being warned as a child never to wear nail polish because “God could see the filth under my nails."

5. Winona Ryder

The Stranger Things star experienced a strange upbringing. She grew up in a commune in Northern California with six other families. Although she swears this wasn't a cult, she was still raised with no television and other strict rules.

6. Glenn Close

The actress had an unconventional childhood. She was only seven when her family moved to Switzerland to join the spiritual movement Moral Re-Armament (MRA).

Founded by Reverend Frank Buchman, the belief was that war could be avoided if people had a moral and spiritual awakening.

She ended up leaving the group when she was 22.

"[For years], I wouldn't trust any of my instincts because [my beliefs] had all been dictated to me," Close told 'The Hollywood Reporter'.

"You basically weren't allowed to do anything, or you were made to feel guilty about any unnatural desire.

7. Michelle Pfieffer

When the actress got involved with breatharianism, a cult that uses sunlight as the only form of nourishment, she had no idea that it was a cult.

It was her ex-husband, Peter Horton, who figured it out.

"They were very controlling," she said about her time with them.

Unsplash | Jametlene Reskp

"I wasn't living with them but I was there a lot and they were always telling me I needed to come more. I had to pay for all the time I was there, so it was financially very draining. They believed that people in their highest state were breatharian."

8. Allison Mack

You might recognize the actress from her decade-long run on Smallville as Chloe Sullivan.

She was also involved in the controversial NXIVM sex cult founded by Keith Raniere. She has since pleaded guilty in court to racketeering conspiracy.

9. Kristin Kreuk

Mack's Smallville costar, Kristin Kreuk, was also involved with NXIVM.

When the abuse allegations against the cult surfaced, she released a statement on Twitter, saying that she joined when she was 23 to overcome her shyness.

10. Neil Young

Believe it or not, the soft-spoken singer was once associated with Charles Manson. Young was under Manson's wing as he started his music career.

He would often visit the infamous criminal's ranch and even reportedly dated one of the Manson girls.

11. David and Patricia Arquette

The brother and sister, along with their other three siblings, grew up in the Skymont Subud. This is based on the Subud spiritual movement. But the religion — and their upbringing — was anything but peaceful.

The Arquette siblings describe their parents as abusive drug addicts.

Unsplash | Kristina Tripkovic

"There was a lot of drama in the house," Patricia Arquette told ABC News. "There were a lot of chairs flying around."

"A lot of hole punching in walls," Rosanna Arquette added. "[My mom] stabbed me in the arm with a knife. Concussions. Just terrible physical abuse."

12. Leah Remini

The King of Queens star was once famously part of Scientology, the church made famous by Tom Cruise.

Since leaving the church, she's done everything she can to shine a light on the horrors that exist there.

13. Elvis Presley

The King of rock & roll lived quite an interesting life. Before his death, he began following the Self-Realization Fellowship that was founded by Paramahansa Yogananda.

It was later revealed to be one of the most infamous sex cults in yoga.