NXIVM loyalist files $12 million suit against Starz network

ALBANY — A staunch NXIVM loyalist is suing Starz for $12 million, claiming the cable television network sullied his reputation in its 2020 documentary series about India Oxenberg's ordeal in Keith Raniere’s “master/slave” club.

Marc Elliot, an inspirational speaker who credits NXIVM for curing him of Tourette syndrome, sued Starz and and its parent company, Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., over “Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult," according to documents filed in U.S. District Court in the Central District of California.

Elliot, 36, of St. Louis, contends the documentary insinuated he was “dangerous, has been trained to kill, is capable of killing himself if told to, and condones sexual violence against women,” stated the lawsuit filed by California attorney Joseph M. Tully,

Elliot, who the suit noted is Jewish, was likened to a "rapist, an ISIS and Al Qaeda terrorist, a Nazi experimenter, and a murderer on command," the lawsuit stated. It accused Starz and Lions Gate of defamation, defamation by implication, appropriation of name or likeness, being portrayed in a false light and infliction of emotional distress.

A spokesman for Lions Gate and Starz said the companies would not comment on ongoing litigation. 

NXIVM, also known as Executive Success Programs (ESP), was based in Colonie for two decades, offering classes that cost thousands of dollars and focused on Raniere's philosophies on ethical living and other subjects. NXIVM had locations in Los Angeles, Canada, Mexico and elsewhere. But defectors and cult experts had long said NXIVM was a cult  ruled in totalitarian fashion by Raniere, formerly of Halfmoon. The NXIVM leader was known as "Vanguard."

And NXIVM had a long history of filing lawsuits against its perceived enemies to tie the foes up in years of litigation.

The "Seduced" four-part documentary series focused on the experience of Oxenberg, the daughter of actress Catherine Oxenberg, who was coerced into joining Dominus Obsequious Sororium, Raniere's clandestine clan of female "slaves" and "masters" — all of whom ultimately answered to him. DOS members handed over blackmail material on themselves or family members called "collateral" to join a supposed women's empowerment group — then learned they were "slaves" to higher-ranking "masters." 

Raniere ordered DOS members be starved, sleep-deprived and wear chains to symbolize collars. Some women, including Oxenberg, were ordered to sexually "seduce" Raniere. And many, including, Oxenberg, were branded on their pelvic areas with a symbol later revealed to be Raniere's initials.

"Because of the collateral, I couldn't leave," Oxenberg told the Times Union in an interview previewing the series, "We were questioning things, but the program discouraged any questioning. It's a totalitarian, abusive dynamic. Anytime you did question, you were punished -- so you learned pretty quickly not to."

The series was from Emmy-nominated filmmakers Cecilia Peck and Inbal B. Lessner. Journalist Daniel Voll and filmmaker Alexandra Milchan were executive producers as was Oxenberg.

Elliot contends "Seduced" spliced footage from a meeting of Society of Protectors (SOP), a men's group within NXIVM, with footage from his testimonial about Jness, its women's group, to imply that Elliot supports sexual misconduct against women. It contends statements about Elliot were "abusive, vulgar, intentionally misleading, and damning to (Elliot's) reputation and good name."

Elliot was introduced to NXIVM in 2009 when he met an ESP-affiliated speaker in Portland, Ore. The next year in Manhattan, Elliot took his first classes. Elliot, one of three brothers who became associated with the group, says NXIVM helped him overcome Tourette syndrome in 2013. 

Elliot, who rose to the rank of "proctor" within NXIVM, is among a group of loyalists who claim Raniere is a victim of prosecutorial misconduct. Other loyalists heralded Elliot's lawsuit on Twitter, including actress Nicki Clyne, identified as one of the eight high-ranking members of DOS. 

"The time for holding fake documentaries accountable for their lies about NXIVM has finally begun!" Clyne tweeted.

"Truth or entertainment America ... we vote with each $$$," tweeted Danielle Roberts, another admitted DOS member who recently lost her medical license for branding women in DOS, responding to a supporter.

The documentary series aired more than a year after Raniere's 2019 conviction.

Elliot attended Raniere's trial in Brooklyn, where a federal jury convicted him of sex trafficking, forced labor conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy and racketeering charges that contained underlying acts of possessing child pornography, extortion and identity theft. He was sentenced to 120 years in prison. Five top NXIVM members, some of whom cooperated with prosecutors, also pleaded guilty.

After Raniere's conviction, Elliot planned to hold a speaking engagement in Manhattan called "Who's Next?: The Rise of Character Assassination and Loss of Human Decency," which referred to Elliot's belief that NXIVM was unfairly targeted as a "sex cult" by the media and "hate" blogs.

The lawsuit claimed that within days of advertising the event on Instagram, a federal prosecutor called Elliot's attorney, alleged that this talk was a recruitment for NXIVM and threatened to indict Elliot if it was held.

"As a result of these threats, (Elliot) did not give the talk. He did not hear again from the prosecutor," the lawsuit said.

A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Brooklyn declined to comment.