Frank Parlato
A breathless, self-serious overture on a long redemption path.
The podcast is called Allison After NXIVM. Natalie Robehmed tells the story. Vanessa Grigoriadis helps her. CBC carries it.
It is Allison’s first post-sentencing true confession. She made a nice one in front of Judge Garaufis before he sentenced her for not 14 years like the sentencing guidelines but three years- which meant she was out in 21 months.
She was assigned to FCI Dublin, California – a low-security United States federal prison for female inmates – and is now on probation. The podcast opens with a description of the scene leading up to the day of sentencing. Interspersed between Natalie’s purple narration Allison is interjected with some comments but for purposes of our setup let’s let Natalie tell it.
A Sentencing in Metaphors, Hymns, and Sympathy
Nathalie Robehmed:
“It is a warm, muggy day in New York City in June, 2021, the kind of summer day when the air feels oppressively heavy as if it’s about to smother you. And for Allison Mack the day could not get any heavier. Alison is a famous actress, but she’s famous for something else now, for being prominent in one of the most devastating cults in contemporary history. She spent 12 long years in that cult and now she’s sitting in the back of a car that’s driving towards a Brooklyn courthouse. She’s wearing a black dress that she’s bought specifically for the court date. Her green eyes gaze ahead at what’s to come….
“Allison is here because of her role in NXIVM, the infamous sex cult run by Keith Raniere. Of all the people who’ve become tangled up in NXIVM she’s the most famous of the bunch. The media attention on this case and Allison in particular has been fierce.
“From the car she sees the photographers waiting for her. Everyone has covered this case. It’s international news and a lot of the reporters are focused on Allison, the TV star. She was on the CW for over a decade on the popular show Smallville, she played Clark Kent’s best friend. Now she’s fallen back to earth. She’s tabloid chum. She’s a target.
“(Her friend) Tina is singing a nice choral song in her ear trying to calm her down. This is something Allison’s friends have been doing to ground her for this day…
“But the songs are no use. As soon as Allison gets out of the car onto the sidewalk, she’s like a magnet and the photographers are metal.
“… Allison led women to be branded with Keith Ranier’s initials on the flesh of their bodies. She was a master overseeing women who were her slaves. She had sex with Keith daily. She had threesomes with another member who was also having sex with him. She told women inside the cult that they would reach enlightenment if they did as she did and developed a relationship with Keith. For this, she has been portrayed as a villain as the person who acted as a pimp for Keith. To some she appeared to have been a top lieutenant, but who is Alison Mack? Really? Is she a victim or someone who victimized others…?
Natalie describes the sentencing with some interspliced comments from Mack.
Then scene two (this is all audio) Natalie describes driving to see Allison on December 26, 2024 to interview her with her coproducer Vanessa at a hotel in Long Beach.
Natlaie tells listeners that Mack has rejected every other media offer—magazines, books, documentaries—but has chosen her, specifically, because she “loves podcasts” and no longer feels comfortable on camera.
Episode 1 of the seven part series begins as a mood piece, full of metaphors, overstatement, and a barely concealed desire to rehabilitate Mack by making her trauma larger than everyone else’s. It’s not about what Allison did. It’s about how she feels about what she did.
The Podcast Romanticizes Mack
Natalie slips into her purple voice, framing Allison’s entrance like a costume reveal:
“Today she’s wearing a puffer vest, blue plaid shirt, black lapid-print leggings, Doc Marten boots and thick socks.”
It’s the kind of line delivered not to tell us what Allison looks like, but, it seems, to make the narrator sound observant, cinematic — as if the color of the socks reveals something about a woman convicted of racketeering.
Then more sensory embroidery:
“Her hair is in a messy ponytail with one of those curly hair ties that don’t tangle your hair at night.”
It is an almost comic level of detail for a woman who once branded other women. Natalie follows with emotional framing:
“She’s smiling, her face beaming as she greets us.”
“She’s confident, she’s turning it on and we are being maybe overly friendly too.”
Allison is performing. The interviewers know it and go along with it. Then the final touch: Soft-focus humanity:
“Everyone seems nervous. She talks about her dogs.”
The segue to dogs is beautiful. The safest topic in the world. Allison loves dogs. You love dogs. I love dogs. Her codefendant Lauren Salzman loved them too. She used that better than Allison did and became a dog groomer (the judge even mentioned it – how Lauren turned from exploiting humans to caring for animals – her rehabilition complete.) It worked. Lauren walked away with probation while Allison got prison. But she still loves dog and so do you.
Natalie continues her lovingly embroidered character portrait:
“I have to say she appears younger than her 43 years. Looking at her, you would never guess that she was fresh off years in prison and three and a half years on house arrest.
It’s the kind of line meant to make the journalist sound insightful — the astonishment that a woman can emerge from years in federal prison without looking like a Dickens orphan.
Actually Allison did not actually spend years in prison; she spent 21 months. The three and a half years on home arrest – spent at her parent’s house – was accurate: from shortly after her arrest in April 2018 to shortly after her sentencing in July 2021, she was confined to home
Natalie drifts back to her favorite purple and the poetic wound:
“But that’s how most scars are. You can’t see them fully clothed.”
Too bad this was audio only. The metaphor begs for a slow zoom: Allison is the one carrying invisible damage, rather than the ones branded.
Natalie:
“As we settle in a hotel room, sitting opposite each other, (with) the quiet thrum of the street below…
“I decide to start at the beginning — the beginning of her life.”
And listener, and the interviewers alike thus begin a spiritual excavation, not an examination of criminal acts. We are entering a seven-part redemption arc, starting with a mythic origin story: Allison not as a perpetrator to investigate, but as a wounded main character whose scars need discovering.
In the next in this Frank Report series on Allison After NXIVM – if I ever get to it – we will get into Allison’s origin story.
Frank Parlato is an investigative journalist, media strategist, publisher, and legal consultant.
Please leave a comment: Your opinion is important to us!
Frank!!!!
Allison is a victim!!!!!!!
It’s Kristen Kooky’s fault!!!!!
https://nypost.com/2025/11/11/entertainment/allison-mack-says-smallville-costar-kristin-kreuk-introduced-her-to-nxivm/
Allison was a good girl—lead astray by satanical forces!!!!!
What a load of crock…..
Jesus Frank! You’re being so hard on Allison. Her only crime is coercing(via blackmail) other women into having sexual intercourse with Kieth Raniere. I am joking of course.
“You love dogs. I love dogs. Her codefendant Lauren Salzman loved them too.”
Hitler loved them as well. He died with it by his side.
Somewhere in heaven ShadowState1958 is harder than a day old bagel.
Everyone who was there, everyone who smelled the Nxivm air or even read about it and suspected is accountable.
Everyone is accountable in life.
And, this holds true for all situations in life. We are all accountable if we smell the air of abuse and injustice. We are all accountable to speak up, call it out, inform law enforcement and do whatever we can legally to prevent and stop it.`
This was a rough listen. Oh poor Allison. Cry me a river. Blame Kristen Kruek for getting you in. And blame Keith. Nothing to do with your own decisions. And Vanessa G is really playing both sides of this story.
She never blamed Kristen for getting her involved with the company. She merely answered a question and pointed out that Kristen recommended taking a class. There was no snark or aggression in her pointing this out.
She also takes responsibility throughout the episodes. Something no one else has done.
Spot on. Spot on. Spot on.
Kevin-
Allison blamed Kristen Krueck!
Go back and watch it!!!!
Allison Mack played a central role as a high-ranking lieutenant and “master” in the NXIVM cult, where she was involved in recruiting and coercing women into a system of sexual abuse and forced labor under the leadership of Keith Raniere. Mack pleaded guilty to extortion and was sentenced to prison for her crimes.
Allison and her mad mission.
My little septress, Monkey, gave birth to Vanguards avatar child. We put him in Rainbow Cultural Garden so he can learn seven languages by the time he is 15.
No matter what else you may say. Allison Mack is a talent and she is engaging and easy to like. Easy on the eyes too! God Bless You Allison. Pay no attention to the destractors. They are just jealous.
Lol. I guess if you like cankles.
Kevin is that you?????
I sitll feel sorry for Allison . Somebody recruited her. Somebody exploited her. Somebody capitlized on her weakness. She fell for it.
That’s right Allison blame it all on Keith. Yet your free and he is still suffering for your sins.
What was the most surprising bit of info to my fellow longtime listeners?
I was surprised that supposedly it was nine years before Allison became sexually involved with Keith. I’d assumed they were getting it on right after that first “pop my cherry” volleyball meeting.
Allison basically seduced Keith no doubt in my mind
Agreed, the host went a little hard on those narrative nonfiction techniques.
John Tighe makes a great point about the underaged girls. I sat through Keith teaching the original 20 modules. Most of what he taught was common sense but not all of it. I clearly remember a few “feelings” I had as he spoke about certain things. This topic was one of them.
He touched on everybody maturing at different stages/ages and, in retrospect, he was setting the stage for sex with underaged girls being okay. As he introduced the topic, I remember thinking to myself “Is he angling this so that we’ll eventually come to the conclusion that there shouldn’t be an age of consent? I wonder if he has sex with underaged girls?”
When the Times Union stories came out and showed the world Keith was a pedophile, I was long gone from ESP/NXIVM but immediately remembered that instinctive feeling I had.
After that Times Union article, nobody could say they didn’t know Vanguard was a pedo. We’ve heard the excuses from people like Sarah Edmondson and Mark Vicente but the willful blindness comes down to one of 3 reason:
NutJob-
Thanks for sharing this observation!
Seriously.
Not that anyone cares, but I want to be clear on one thing. Keith didn’t teach all of the 20 modules. I only saw him teach some of them. Nancy taught most of the time and it was presented as a big deal if Keith taught a module.
I agree with John Tighe’s post.
I also disagree with Nutjob’s obsession about Allison.
Nutjob seems to really think highly of her, LOL.
She has FAT CANKLES that are quite disgusting to look at, in my opinion. That probably disqualifies her from a ton of major acting gigs where legs aren’t hidden, since who the hell wants to look at those cankles on film?
When you factor in her physical ‘branding’ scar along with her past history recruiting for DOS, she’ll likely never be able to reboot her career in any meaningful way.
But who knows… Perhaps she’ll get offered some low-paying acting gigs by low-budget companies who sell direct-to-DVD flops, LOL.
She’s also much older now and she’s definitely not a spring chicken anymore, so there’s that too.
Even back in her prime she was only ‘modestly’ attractive IMO — and her acting talent was nothing to write home about, LOL.
I honestly don’t see why anybody would be interested in listening to that podcast. What a waste of time. I’d rather watch paint try.
Have a good day. 🙂
Come on, Bangcock. Admit it. You’ve been crying like a baby and blaming yourself after hearing the news about Lauren’s unconventional nuptials. Don’t take it out on the podcast.
BTW – What happened to your takes? You used to come up with stupid ideas we’d all scoff at. Now, you just parrot Frank and tell him how awesome his shit stinks.
Bangkock has the right, as President Trump does, to change his mind at any time, be it within an hour or from day to day. It’s also not wrong to contradict yourself within a sentence. What do I care what I said or meant before?
The PodCast is actually quite entertaining if:
■ You know the true story
■ You’re sufficiently cynical 😏
Have a good day indeed😃
Tell me this was written by AI, and not by actual thinking human being…
My ears perked up for AI when she said Albany was “nestled” on a river.
“Nestled” is used less frequently in every day, casual speech and more in literary or descriptive writing to evoke a sense of comfort and coziness. Its figurative, descriptive nature makes it more common in contexts where a richer, more evocative style is appropriate, such as literature, than in informal conversation.
“Nestled” is a common literary device used to create imagery and mood. It suggests being snugly and comfortably situated, often used to describe a house, a town, or a person in a cozy setting.
And Americans will forgive and forget. Ask Hugh Grant. We have painfully short memories. This will especially resonate with the females in the 20-30s range, who will lap it up.
She is a beuatiful soul. I am deeply impressed and glad Shadow is not around to spoil her comeback.
It is an incredible story. I am hoping she gets her shot. Maybe a new TV series.
I have to laugh at these people, They all claim they knew nothing about Keith and his attraction to children. They claim they knew nothing about his scams, false claims and misology.
And in this timeframe starting with the
Times Union
Forbes
the Blog “Saratoga Dystopia’
My own “Saratoga in Decline”
The New York observer’
Frank Report
Vanity Fare
The New York Post
They All wrote extensively about Keith, NXIVM and his rape of underaged girls. We even wrote about his secret child. Sure, wasn’t a father of the year.
So, none of these idiots knew anything was wrong with Keith or the program until the New York times wrote about the burning of the flesh?
Such bullshit.
They just didn’t care, They thought they were “Special”. They had “special knowledge and wisdom” the average idiot didn’t process. But, in the end, they were the biggest idiots of all. Nothing special. Just a run of the mill conman who hit a big, stupid couple of uneducated, sexually frustrated billionaire sisters, Dumb and Dumber
So, cry me a river Allison.
I hope you enjoy your generation wreath, your NAZI husband “another victim” and join the Comic Con circus where you can autograph pictures of your branded flesh to the adoring sympatric crowd. Then join the crowd and sell MLM scam insurance in Florida with the old gang/ Or maybe, I heard scientology is hiring
John Tighe
Former owner and editor of
Saratoga in Decline
Lmao
AND FROM THE TOP ROPE…
MR. JOHN FING TIGHE!!!
Lol! Totally!
John just eviserated the entire group!!
John, great post! You are correct!
When one has a group behind them that encourages sex with minors, it removes the inhibitions of those who believe it is okay to practice it themselves. If Keith and everyone else say it, it must be right. Does anyone know who else had sex with children besides Keith? It wasn’t considered inappropriate, it was permitted, propagated, and tolerated.
Hello John,
You should give it a chance, even if she might be making a mistake in going public.
She takes responsibility for the things she did, but won’t take responsibility for things that others did that had nothing to do with her.
This, combined with her having actually served time, pursuing a Masters, and working full time doing rehabilitative work with inmates, puts her in a category above everyone else.
Allison isn’t asking us to cry a river for her. I think she’s asking for a second chance at living her life, which she’s more than earned.
Compare and contrast with Vicente, Edmondson, and scores of others profiting off of podcasts, books and documentaries, without having ever served time or pursued legitimate employment, and tell me who poses a bigger risk to others.
There are many things that happened involving this company and its executives, managers and recruiters dating back to 1998. And most of those things did not involve Allison.
When are those people going to be held accountable? Or for that matter, law enforcement personnel who allowed this company to operate for 20 years with zero oversight, despite it supposedly being this awful, insidious cult?
Why were the other first line DOS leaders not arrested?
Why were upper level managers and executives, especially those who profited from their respective downlines, not arrested?
How does a company get shut down for having illegal business models without the FBI clawing back incomes that were obtained fraudulently?
I would appreciate your insight on these points.
Not sure if Frank has gotten to them yet, but the other 6 episodes have lots of “Allison taking the blame for her actions.”
In addition to Allison accepting accountability, there is context to everything. This context is not unfamiliar to Frank Report readers because Frank himself has reported much of it. We now get to hear it straight from Allison and get some loony new information.
Personally, I ain’t listening to 7 episodes without details and context. If we just wanted Allison to apologize (again) and talk about how bad she was, it could have been handled in a 10 minute interview.
As for Lauren walking and Allison getting prison – as Frank himself has taught us – this was way more complicated than dogs. Lauren was the first to flip. Lauren disclosed everything and was believable. Lauren didn’t send any of her slaves to seduce Keith. Lauren testified. (I know, I know – “But what about Daniela!!!” – My point is it was more complicated than dogs. Not that Lauren was an angel.)
Hell, the pod taught us exactly how Lauren helped change Allison’s mind and got her to cooperate with the prosecution. Hearing these details from the mouths of Allison and Lauren themselves made for a good listen and provided clarity.