- An LA talent management company recruiting TikTok dancers has been accused by the family of one of the dancers of being a "cult."
- The company has denied the accusations, calling them "false and defamatory." Through a representative, the dancer whose family members made the accusation has
also denied the claim. - Cult expert Stephen Hassan explained four signs that a person could be involved in a cult.
For the past three months, accusations have been swirling that LA filmmaker and pastor Robert Shinn has been influencing the thinking of TikTok dancers who are signed to his talent management company, 7M Films, which he denies.
The management company has been accused of seeming "cult-like" by media outlets and individuals who were close with the dancers before they became associated with Shinn and now feel isolated from them.
The company first came under online suspicion in February when the family of TikTok dancer Miranda Derrick posted a video on Instagram saying they were worried about her wellbeing after she joined an entertainment management company tied to a church.
"She's a victim of a church-based cult in the LA area and has blocked and cut off all contact with her family," Derrick's sister, Melanie Wilking, said in the video.
In a subsequent Instagram statement she denied being involved in a religious cult. Through a representative for 7M, Derrick wrote to Insider, "My family reacted to my independence and my personal and professional choices by publicly attacking me, my husband, my faith and my management. 7M represents me as their client and treats me as any other talent manager treats their clients. I am an adult and pay my own bills and taxes and I control my own finances."
A representative for 7M and Shinn told Insider the allegations were "false and defamatory."
There were up to 10,000 cults active in the United States in 2018, the president of the International Cultic Studies Association Steve Eichel told CBS. A study of a group of ex-cult members by the University of Columbia found that members on average struggled with depression and identity formation more than other people in their age group.
Insider's Julia Black spoke to Dr Steven Hassan a licensed mental health professional with research interests in cult-based mind control, who provided some potential signs that might mean a person has become or is likely to become involved in a cult.
Here are some of the warning signs he advised loved ones to look out for.
The person is in an especially vulnerable state
Hassan told Insider there is no "clinical" list of exact criteria people can use to diagnose when a person has been brainwashed. However, he said that often the "social influences" on a person are what determine their susceptibility to mind control.
If someone is at a "vulnerable" point in their life, dealing with emotional or circumstantial issues, they can be more easily influenced by brainwashing techniques, he said.
Rachel Bernstein, a therapist who specializes in treating cult survivors, previously told Insider that people who were recently diagnosed with terminal or chronic illnesses are living on their own for the first time, or who have experienced the death of a loved one, are examples of people who tend to enter fragile states, and are therefore more likely to join a cult-like group.
The person becomes close to a 'charismatic figure' who begins to have influence over them
Hassan told Insider there are many different types of cult-like groups, but one model operated around "one-on-one domineering," which controls and isolates a person.
This relationship might be formed between a vulnerable person and a "charismatic figure" who they come to trust, he said. The person may be "in a state of overwhelming confusion" and "tuning out due to hopelessness or helplessness," which is one of the first conditions for brainwashing, he said.
Sometimes, people isolate themselves from others because being around people creates feelings of "fear and uncertainty." When a "charismatic" leader figure steps into their lives, they might convince the vulnerable person to trust them, becoming that person's main source of contact before brainwashing them, he explained.
Bernstein previously told Insider that "Sometimes people are just wanting to connect with people they think they have something in common with," adding that this might be the reason why isolated and vulnerable people become attached to a cult or a cult leader.
The person is involved in a group with religious principles that differ from the mainstream
Some cults have specific religious agendas, and Hassan said it is important not to lump all religious behaviors together or treat them in the same way when trying to identify whether someone is involved in a cult-like religious group.
Some fringe religious groups can differ greatly in teaching from mainstream religion, he told Insider. For example, groups that manipulate their followers for money could be seen as cults, as they have "twisted" Christianity in such a way that it "takes away the good part of the religious experience," he said.
The person is not able to step away from the community, even for a short period of time
Many cult-like organizations are known for encouraging people to renounce their family and cut off contact with the outside world. Hassan said, "If you're sure you're not in a brainwashed state or in a cult, then prove it to yourself and prove it to your family. Step out of the experience for a week."
Julia Black contributed to this reporting.
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