Bethany Joy Lenz identifies alleged 'cult' she was part of, recalls experience with 'abusive' group in memoir

The "One Tree Hill" alum's upcoming book, "Dinner for Vampires," will reveal the details of her "double life."

Bethany Joy Lenz is ready to tell all.

The 42-year-old One Tree Hill alum made good on her word to release a book about her 10-year experience as a member of what she describes as "an abusive, high-demand group (a.k.a. cult)," announcing on Friday that her upcoming memoir, Dinner for Vampires, is out Oct. 22.

She also identifies the name of the group, which she previously withheld, as a church covenant called The Big Family House.

Dinner for Vampires details Lenz's story after she was cast as Haley James in the popular teen series One Tree Hill in the early 2000s. While her career was about to take off, her personal life slowly began to unravel after she began leading a "secret double life," per the book's description. An only child who "wanted a place to belong," Lenz says she joined the group — first described as a Bible study group with other Hollywood creatives — and soon found herself in a "web of manipulation, abuse, and fear."

Lenz also recounts relocating to the church's Pacific Northwest compound and her experiences with a "domineering minister who would convince Lenz to marry one of his sons" and, she alleges, "steadily drained millions of her TV income."

Only when she became a mother did she "find the courage" to escape with the "unlikely help of a One Tree Hill superfan."

Sharing its cover on Instagram, Lenz admitted that the memoir isn't the first book she thought she'd write. "But as difficult as this subject matter is to untangle, I’m grateful I get to share my story, my way," she said. "We all make mistakes and I hope Dinner for Vampires reminds you that, no matter what weird roads you've gone down, you're not alone."

Lenz previously shared details about her experience in the group, which she did not name, on Drama Queens, her OTH podcast with her former costars Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton. She revealed last summer that she had been writing about the events privately and hoped to release a book about it but that she had been feeling the pressure to get the story right.

"So many people are being misled in the name of a God I love and cherish," she said. "I feel I have a responsibility to speak up for anyone willing to hear it."

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Related content:

• One Tree Hill star Bethany Joy Lenz reveals she was in a cult for 10 years: 'There's a lot to tell'

• Bethany Joy Lenz says One Tree Hill costars' support after she left cult 'made a big difference'

• One Tree Hill star Bethany Joy Lenz says the show 'saved my life' while she was in a cult

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