Dinner for Vampires cover art

Dinner for Vampires

Life on a Cult TV Show (While also in an Actual Cult!)

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Dinner for Vampires

By: Bethany Joy Lenz
Narrated by: Bethany Joy Lenz
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About this listen

A deliciously witty and inspiring memoir by One Tree Hill star Bethany Joy Lenz about her decade in a cult and her quest to break free.

In the early 2000s, after years of hard work and determination to breakthrough as an actor, Bethany Joy Lenz was finally cast as one of the leads on the hit drama One Tree Hill. Her career was about to take off, but her personal life was slowly beginning to unravel. What none of the show's millions of fans knew, hidden even from her costars, was her secret double life in a cult.

An only child who often had to fend for herself and always wanted a place to belong, Lenz found the safe haven she'd been searching for in a Bible study group with other Hollywood creatives. However, the group soon morphed into something more sinister - a slowly woven web of manipulation, abuse and fear under the guise of a church covenant called The Big House Family. Piece by piece, Lenz began to give away her autonomy, ultimately relocating to the Family's Pacific Northwest compound, overseen by a domineering minister who would convince Lenz to marry one of his sons and steadily drained millions of her TV income without her knowledge. Family 'minders' assigned to her on set, 'Maoist struggle session'-inspired meetings in the basement of a filthy house, and regular counselling with 'Leadership' were just part of the tactics used to keep her loyal.

Only when she became a mother did Lenz find the courage to leave and spare her child from a similar fate. After nearly a decade (and with the unlikely help of a One Tree Hill super-fan), she finally managed to escape the family's grip and begin to heal from the deep trauma that forever altered the course of her life.

Written with powerful honesty and dark humour, Dinner for Vampires is an inspiring story about the importance of identity, faith and independence.

©2024 Bethany Joy Lenz (P)2024 Simon & Schuster UK
Women Witty Inspiring

What listeners say about Dinner for Vampires

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genuinely from them heart

Bethany Joy,
Thank you on delivering a powerful glimpse in your lives experiences and sharing your truth.
Your growth, is inspiring.

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Such a great book

I was fascinated by the story and blown away by the beautiful writing. What a great story teller joy is. Thank you for sharing this.

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Amazing

What a read Joy!
Your strength is beyond admirable. I’m sorry you had to endure such hardships but Thankyou for sharing your journey.

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Incredibly Raw Memoir

Dinner For Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show (While Also in an Actual Cult!) by Bethany Joy Lenz
🎧 Audiobook review 🎧
I always believe you get more from a memoir when you can listen to the author read their own story.
This is such a raw and powerful book.
I would definitely recommend this one and even more so if you can listen to it.
Dinner For Vampires tells such an honest story of faith, identity, independence, and a desire to belong.

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Dinner for Vampires

It’s wonderful to listen to BJL’s story through her voice. You get a good sense of her emotional journey throughout this crazy journey. What a strong woman! Thank you for sharing your story.

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so good

i love the way her brain works the way she speaks is so engaging and this story was so captivating

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Moving story by the author

I loved listening to Joy tell her own story, there is so much power in it.

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Raw and Real Story

Joy's story is one that so many could relate to. It takes a lot to be so honest and vulnerable, when it would be so easy to just never talk about this part of her life ever again. Highly recommend.

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From one Cult to another

Fantastic book, read by the author, highlighting the personal turmoil of being in a cult experienced by while being on cult tv show.

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Great reading, interesting and easy to listen too

Loved this insight into a world many don’t encounter or leave if they do. Really insightful to the vulnerabilities of all people. I loved OTH and watched it during this period and would never have thought this was happening to one cast member in private.

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