How Allison Mack went from Smallville to an alleged sex-trafficking cult

Variety

Even though Keith Raniere's NXIVM is based in update New York, it has had a large operation in Vancouver. As Cynthia Littleton reports, "Mack’s connection to Raniere is believed to be rooted in the time she spent in Vancouver, where Smallville was shot. With so many TV series heading north to take advantage of Canadian tax credits, Vancouver has developed a large community of working actors, many of them young adults. Around the 2005-2006 period, a source said the actor circles in Vancouver seemed to take on a 'new age-y vibe' with a focus on tools for self-help and empowerment. Some pegged it to the release of the 2006 documentary The Secret, based on the book of the same name, which features a number of philosophers, authors, scientists discussing 'the secret' to personal and professional success that purportedly aided historical figures ranging from Plato to Beethoven to Albert Einstein." ALSO: Actress Samia Shoaib says Mack used feminism to "lure" her into NXIVM.