Bethany Joy Lenz has hinted about her past in a cult over the years, but promises to tell all in her upcoming memoir, Dinner for Vampires. What is the book about and when will it be released?

What Is Bethany Joy Lenz’s Book ‘Dinner for Vampires’ About?

The One Tree Hill alum will share details “about her decade in a cult and her quest to break free,” according to the Simon and Schuster website. As fans got to know the Florida native as Haley James Scott on the teen drama, the actress – who goes by her middle name Joy – was living a “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,” the description reads. “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 counseling with ‘Leadership’ were just part of the tactics used to keep her loyal.”

Joy finally found the courage to leave when she gave birth to her daughter, Maria, in February 2011 with her ex-husband, Michael Galeotti. “After nearly a decade (and with the unlikely help of a One Tree Hill superfan), she finally managed to escape the family’s grip and begin to heal from the deep trauma that forever altered her relationship with God and her understanding of faith,” the description concludes.

When Will Bethany Joy Lenz’s Book ‘Dinner for Vampires’ Be Released?

Dinner for Vampires will be released on October 22, 2024, and is currently available for preorder.

What Has Bethany Joy Lenz Said About ‘Dinner for Vampires’?

After referencing the experience on her “Drama Queens” podcast, Joy announced she was writing a book about her time as a cult member in August 2023.

“I’m a writer at heart, so turning a phrase is easy for me,” she told People about the writing experience. “Exploring the memories, and really facing them, can be challenging — but I’m doing it.”

After noting that “recovery looks different for everyone,” she said she “had to start from a baseline of my personal understanding of God and the experiences I had had” in order to move forward. “And then there was a lot of going back to who I was before and remembering that, and then acknowledging that there was so much I just didn’t know,” Joy continued.