Allison Mack, best known for her role as Chloe Sullivan in the hit superhero series Smallville, is finally breaking her silence two years after being released from prison. Now 43, the former actress opens up publicly for the first time on CBC’s new podcast Allison After NXIVM, part of the investigative series Uncover. The seven-part podcast, hosted by Natalie Robehmed and produced by Vanessa Grigoriadis, premiered on November 10 and delves deep into Mack’s life before, during, and after her association with NXIVM, the notorious cult led by Keith Raniere.
In the emotional first episode, Mack revisits the day of her 2021 sentencing in New York City. Fighting back tears, she recalls how painful it was for her family to hear about her crimes. “Oh, my God, my poor brother behind me, having to hear this about his sister. My poor mom. I’m so sorry, you guys. I can take it, but you guys, I’m so sorry. I don’t see myself as innocent, and they were,” she says. The judge, she recounts, described her as “callous,” criticizing her for having laughed at others’ suffering and for leading people down destructive paths.
Mack’s downfall began in 2018 when she was arrested for her role in helping NXIVM leader Keith Raniere recruit and manipulate women into sexual servitude within an inner circle called DOS. Federal prosecutors described the operation as a “sexual pyramid scheme.” Within DOS, Mack reportedly held several women as “slaves,” controlling what they ate, when they slept, and even coercing them into sexual acts with Raniere.
Raniere, who co-founded NXIVM as a personal and professional development group, turned the organization into a predatory cult centered on his own control and gratification. He was convicted in 2019 of sex trafficking, racketeering, and fraud and is currently serving a 120-year federal sentence. Mack, who pleaded guilty to racketeering and conspiracy, served nearly two years in prison at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California. She was released in 2023 under the First Step Act, a law allowing inmates to reduce sentences through good behavior.
Allison After NXIVM explores how Mack, once a respected actress, became Raniere’s second-in-command—compared by many to the dynamic between Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein. Through candid reflection, Mack admits she was both a victim and a perpetrator, manipulated emotionally and psychologically but also complicit in extending the abuse to others. She recounts how she initially joined NXIVM in 2006 after being introduced by her Smallville co-star Kristin Kreuk. What began as self-improvement seminars quickly turned into complete devotion to Raniere.
During the podcast, host Natalie Robehmed poses the central question: “Who is Allison Mack, really? Is she a victim or someone who victimized others?” The series presents her story with nuance but does not shy away from accountability, noting both her brainwashing and the terrible harm she caused.
HBO’s hit docuseries The Vow (2020–2022) previously documented NXIVM’s inner workings, often featuring Mack as a shadowy figure in archival footage. That coverage helped cement her public image as Raniere’s enabler. Now, through her own words, she seeks to provide context to that portrayal—though the podcast has faced online criticism for offering her a platform to tell her side.
Robehmed defends the decision, saying Mack declined numerous interview offers after her conviction but agreed to the CBC format because she was drawn to the medium and no longer feels comfortable appearing on camera. Importantly, the podcast doesn’t serve as a redemption tour; it reportedly challenges Mack’s narratives and includes interviews with other NXIVM members, including Lauren Salzman, daughter of NXIVM co-founder Nancy Salzman.
Since her release, Mack has taken steps toward rebuilding her life. After divorcing her former wife, Battlestar Galactica actress Nicki Clyne, in 2020, she met a man named Frank at a Los Angeles dog park following her release. The couple married in June 2025. Mack is also pursuing a master’s degree in social work, hoping to use her experiences to help others who suffer from manipulation and abuse.
Through Allison After NXIVM, Mack presents a story of remorse and reckoning—one that examines both the depth of her indoctrination and the lives irrevocably damaged by her actions. Whether viewed as confession, explanation, or an attempt at redemption, the podcast marks a striking chapter in the ongoing fallout from one of America’s most infamous modern cults.
