Glenn Close Spent 15 Years in a Cult & Still Lives with the Trauma That Affected Her Personal Relationships

• Glenn Close was in a cult from age seven and lived in it for 15 years.
• She opened up about the psychological and emotional trauma she endured from being in the cult.
• The actress admitted this affected her personal relationships.

Legendary actress Glenn Close opened up about her experience growing up in a cult. She said she lived in one for 15 years, from age 7 to 22, because her parents joined it.

Bettine Moore Close and William Close were part of the cult Moral Re-Armament (MRA) group, which was established in the early 1920s. An American minister started the group to spread an evangelistic campaign founded on God's guidance and moral absolutes.

The group was also meant to change the lives of individuals through personal work. Despite its positive description, Close said the MRA was "basically a cult." The actress opened up about it in the docuseries "The Me You Can't See, hosted by Prince Harry and Oprah Winfrey, which focused on mental health issues and awareness.

Close revealed that the MRA had a lot of rules and thrived by controlling the lives of its members. The children were raised to believe that anything they wanted to do for themselves was selfish. The actress has no memories of anything about her childhood that doesn't involve the MRA. Their family never went on vacations.

The movie star felt terrible shame being part of the cult, which caused havoc in her and her sibling's life. Describing it as an "awful" experience, that left them broken, Close refelected:

"It's astounding that something you went through at such an early stage in your life still has such a potential to be destructive. I think that's childhood trauma."

Glenn's sister, Jessie, was diagnosed with bipolar I disorder with psychotic tendencies at 50. The actress assisted Jessie in her hospitalization when she asked for help due to her persistent thoughts of suicide. Jessie, whose son, Calen Pick, was diagnosed with schizophrenia at 18, has been on medication, and she said she feels quite steady now.

These difficulties and the trauma from the cult made it hard for Glenn's marriage to thrive.

Glenn noted that her family is dealing with the pain and sense of shame that has surrounded them for years. However, they are fortunate to have a family to lean on.

Glenn doesn't blame her parents for joining the MRA. She believed they joined the cult when they were at a vulnerable place in their lives and marriage. MRA came and recruited them when they were at their weakest.

Eventually, the actress, her siblings, and her parents had to talk, express themselves, understand each other, and finally forgive one another.

The 76-year-old also opened up about the long-term effects of growing up in the cult which she only managed to leave at 22, when she left for college. The psychological abuse left her not knowing who she was, but Close has learned to understand her trigger points over the years and is working to restore her being.

The "Hook" actress said that because of the impact of the cult on her being, she was never successful in her relationships, particularly in finding a permanent partner. The actress has been divorced three times, admitting it was very difficult for her to sustain relationships because she didn't even know how to stand up for herself.

The emotional devastation and psychological effects made her steer away from vulnerability in relationships. Close has been to a childhood trauma specialist to help with her healing.

Glenn's Personal Relationships

Close met her first husband in the MRA. Looking back, she said the marriage was pretty much an arranged one. She and her first husband, Jack Roose, a musician, were married for a short time.

After their divorce, a 22-year-old Close left home and the cult for college, where she said she started feeling alive and like herself. Later, Glenn wed businessman James Marlas, but the union ended after three years.

Close didn't get married again for a long time after that. She got into a four-year relationship with producer John Starke, with whom she shares a daughter, Annie Starke. Her most important relationship is with Annie, whom she raised on movie sets and has grown into a beautiful woman.

The actress's third marriage was to David Shaw, a venture capitalist. The two were married for nine years. Close admitted that it was difficult being in a relationship with someone who wasn't in the show business. She said as an artist, she had to be with someone who understood her work and didn't expect her to share their outlook on the world.

The mom of one confessed that women in marriages feel unfulfilled. She said her mom was unfulfilled in her marriage too because she was only regarded as a homemaker. Close added that she also tried to do it all in her marriage to make her partner feel good about himself.

The actress said when she was married and in college, she would do all the laundry, cook the meals, prepare lunch for her husband, and still feel that she could do it all, which wasn't possible at all. These difficulties and the trauma she endured from the cult made it hard for her marriage to thrive.

Close added that she had to compromise a lot in relationships, which made her feel like she wasn't her true self. The actress put a lid on her light so that her partner could shine, but, in the end, she just couldn't do it anymore.

Despite the challenges she faced in her childhood and marriage, Close found comfort in her work as an actress. She has succeeded in the field, winning Tony and Emmy Awards, and securing nominations for the Academy Awards.

The actress said she finds joy in what she does. She is also at peace with herself, and even in her older years, she said, she feels sexier than ever.

As much as she is a phenomenal actress, Close's happiness and companionship come from her family. The actress lives in Montana with her two sisters, Jessie and Tina, and their families. Close's family has kept her grounded psychologically, and she goes home to them on a regular basis.