The impact of cults and "high-control" organizations reaches far beyond just their members, affecting the lives of all who have lost a loved one to the rhetoric espoused by the groups.
Forgive Me For I Have Followed dives deeper into the "hidden truths" of talent management company 7M Films and Shekinah Church, which were the subjects of the Netflix documentary series Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult that came out in May. Hosted by the series' executive producer Jessica Acevedo and former 7M Films member Kailea Gray, the podcast explores how people were influenced to shun family members and friends as they were drawn deeper into the group. According to the podcast description:
"Forgive Me For I Have Followed embarks on a gripping journey into the hidden truths behind this high control group. Through powerful in-depth interviews with former members and new, chilling first-hand accounts, the series will illuminate untold, necessary perspectives."
In addition to diving deeper into 7M Films and Shekinah Church, the podcast hosts speak with individuals who have been affected by other cults as the hosts search for "a vital revelation aimed at ensuring these types of abuses never happen again."
During the October 2 episode, the hosts spoke with a woman named Leah who shared a "unique perspective" on the beginnings of Shekinah Church and how her relationship with her brother Daniel, a former 7M mentor, was forever changed by his involvement in the church.
"I think that's something that we always forget that even if someone hadn't experienced a high controlled environment or was directly involved with Shekinah for a long period of time, it could still affect them," Acevedo said. "It still impacts them."
In another episode released October 3, Acevedo is interviewed alongside Dancing for the Devil director Derek Doneen by You Can't Make This Up podcast host Rebecca Lavoie as they go more into the story of making the docu-series, which "exposes the diabolical tactics used by cult-like organizations to exert control over people."
Follow along with new episodes or catch up on what you may have missed by checking out the Forgive Me For I Have Followed podcast at iHeartRadio.com.