Law & Order: Special Victims Unit featured Smallville actress Sarah Carter in its episode on the infamous NXIVM cult. The casting added another level to the episode, since her Smallville co-star Allison Mack was charged with her real-life role in the cult.
In “Accredo,” Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and her team investigated the brutal murder of a woman who was also sexually assaulted. During their investigation, they found she was a member of a cult called Accredo, led by Arlo Beck (Sebastian Roche) and Lilah Finch (Carter).
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The story of “Accredo” is inspired by NXIVM, a cult founded by Keith Raniere. The cult practiced under the guise of a “self-empowerment” group in Albany, New York.
However, their true practices came to light in an October 2017 New York Times expose, in which five women came forward to describe how they were branded by their “master.” Earlier this year, Raniere, Mack and four other defendants were charged with sex trafficking and forced labor for their roles in the group.
Raniere has been in prison without bail, while Mack was allowed to live with her parents in California while awaiting trial. The trial was recently delayed and will not start until March 2019, Radar Online reported.
In “Accredo,” Carter’s role was similar to Mack’s in real life. Benson and her team discovered that Beck had his women call him “lord” instead of “master” as in the real life case. At the end of the episode, both Finch and Beck ended up behind bars. Beck almost got away, but he was captured at an airport before he could leave.
On Smallville, Carter starred as one of Clark Kent’s girlfriends, Alicia Baker. Mack played Chloe Sullivan, a close friend of Clark’s.
In Mack’s most recent appearance in court, she was given more time to go to medical appointments, run errands and attend college classes.
“The proposed modifications will allow Ms. Mack to contribute to society and her own self-betterment while she awaits the resolution of the criminal charges,” Mack’s legal team said. “These activities not only will allow Ms. Mack to use her time productively while awaiting trial but will also assist with her reintegration into society if she is vindicated of the charges or even in the unlikely event that she is convicted after trial.”
Mack’s trial is expected to start on Jan. 7. She is out on $5 million bond.
Photo credit: Barbara Nitke/NBC
