Latest news with #January2011
The Sun
4 days ago
- The Sun
Sex cult brainwashed me into being a ‘bride' for a rapist… I thought he was God & was sucked in with love-bomb tactics
LIZ Cameron, 32, is a health sector project manager and author. she lives in Canberra, Australia. 'As I walked out of the bookshop, a smiling woman approached. 4 She was a foreign student studying Australian culture, she explained, and asked if I'd mind completing a survey. It was January 2011 and I was a shy, insecure 18 year old just starting my gap year. I had no idea she was from a cult – and that I'd get sucked in. I took the pen from the girl, who said her name was Yujun. The questions were easy, from what I liked about Australia to my religion, so I gave my answers then said goodbye, thinking no more of it. A week later, Yujun emailed more questions about my faith, as I'd said I was Christian. She told me my answers showed I was 'beautiful', which made me feel good. The next week, I went to her home for tea with her and her housemates. That was the start of the love-bombing – the hugs when I arrived for meals, their joy at me joining Bible sessions. Seeing how happy they were made me want to feel that way, too, so within a few months, I was getting up at 5am to pray, followed by a 6am service at their house and hours of Bible reading. Inside a 'mind-controlling' CULT which 'forced mum and daughter to hit each other' and chose Fiji as the 'promised land' My mum started to worry, but I reassured her I was fine. As the brainwashing took hold, the girls told me they belonged to Sarang Church and that its founder, Pastor Joshua, had been falsely imprisoned in South Korea because of his faith. Searching for information on him or the church was forbidden, though. I accepted this without question, even taking part in a 'heavenly bride' fashion show organised by the church. In September 2011, they revealed Pastor Joshua – also called Jung Myung-seok or SSN – was the Messiah. I was ecstatic when SSN wrote to me from prison to say he loved me, and I dreamed of being chosen to be a 'Faith Star' – one of his brides on Earth. I moved out of my parents' house that November to live with the group. I no longer saw any of my old friends, as the church had become my life. When my mum tried to show me research on the church in January 2012, I ran away, terrified – I'd been taught that even looking at it would be 'spiritual suicide'. 4 4 Another time, when my dad came to the house to see me, my housemate hid me in the back of a car and drove away, because nothing was more important than being spiritually pure. A few weeks later, a group of us flew to South Korea to meet SSN and, waiting in the prison, I was so nervous. Suddenly, there he was. He said how happy he was to see us, while I said in stilted Korean: 'I love you.' Deep down, I didn't actually feel any love during our meeting, but I blamed myself and prayed harder. Back home, I received letters from SSN, which had become sexual. I told myself he was the Messiah and everything he did was holy. One wrong thought could taint me, and to be saved I had to sleep less, pray more, eat little and exercise. Losing a dangerous amount of weight caused my organs to atrophy and, in January 2012, I ended up in hospital with an eating disorder. 'DEEPLY DECIEVED' Mum saved me by convincing the clinic to discharge me to her instead of the church, then by bringing me to a cult de-programmer. After two days of them talking to me about the tactics cults use, it hit me – Jung Myung-seok was in prison for raping and sexually assaulting three women, and I'd spent 18 months in his cult. Months of grief followed as I realised how deeply I'd been deceived. I began slowly rebuilding my life, meeting other cult survivors, making new friends and forging a career for myself. In 2023, Jung Myung-seok was convicted of further sexual assaults, including rape, and sentenced to an extra 23 years in prison. Leaving a cult isn't easy, but sharing my story helps.
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Horrific mistake Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson made with WWE dwarf
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson made the horrific mistake during his WWE return in January 2011 of believing fellow wrestler, the dwarfed Hornswoggle, was a Make-A-Wish kid visiting the show. After departing WWE for Hollywood opportunities in 2004, The Rock reappeared in early 2011, where he ran into Hornswoggle backstage after announcing he would be the host of that year's WrestleMania. Seconds after The Rock came back through the curtain after his first on-camera segment for the company in several years, Hornswoggle was waiting in the production area right behind the stage. The Make-A-Wish Foundations attempts to grant the desires of children with life-threatening illnesses. WWE Champion John Cena is famous for granting more wishes than anyone else, which could explain Johnson's initial thinking. 'He thought I was a Make-A-Wish kid,' said Hornswoggle, whose real name is Dylan Postl, to Chris Van Vliet. 'He did a promo announcing he was gonna be the host. I was like, I'm gonna meet my buddy, Dwayne. I'm gonna be his best friend. We're gonna have tequila and Zola energies.' 'And so I am in a suit, like a legit suit, not my leprechaun outfit, with my gear bag, and I'm gonna meet him behind the curtain. As he comes through, in my mind, best friends. I see my buddy Dwayne come back through. I'm like, "'Here we go! Hey, man, thank you so much for coming back. Thanks for what you're gonna do for WrestleMania and what you're gonna do for the company, and just glad to have you back. Good to meet you. My name's Dylan.'" 'He extends his arm out. "Did you have a good time tonight buddy?" Taps me on the shoulder, leaves. And I go, "Oh no, he doesn't realize I work here." I was on the show before that.' 'I told Kofi (Kingston) thinking he would have my back, support me. He supported me by texting 97 people immediately while driving because he couldn't wait on it. Within 30 seconds, I had so many people message me.' '"Rock thought you were a Make-A Wish kid, huh?" Big Show called him out the next week about this, and Rock goes, "Yeah, I did, I don't watch the show."' Hornswoggle, who was introduced to the WWE audience as the leprechaun sidekick of Finlay in 2006. He is now under a legends contract with the company. Johnson is likely more in-tune with the WWE product now as an executive in TKO, the joint combat-sports venture between the UFC and the professional-wrestling behemoth.
