Frank Report published Keith Raniere’s opinion of Allison Mack in From Prison, Keith Raniere Speaks for First Time on Allison Mack: She Is Strong, Independent, Devoted, and She Is Innocent!
On the eve of her sentencing, it might be good to reprint the pertinent parts of Raniere’s appeal for leniency for Mack.
By Keith Raniere
I had known Allison a number of years before she became involved with the sorority [DOS]. We had worked together building an acting curriculum; she studied voice with me; I had helped her with relationships and with her career…
She Gave Up Chocolate
I invited Allison … into the sorority because of what I saw as a very virtuous act: She is very close to someone with a type of addiction. In order to uphold this person’s efforts to remove the addiction, and to show solidarity with this person, Allison chose to give up chocolate (something she dearly loves) as a show of strength and support….
Allison [vowed she ] would never eat chocolate for the rest of her life. She gave up a substance most dear, to set a positive example giving strength, for someone trying to give up something most compelling. I thought (and think) this is beautiful, I admire her so much for this act and type of thinking. I felt Alison embodied many of the traits intended to be fostered within the sorority. She is strong, independent, devoted, diligent, persistent, and truly works at being virtuous.
My relationship with Allison, from my perspective, was wonderfully clear, honest, connected, and unencumbered. It was mutually purposeful and highly proactive. It was a most beautiful connection — one of the greatest young relationships I have ever had [Raniere means here that his relationship with her in his harem was of shorter duration than many of his longer serving harem women] — it was so moving for me that someone was like her. I admire her greatly and I love her very much.
DOS First-Line Slaves were all harem members of Raniere. Most of them had been with him for more than a decade. Allison was the newest member of his harem among the eight DOS first line women. [Some say Rosa Laura was not in his harem, but others assert she was].
Motivation to Plea:
Allison [was] 36 years old and at the height (so far) of her career- She ….is a stage performer as well as a film actor. She… can be one of the exceptional actors of her generation. .
This all potentially ended the day she was arrested.
Allison faced a 15-year minimum prison term for something she do not do. She is innocent, although she plead guilty and cooperated. This is understandable when you think of the following:
If she went to trial and lost, especially with someone like me who has several, very prejudicial allegations, she could risk spending many years in prison. I make her look very bad;
If she were found guilty, she would likely never have children — and this is something she wants….
Going to prison for an extended period of time would likely destroy her career opportunities…
Because of the … charges, friends and family pressures, and her fame, there was a lot of social upside to pleading — especially if she could pull away from the 15-year minimum. With cooperation, this was possible.
Allison is innocent. Everything she did had good intent. At times we all have frailties, but never was anything Allison did from a mean spirit and certainly not criminal.
The charges against Allison are absolutely false. Unfortunately, because she plead, it is likely she will convince herself of some guilt. After all, compassionate people can always take responsibility especially when it comes to another’s pain or suffering.
I do hope the people that care for Allison (and Allison herself) know deep inside she is innocent no matter the outcome.
Effects…
Allison [by taking a plea deal] sadly betrayed her concept of love.
I believed Allison loved me….
Keith Raniere and Allison Mack discuss philosophical ideas.
Allison’s plea disheartened many sisters, taking away a dream and also taking away the safety and the surety of the vow…
I believe for Allison, the breaking of a vow destroys the purity of her inner word. … She broke the deepest, most sincere, complete vow without being able to speak to me [the court forbid Allison to speak to Raniere without attorneys present]. This is different than breaking a vow, because you were simply not strong enough to uphold it, and then wishing forever more you had upheld it. The reason I suggested Allison be in the sorority was because of a vow she took and how she kept it…
Of all people involved in this, I believe Allison has the most internal pressure to change her mind and make me bad. On one hand she has what she knows of me, her innocence, love, and the truth…. On the other hand, there are all the reasons to plea, and many people (including her attorneys) who wanted her out of this unjust situation seeing me and my life as the problem….
She is a guilty person that is actually innocent. Over time, when the truth comes out, it may be very sad and difficult for her. I do intend to exonerate Allison and all of my codefendants.
My Participation:
I had a dream with Allison: I dreamt I kissed and connected with Alison standing in her apartment against the wall. In this dream, it felt as though we were still connected in our very beautiful soulful way….
I believe if I pushed harder, and had spoken to Allison, she might have made a different decision….
I did not provide Allison, or other people, the opportunity to prove the trust I placed in them….
I did not provide Allison, or any of the sorority. I was responsible to train and test, the opportunity to strengthen their vows with challenges. I have always been the type of coach who does not push people to the physical limit. … By not testing the most sacred vow of the sorority, when the external tests came, the sisters in my charge were unprepared….
Allison wanted me to work with her using my tools and understanding to help her evolve personally. This is difficult when you are personally involved with the person with whom you are working. It can be difficult for them or yourself to separate what is personal and what is issue. Some of the romantic and sexual issues became mixed. This is my failing.
I have heard, since my arrest, there were times Allison questioned sexual aspects of my conduct relating to her and her actions…. I was blind to this and focusing on her desires as well as my personal relationship with her. The mixture of these two things can certainly create doubts.
Allison did nothing wrong, improper, and certainly nothing illegal. My actions (and personhood) were motivated as she understood them with nothing deceptive or inappropriate.
The intensity of issues worked (sexual and romantic), mixed with such an intense personal relationship, might only work with supreme trust and clarity…. I did not test Allison enough and build this trust for either of us…
Allison Mack meeting Keith Raniere for the first time; November 2006
I also did not give Allison the opportunity to know me even more fully. My relationship with Allison was so young compared to my other relationships. I did not respect this, making assumptions only valid for a relationship spanning a much greater time involving many more incidents. Allison was forced to trust me as if she had been with me decades, not months…
When I first read the legal papers from Allison’s attorneys I had grave concerns about their understanding and confidence of her innocence. … . If I had pushed the issue of Alison’s innocence harder, and been able to communicate directly with her attorney, I may have been either able to change his understanding or reveal this philosophical difference….
