Marc Elliot Sues HBO Over NXIVM Series The Vow
NXIVM’s Marc Elliot, featured in the HBO documentary series The Vow, is suing the network, producers, and directors of the show.
Elliot claims The Vow aired a phone call recorded without his permission, which he claims is an invasion of privacy.
Scene from HBO’s The Vow featuring Isabella Constantino and the voice of Marc Elliot
He filed the lawsuit in St. Louis City Circuit Court on Tuesday, seeking over $75,000 in damages.
The Vow, spanning two seasons, narrates the story of NXIVM, its leader Keith Raniere, and his numerous followers, including Smallville actress Allison Mack and Seagram beverage heiress Clare Bronfman.
In 2019, Raniere was found guilty of racketeering, sex trafficking, and other charges and is currently serving a 120-year prison sentence.
The third episode of The Vow’s second season prominently features Elliot delving into NXIVM’s alleged treatment for Tourette’s syndrome.
Marc Elliot
Elliot asserts that NXIVM’s talk therapy and “self-help courses” helped him overcome the condition.
The lawsuit centers around a phone call between Elliot and Isabella Constantino, a woman who suffered from Tourettes, and is leaving NXIVM due to concerns about Raniere’s branding of female followers with his initials.
The docuseries portrays Elliot attempting to convince her to rethink her decision to leave the group.
The second season of The Vow premiered on October 17, 2022 and follows the federal prosecution of Raniere.
This six-part season also focuses on Nancy Salzman, NXIVM’s former president, known as “Prefect.”
Elliot claims Salzman and Raniere’s application of NXIVM’s techniques helped him overcome Tourettes Syndrome.
Although Elliot signed a release for the filmmakers in 2020, he alleges it only covered footage from July 2020 onward, two years after the controversial phone call.
Despite Raniere’s imprisonment, Elliot continues to defend him and credits NXIVM with helping him cure his Tourette’s.
Marc Elliot appeared on Ethan Klein’s podcast to defend Keith Raniere
Elliot previously filed a $12 million defamation lawsuit against Starz over their series Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult in October 2021 in California
Starz brought an anti-SLAPP [Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation] motion to strike the complaint and prevailed.
A judge dismissed Elliot’s lawsuit last November and ordered Elliot to pay a portion of Starz’s legal fees.
