By Michele Hatchette
At its peak, the women’s secret society known as DOS consisted of 105 women. The group was formed to help women mentor each other — through practices of accountability, discipline, and care — to develop into the version of themselves they sought to be.
It was a sisterhood of women who supported each other and, above all, trusted each other.
In 2017, some people outside the group began spreading rumors and false allegations about DOS, its aims, and the people involved. Then they pressured women in DOS to come forward or be publicly exposed.
The Frank Report was the first media to publish false information about DOS, and promote a carefully crafted narrative that all the women in it were “brainwashed” and ultimately abused and/or controlled by Keith Raniere.
DOS organizational chart
One of the first articles was a list of over 50 women who were supposedly part of DOS (yet many weren’t) with a photo and description of each so-called “sex slave.”
The accusations were outrageous, and we knew it, but it didn’t matter. The damage was being done.
We were all at risk of being publicly shamed and/or accused of being in a “sex cult.” Women started leaving DOS out of fear of having their reputations destroyed. And once they did, they were contacted by or introduced to a civil lawyer who invited them to be part of a class action lawsuit, suing leaders in NXIVM and DOS, most especially the wealthy Bronfman sisters (heiresses to the Seagram’s fortune).
I know this because the lawsuit was pitched to me, and I declined. Many didn’t.
One of the women who left DOS largely because of the false narrative gaining momentum on the Frank Report was Nicole. I got to know Nicole through our experiences together in DOS.
Allison Mack with two of her slaves, India Oxenberg and Danielle Roberts.
I was the first to accept Allison Mack’s invitation, followed by India Oxenberg, Nicole (who has managed to remain anonymous), and Dr. Danielle Roberts.
Several weeks after the Frank Report began publishing articles about DOS, Nicole informed us that she was bowing out. She shared (with us at the time and later in court at Keith Raniere’s trial) that this just “wasn’t her fight.”
She was an aspiring actress, and her reputation was everything to her. She knew she wasn’t a “sex slave,” as the media described, but she saw the story taking hold and wanted no part in it.
Frank Parlato (of the Frank Report), invited anyone who “left” the organization to contact him.
He would take their name and photos down as long as they vowed to break ties with NXIVM and DOS. His goal was to dismantle the group, and he was effective.
While Nicole’s decision to leave saddened me, we parted ways amicably and agreed to remain friends.
She wrote a letter to Allison before she left, thanking Allison for everything she’d done for her. She said she wanted to remain a teacher in The Source, an acting program created by Keith Raniere and led by Allison Mack and Eduardo Asunsolo.
She said she still wanted to spend time together socially.
Below is the email she sent Allison to let her know she was leaving DOS. It explains her motives for leaving and how she felt about Allison, Danielle, Michele, and India at the time.
At Keith Raniere’s trial in 2019, Nicole testified that after she left DOS, she reached out to Parlato to see if he would take down her name and image.
Parlato told Nicole he had her collateral (from DOS and had turned it over to law enforcement) and that she should speak with Catherine Oxenberg.
At the time, Catherine was waging a campaign in the media, claiming her 26-year-old daughter, India Oxenberg, was in danger and needed “saving.”
Despite India informing her mother that she was fine and inviting her to see her lifestyle in Albany, Catherine was determined to change her daughter’s mind.
She was relentless. Catherine even turned her daughter into the FBI as a co-conspirator and stated in a documentary that she’d rather India go to prison than be in a “cult.”
Catherine Oxenberg delivers the white paper memorandum written by Frank Parlato, which included the alleged crimes of Keith Raniere.
Catherine introduced Nicole to civil lawyer Neil Glazer, who collected plaintiffs for a civil suit against NXIVM. She was also encouraged to speak to the FBI. Roughly a year later, Nicole assumed the role of one of the lead witnesses at Keith Raniere’s trial, claiming she was a victim of sex trafficking and forced labor.
I joined DOS several months before Nicole and remained in the group almost a year after she left. I did the same practices she did, went on the same trips she did, was in a group chat with her, and also witnessed her enthusiastic involvement in many other NXIVM community activities. I can’t say I know exactly what she experienced or felt inside at the time. Still, it’s safe to say we had similar experiences. I also observed her struggle with some practices, often defying them or refusing to do them (without consequence).
At Keith Raniere’s trial, she was the sole “victim” of sex trafficking and forced labor due to her experiences in DOS, despite there being 105 women in DOS, and even other DOS members who were witnesses at trial.
I also met with the government while they were building their case. I told the truth about my experience in DOS, its people, and what I learned from it.
The lead prosecutor, Moira Penza, repeatedly tried to convince me that their narrative was, in fact, the truth. The government asked me to co-sign a lie, and that’s not what I do. I’m sure if I’d agreed with them, you would know me now as the victim of a made-up crime instead of a “brainwashed cult member.”
Weeks before Keith Raniere’s trial, the government threatened to subpoena me to testify on their behalf. It informed my lawyer that they would charge me with perjury if I didn’t meet with them beforehand. If they had such a solid case, why bully a witness into testifying and then threaten her if she refused?
Michele Hatchette and Nicole, slave sisters in the sorority.
While she was in DOS, Nicole reviewed and gave feedback on articles and voluntarily transcribed audios for a friend’s memorial. I did too.
So did many others.
Nicole completing these tasks became the evidence the prosecution used to convict Keith Raniere of forced labor and sentence him to 20 [of his 120 years] years in prison.
Nicole claims she was “forced” to labor, despite no negative consequences if she had refused to do the tasks.
In an email to Keith Raniere, Nicole shows her support to Keith during the difficult time leading up to Keith’s long-time partner Pam Cafritz’s passing.
Note: This email was sent to Keith Raniere five months after the single sexual encounter where Nicole alleges she was “sex trafficked,” despite no money changing hands and no state lines being crossed.
In her reviews of the articles (the “forced labor”), Nicole expressed how much she loved the articles and wanted to read some of them again.
Meanwhile, I was fired from my job because Frank continued to harass and write false statements about those who wouldn’t comply with the false narrative. I lost everything I cared about because I wouldn’t lie and support sending people to prison who I knew were innocent.
Nicole has been awarded $412,779.18 in restitution and is seeking hundreds of thousands more in the civil case. She remains anonymous, her identity protected, although there is no evidence that she would be in danger if she were named.
However, my private life was made public without my consent, primarily by Nicole and other government witnesses like Jessica Joan. Jessica admitted, under oath, to stealing my collateral with the intent to blackmail. To this day, because I refused to co-sign the government and media lies, I’ve experienced far more hate, prejudice, and discrimination than I ever have as a black woman.
In case it’s not coming across, I’ll just say it for what it is: Nicole was offered anonymity and the potential of a cash reward for her willingness to distort reality and go along with the media and government narrative.
I was offered the same thing, but I declined because I knew the claims were false, and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I allowed myself to be bought. Others I know faced the same decision and have suffered the same consequences.
Nicole is not a victim of sex trafficking or forced labor.
A simple examination of the evidence, not the hysteria and hate presented at trial and in the media, would quickly bring the truth to light: Nicole wanted to be famous and thought Allison could help her with her career.
She was into kinky stuff and told Keith she wanted to explore her sexuality. As a result, he put together a single experience for her where she was tied to a table, blindfolded, and a woman went down on her.
She told her friends after the event that it made her “feel alive.” She read some articles and, in her reviews, expressed her enjoyment of reading them and even wanting to reread them.
Sex trafficking and forced labor are grave and egregious crimes. Nicole claiming to be a victim after having a sexual fantasy fulfilled and completing a book report is the only crime present here.
Allison Mack’s slaves.
The above article is a republication of The Making of a Victim
Read more about Michele on the Dossier Project website.
