One Tree Hill star Bethany Joy Lenz has reflected on her time as a member of Big House Family cult and its influence on her role as Haley James Scott in the hit television series.
Lenz spoke about her decade-long experience living as part of the Christian cult while maintaining her role on the show, which was defined by her character’s onscreen romance with Nathan Scott (played by James Lafferty).
The actress discussed the topic during an appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast (the same one that stirred controversy with a Kamala Harris interview last month), saying she found solace in her character’s relationship and viewed it as a form of escapism outside of her duties as part of the Big House Family cult. Lenz has been open in the past about being married to the son of the group leader, whom she refers to as QB.
“Oh, for sure,” Lenz said when asked by podcast host Alex Cooper whether portraying Haley was a form of escapism. “Only in the moments when the cameras were rolling.” The actress clarified that the emotional reprieve she found on the set of One Tree Hill had nothing to do with a romantic connection with Lafferty, and that it revolved more around the role itself.
“It worked with the story line,” Lenz said of her and Lafferty’s roles. “Nathan and Haley had great chemistry, and so I leaned into it.” She went on to reveal that she was “able to really maintain a totally professional relationship” with her onscreen partner and co-star, describing Lafferty as a “brotherly figure” who “never crossed that boundary.”
“[Lafferty] was lovely… and I never had to worry about having feelings,” Lenz added. While the purely platonic relationship offered a form of safety for Lenz, her role on One Tree Hill was a sore point for QB, who “hated” the fact that acting meant she was in proximity to other men. “He also wanted me to quit acting so I would stop making out with other guys,” Lenz claimed, before reflecting more broadly on other tumultuous aspects of their marriage.
Later in the interview, Lenz said QB contributed some of the money she made while working on One Tree Hill to the family cult, and claimed she was at first unaware of his control over her finances due to the “spiritual authority” system of the cult. “I just did the dutiful Christian wife thing and merged my accounts, and never did it occur to me, of course, that I was going to be taken advantage of,” Lenz said.
The actress went on to define “spiritual authority” as the group mentality that “the man basically gets the last word on everything” and that, as a woman, “you really are not allowed to question him.” It marks the most recent instance in which Lenz has cited One Tree Hill as a major factor contributing to her eventually leaving the Big House Family cult.
Last year, the actress said the filming schedule for the teen drama played a role in her fleeing, since it required her to be separated from the group for extended periods of time. She has also said that her cast and crew mates offered support throughout her time on the show, adding that some stars on the show tried to intervene when they could.
Elsewhere, Lenz has reflected on her decision to leave the cult in 2012 after the birth of her daughter, saying the encouragement of her co-stars and their continued support “in spite of the fact that I was a little bit weird” contributed to her quest for freedom.