"I had two women holding my hands and my feet so I wouldn't convulse."
India Oxenberg revealed the terrifying details of being physically branded in a secret ceremony allegedly for NXIVM.
In recent interviews, the daughter of "Dynasty" actress Catherine Oxenberg (both pictured above) recalled her harrowing ordeal that began at the age of 19 when she joined the so-called self-empowerment organization NXIVM; which she claims culminated in her indoctrination into the master-slave sorority offspring, called DOS, one fateful night.
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View Story"I had two women holding my hands and my feet so I wouldn't convulse," she said of the alleged initiation event where her pelvic region was branded with the initials of NXIVM and DOS’s leader, Keith Raniere, per People. "I remember crying but not with pain. There was no choice to say no."
India and the other participants, however, were unaware the crude tattoo was a representation of Raniere.
"We were told that it was a symbol of the elements and that this was gonna be a bonding experience," India told "Good Morning America." "And we were sleep deprived. We were starved. We were coerced."
"You don't just decide to be branded. You're coerced into being branded."
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View StoryAccording to witnesses and court documents, Raniere blackmailed women to be part of DOS by holding collateral, such as family secrets and nude photos.
"The circumstances pushed us to our limits, to the point where you would think you were making the choice to get branded," India, now 29, told People.
Raniere also allegedly groomed the "slaves" to eventually have sex with him.
"One of my first commands was to seduce Keith," India told the outlet. "I was told it was an assignment to make me feel less vulnerable."
She went on to claim the DOS experiment was simply a ploy for Raniere’s continual sexual abuse.
"I would describe that sexual relationship as rape," she told Vanity Fair.
Raniere was found guilty of sex trafficking, racketeering, and forced labor conspiracy in 2019. He was arrested in 2018 alongside "Smallville" actress Allison Mack, who introduced India to DOS and allegedly became India's "master."
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View Story"She had a lot of power and control over me and I was scared of her but she can't hurt me anymore," India told People. "I think in a lot of ways she saw herself as a kind of Joan of Arc character, willing to fall on a sword for Keith."
Mack ended up pleading guilty to racketeering charges and told the judge at the time, "I was lost," according to court documents.
After Raniere and the high-ranking officials of NXIVM were brought in by the FBI, India managed to escape their clutches with the help of her mother, Catherine, who worked for years attempting to free her daughter.
"I didn't understand that there are people out there who will try and destroy love, destroy connection, and destroy family. I will fiercely never let that happen again, and be much more watchful and mindful of people," Catherine told Vanity Fair.
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View Story"People go, 'Well, I'll never be sucked into a cult.' But quite frankly, the dynamic is very similar to a controlling, abusive relationship," she continued. "And Keith was not only a cult leader, he was a sexual predator. You look at what R. Kelly did, you look at Epstein -- the system in place that they designed in order to be able to get access to women is the same. They had enforcers; they had people who developed trust with young women. The more we bring light to this kind of predatory behavior and expose it, the safer it will be for young women."
India said she eventually saw the light with the help of intensive therapy and a deprogrammer, but it wouldn't have been possible without her mother's unwavering support.
"I don't think anybody thinks that they could lose their life, but still be here. But the reality is that my life was hijacked by this group," she explained to People. "And the fact that I get a second chance to actually just have my life and be like a normal 29 year old -- and not have everything be lost, and be one of these women that is going to spend the rest of their life either in jail or under house arrest, or with the mark of Keith Raniere -- is remarkable to me that I get to have this. And that's because of what she [Catherine] did."
Now India is looking forward to a healthy, happy life with her fiancé. And without a reminder of her days with Raniere.
“I designed a tattoo around the brand,” she explained to Vanity Fair. "It's this mandala-type shape and an evil eye pointing outward. Around, it says 'en quora en para,' which means 'still learning.' For me, it's about reclaiming that part of my body so I didn't have to look at myself naked and see Keith's initials. I see something that I want, that I've placed on myself."