What You Didn’t Know About River Phoenix

The cult was a traumatic time for River Phoenix. After “block[ing] out” the experience for years, he told Details (via LA Weekly) that he was sexually assaulted when he was only four years old. This was not a solitary experience since the Children of God creed encouraged incest as well as pedophilia. 

Speaking to The Sunday Post, another survivor of the cult recounted being “repeatedly raped and abused, forced on to the streets to trick people into donating money and taught how to conceal her torment from social workers and teachers.” She recalled that the abuse, like with Phoenix, began when she was four. She also said that her father was one of the abusers, adding that when she “complained,” her aggressor said she “must have a demon inside … because sex was love, and love was what God wanted [them] to show each other.”

Likely as one way to try to erase those horrible memories, Phoenix was “completely celibate from [ages] ten to fourteen,” per LA Weekly. According to Esquire (via The River Phoenix Pages), River “rarely talked about” Children of God. “They’re disgusting,” he reportedly said of the cult. “They’re ruining people’s lives.”

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN’s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).