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On this powerful episode of Everything & Anything… and a Bit Gay, host Zach Randles-Friedman speaks with author and TikTok creator Tamara Mathieu, who spent 14 years inside the Twelve Tribes, a high-control religious cult with communities across the U.S. and around the world.
Tamara shares how she was drawn in as a young mother seeking community and safety, what daily life inside the cult really looked like, and how strict rules, isolation, and control shaped her marriage and her children’s lives. She opens up about motherhood under surveillance, the loss of personal freedom, the impact on teenagers, and the slow realization that something was deeply wrong.
In a gripping and emotional conversation, Tamara recounts the moment she and her family finally escaped, the challenges of rebuilding life afterward, and how her children have gone on to thrive outside the cult. She also discusses her memoir, All Who Believe: A Memoir in the Life of the Twelve Tribes, and why sharing her story now helps others feel less alone.
This episode is an honest, courageous look at survival, deconstruction, and reclaiming your life after spiritual abuse.
Buy Tamara's Book: https://www.amazon.com/All-Who-Believed-Memoir-Twelve/dp/1578691176
Follow Tamara on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@author.tamaramathieu
Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com
Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ
Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com
Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ
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