Cult Bride

How I Was Brainwashed and How I Broke Free

By: Liz Cameron

Narrated by: Liz Cameron

As an 18-year-old on a gap year in Canberra, Liz Cameron was approached at a shopping centre by a woman who, unbeknown to her, was a recruiting agent for Providence, a Christian cult that originated in South Korea and currently operates in 72 countries. As a new adult, Cameron was struggling to navigate the world and her identity, and as cults do so skilfully, they took advantage of her vulnerability. After months of indoctrination, things escalated – Cameron moved in with the cult, was cut off from friends and family, and was eventually appointed to the status of 'bride' to the cult's serial rapist leader, Jeong Myeong Suk (JMS). She travelled to South Korea to visit JMS in prison and stayed at the cult's extravagant, secretive compound. Upon her return to Australia, Cameron was controlled and starved, and underwent a severe physical and mental decline. It was only through the intervention of her parents and professional deprogrammers that she was able to make it out alive. In Cult Bride, Cameron takes us behind the scenes of a terrifying cult to show us how they operate in plain sight – and how we can unpick the systems that enable them to prey on vulnerable people.©2025 Liz Cameron (P)2025 Bolinda Publishing

Critic reviews

'Through Cult Bride, Liz bravely and openly shares her personal journey of cult indoctrination and escape. Not only insightful and instructive, Liz's story is also unflinching, incredibly moving ...' (Sarah Steel, author of Do As I Say)

'This is a comprehensive examination on the topic of cults and coercion ... a well-written and insightful account of the complex mindset of the cult recruit.' (Tore Klevjer, president of Cult Information and Family Support)

'Cult Bride makes you a close witness of Liz's journey into, and then her escape from, a predatory cult. The searing honesty of the writing is compelling. It's a deeply personal story but it is also a strong piece of social analysis.' (David Shoebridge, Senator of Australia)