Part 1: Friday Testimony: Nicole: ‘Raniere blindfolded me, tied me down and had someone perform oral sex on me’

In General

By Dianne Lipson

It is the 19th day of court – in the trial of Keith Alan Raniere.

The day began with Nicole, the actress who was a DOS slave for little more than a year. She began her testimony on Thursday and ended that day be describing how she had been instructed to communicate with Keith.

She was ordered to do so by Allison Mack, her slave master.

Now, we begin her Friday morning testimony.

Nicole, as ordered by Allison, is supposed to send emails to Keith. Keith is not responding.

Finally, at one point, Allison told Nicole that if Keith didn’t respond to her by 3 am that morning that she, Allison, would have to take a cold shower as punishment.

Nicole communicated that to Keith in an email and Keith finally responded [thus sparing Allison from having to take a cold shower]. It seems possible, if not obvious, that Keith and Allison conspired together on this – which raises an interesting question – as to whether Allison will testify to her role in the abuse of Nicole.

In her email, Nicole asked Keith, “Why is there so much of a struggle to get to freedom?” Keith offered her some elegant word salad to the effect that “Freedom comes with commitment” and “Love is related to pain.”

In April and May 2016, Nicole’s feelings about DOS were stressful and scary. But Allison was nice to her and was helping her with her acting career.  She set up an interview with a good agency and with an off-Broadway audition for Nicole.

Nicole, however, is working at a nightclub five nights a week in New York City. Then, when she’s done, she has to go to Clifton Park, [three hours away] by train to serve Allison. That was hard. She was exhausted.

When Nicole stayed in Clifton Park, she stayed with Allison, even sleeping in the same bed. There was no testimony to suggest there was any kind of sex between them.

At one point, Keith asked Nicole to go for a walk.  He said she “earned” this. He said, “Isn’t this funny that this [the walk] is our first date?”

Nicole was thinking “What does that mean?”

Assistant US Attorney Moira Penza asked Nicole, “Were you ever attracted to Keith? Did you have any interest in dating him?”

Nicole said no.

Nicole was traveling back and forth from New York City to Clifton Park. She began to suspect that she was being set up – for Keith. She thought there was a plot. She communicated that to Allison and Allison said, “It’s so great that you trust me enough to tell me that, but that’s not true.”

Nicole wanted to believe Allison. But there were more walks with Keith  – at three or four in the morning. These late night/early morning walks were set up when Keith would text Allison. There was a particular sound tone on Allison’s phone when Keith texted her.

Somehow, when Nicole heard that sound, her body went into a “flight or a fight” mode.

She noticed that Keith, on these walks, would speak about the same things Allison spoke about in DOS – such as commitment and trust.

Nicole wondered, “Is this a coincidence?”

She had been told Keith was not part of DOS.

Nicole had other concerns.

She said to Keith, “You know, Alison’s only four years older than me. How can she know what’s best for me?”

Keith told her, “If you can trust wholly in a person who is flawed, then you can find real freedom.”

Nicole didn’t know what the hell that meant.

Keith would also ask questions like: “What’s the worst thing you have ever done?” And “What are you afraid of?”

Somehow, it seemed like Keith knew what Nicole had been talking about with Allison, but Allison said that wasn’t the case.

One day, Nicole was given an assignment. Allison told her that she had to go on a walk with Keith and that she had to tell him that she would do anything he asked her to do.

Nicole felt she had no choice. But she was very nervous about saying this to Keith.

But, during their walk, she blurted it out, “I will do anything you tell me to do.”

Keith said, “I don’t think you meant that.”

Nicole said, “No, I don’t.”

Keith said to her to say it to him when she really meant it.

She did say it the next day.

Keith asked Nicole, “What’s the worst thing I could ask you to do?”

She had thought the worst thing he could do was to ask her to do something sexual, but then she realized that wasn’t the worst. Nicole felt really scared.

She looked at a roof and found herself thinking, “God, he could ask me to jump off that roof. He could ask me to hurt someone in my family or to hurt someone else. What if he asks me to kill somebody or never speak to my family again?”

She told this to Keith, who said, “Do you think I would ask you to do those things?”

That calmed her down a little.

He told Nicole to come back when she meant it and tell him that she would do anything he asked.

Allison also reinforced this.

One day after she said to Keith that she would do anything, he took to a house across from Allison’s.

Keith said, “You’ll do anything I ask?”

She said “Yes”.

He told her to take all her clothes off. She did. She’s totally naked. He’s sitting down. She’s standing. He made comments about her body including the fact that she hadn’t shaved her pubic region.

She said she’d been celibate for three months. Keith said the lack of shaving was fine.

He told her to put her clothes back on. Then he blindfolded her – very tight. Keith said they were going somewhere. He took her in a car and drove her somewhere. She didn’t know where. Nicole didn’t talk. He stopped the car and took her hand and led her through some woods. She felt branches under her feet. They went indoors into a room and he told her to get undressed again. She was told – still blindfolded – to get on a table. The table felt cold. She lay there naked and blindfolded.

Keith tied her wrists.

Nicole felt super vulnerable and exposed and was hoping this was all it was going to be.

Then somebody started giving her oral sex.

Nicole thought at first it was Keith, but then Keith started talking, while the oral sex was going on. Nicole instantly realized there was somebody else in the room. It felt terrifying.

She was close to tears as she testified about this.

Nicole, terrified, wondered, how many more people were in the room.

Still blindfolded and tied, with Keith walking around the table, talking about her, and someone giving her oral sex, she was in shock. Keith asked her questions about her sexual desires and history. He asked her if she’d ever been in a threesome and how many people she’d been with.

He also asked Nicole if she was okay. Nicole didn’t think there was any option but to say, “Yes, I’m okay.” But she wasn’t.

Finally, Keith untied her and helped her put her clothes back on because she was still blindfolded. He drove her back, still blindfolded, to where they started out. Then Keith took off her blindfold.

Again Keith asked if she was okay. Again she said yes.

Keith wanted her to know nothing bad had happened. She was a young woman who was not in a relationship. Keith talked about trust.

Nicole wanted to go. Finally, she asked if she could leave. He said yes but that she shouldn’t tell anybody.

Nicole asked, “Can I tell Allison?”

He said yes.

When she left, it was bright outside. She happened to see Emiliano Salinas.

Nicole is crying on the stand as she testified that she ran to Emiliano and hugged him. Nicole said she felt safe with him.

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44 commentsOn Part 1: Friday Testimony: Nicole: ‘Raniere blindfolded me, tied me down and had someone perform oral sex on me’

  • I thought KAR didn’t drive. Someone else in the car?

  • ” She (Nicole) began to suspect that she was being set up – for Keith.”

    Nicole was being set up.
    In sex trafficking it’s called “grooming.”
    Allison Mack is guilty of sex trafficking.

    • Shadowstate,

      I do agree.

    • No, there is Nothing to prove that Allison was aware about what happened in with Raniere.
      She didn’t ask her to have sex with him…

      She is guilty of what she clearly pleaded and Nothing else.

  • “Nicole asked, “Can I tell Allison?”
    He said yes.”

    Of course she can tell Allison.
    Allison is a sex trafficking pimp.

    “When she left, it was bright outside. She happened to see Emiliano Salinas.
    Nicole is crying on the stand as she testified that she ran to Emiliano and hugged him. Nicole said she felt safe with him.”

    Of course Nicole feels safe with Emiliano.
    Emiliano is gay and has the hots for his boyfriend Alex Betancourt.

  • Keith took her in a car and drove her somewhere.

    Now they can charge Keith for driving without a license. And for setting off radar detectors.

  • She wanted to have sex this way. Don’t you understand this was consensual. She agreed that Nicole would channel Allison Mack’s internal sexual representations of her inward libido in order to purify both her and Allison. This was done for her. Not Keith.

  • Can anybody help me understand why Nicole would believe that Allison would actually take this cold shower for Nicole’s failure? Was the idea that someone would make her? Or that if she just said she did it, she’d be caught in a lie and that would be worse?

    I keep picturing myself hearing someone say these things she’s describing, and all I can think is, “That’s ridiculous! Don’t do it!”

    Allison’s superpower with Nicole seems to have been her success on Smallville, which I guess is supposed to have somehow made her more real.

    • why would Allison actually take this cold shower

      Catherine Oxenberg in her book “Captive” makes it clear that Allison Mack is obsessed with the notion of Penance.
      Taking punishments to atone for one’s failures.

    • Because some of the members have actually seen her being punished several times…She was called to do the same thing the other were (first day of Nicole’s testimony)).

      She was in the same condition as every victim …I’m also reminded of the story during the V Week where Allison was particularly beaten up by the Chernisky (or whatever the name, the martial art guy helped by Nxivm to get his documents in the USA).

      Only here it was said that Allison was beating the other slave but the indictment always explained that it was Allison herself that was abused if they didn’t obey.

      Vicente explained that when they had a “council” to fix the situation between Allison and Vicente’s wife, Raniere said she was responsible and she would work on this (and that meant punishment).

      It’s not just a couple of people who saw Allison getting the beating but many…Also, she wasn’t the only one, remember Lauren? she was kicked on the ground by Raniere…

  • I sure would hate to have any role in that trial…demons have had full sway over some of these people …

    • “demons have had full sway over some of these people ”

      I’m not religious but demons have control of almost everyone in NXIVM.

      • same but honestly demons have take control of almost everyone in our world <====time to pick a side good or evil and i personally recommend playing for keeps

  • Allison Mack clearly manipulated and exploited this poor young woman.

    If what happened to Nicole is indicative of Allison Mack’s role in Nxivm then Allison Mack should be doing some prison time…

    Allison Mack helped to coerce a desperate young actress who looked to Allison Mack for friendship and guidance.

    Allison Mack turned her over to a sexual predator.

    • “Allison Mack turned her over to a sexual predator.”

      That is the essence of sex trafficking.
      Allison Mack is a sex trafficker.
      Allison Mack’s preparation of Nicole for sex with Raniere is called “Grooming.”
      It’s an ugly business.

      • and where is nys …. ndny…. crickets…. thank you all for calling and writing and begging for action but NYS is the EMPIRE state and ergo leads by bad example …. sillybland got a statement for us have you remembered you HAVE HEARD of NXIVM chucky up chuck…….latitia?? andypandypooh?????……..

        crickets and the deeper and longer this goes on, their collective silence will be absolutely deafening

      • Well Shadowstate you are right.

        I still do not think her as public enemy #1 like you but she definitely deserves 4 years in prison and will probably do less than 2 years.

    • …we don’t read the same thing then.
      She herself was manipulated. Nicole pointed out that assignments were given by Allison AFTER RECEIVING A MESSAGE.

      Everything she (Nicole) accepted was because she was under coercion but so was Allison…The collateral she had given were pretty close to Nicole’s collateral.
      I don’t like to bring her back but India did the same as Allison did (until they removed her from the case).

      Allison was in the same position as Nicole, not having a choice, just like India, just like Sylvie, Just like the other…

      You transform what you read (and believe the comment (from the author) pretending that the cold shower was a scheme to manipulate her while people testified that Allison was frequently used as a punching ball by Raniere.

  • Keith’s problem is that he simply loves pussy-eating too much. It was his downfall.

    • His problem is he’s a controlling, non-empathetic, moral imbecile who lacks inhibition and suffers from delusions of grandeur. You can love “pussy-eating” without being any of those things.

  • Warning extremely disturbing:

    The most disturbing thing is that none of the NXIVM female conspirators will face a sentence greater than the 21-27 month deal Clare Bronfman received.

    Lauren Salzman helped psychologically torture a woman for over a year.

    Allison Mack helped in the sexual abuse and exploitation of Nicole.

    Aiding and abetting a rapist gets you 2 years…….

    …..that seems fair to the victims(sarcasm).

    God only knows how many Nicoles there actually were…..

    • Frank or Krclaviger,

      How many Nicole type scenarios do you estimate there were if you had to guess?

      It’s incredible dark at how adept Keith Raniere was at using women to help him abuse other women.

    • “Allison Mack helped in the sexual abuse and exploitation of Nicole.

      Aiding and abetting a rapist gets you 2 years…….”

      Except that she didn’t help in the sexual abuse…She didn’t know what was happening.

      Read again the testimony.

      The first time Allison asked her to meet with Raniere (and nothing happened)
      It’s later that Raniere changed this rendezvous into something else.

      Also raping isn’t what happened.

      First, that would make Cami the rapist.
      Second, she didn’t say “no” even when she was not agreeing to do it.
      When he asked her if she was okay, she replied positively…

      I’m not de-victimizing her (as the psychological situation made her be irrational in her answer) but legally, it’s not a rape

      Also, no real violence, at best it’s a sexual assault (once again, by cami)

      You can turn it the way you want, it’s not rape.

      I don’t understand, I feel like I read a testimony different than what others read…
      The victim herself concentrates WAY more on accusing Raniere (even with the coercion, where she clearly said that it was raniere (that she didn’t knew he was Allison’s master).
      She isn’t saying that Allison was aware of what happened (or else, why talk about telling to Allison?)

      Up until now, there is nothing that accuses Allison to be anything but what she has pleaded guilty…

      She did coerce her into this (collateral collection and later the blackmail (when Nicole is about to leave)) but the rest…

      It’s a good thing that courts filter their jurors because the amount of people who read what they want over here…stick with the testimonies info and fantasizing about the maybe.

      • Anonymous,

        You are technically right. Keith Raniere broke no law in this instance himself.

        ………And that is why……

        Keith Raniere is being charged via RICO because he really did not directly break the law himself most of the time.

        RICO came about because its almost impossible to prosecute the top members of criminal organizations such as the Mafia because they pull the strings. Mafia type organization compartmentalize and the leaded insulate themselves from direct involvement in the various crimes they commit.

        • No , he broke the law but this isn’t a rape…He didn’t beat her, he didn’t force her more than this (he asked if she was Ok and she replied “yes” , the circumstance helped her to answer this but still)…

          Rico or not, it’s not a rape.

          You try to drag Allison who wasn’t there , likely not aware (Nothing shows the contrary…She was (stupidly, i admit) following the order .
          Cami was apparently (way more) in control of her mind (and yet participate that night) but Allison is irrationnal (thanks to her diet and sleep deprivation…)
          I know , i repeat that a lot but this is something important, she became a vegan (thanks to Nxivm) Under a strict diet (while vegans have to control some of the level they can’t get without meat).

          The brain , if deprived of certains things, isn’t able to work properly and people make irrational choice (putting them in danger).
          I know it as a fact for sleep deprivation, i made the mistake at one point in my youth and trust me, never try it…I know i’ll never do it again.

          I see a lot of rage against Allison who was involved but in Nothing violent (some even want “life” for her) while at the same time, everyone accept that cami is a victim (while she committed worst crimes).

          Allison was dragged the same way as all the other victims.

          Stick with the fact or if you twist them a bit, atleast do it for everyone, not just for Allison

      • She was coerced, blindfolded, tied. She was unable to consent.

        Cami is a rapist. Keith is a rapist.

      • Why are you bringing up rape? Raniere isn’t being charged with rape.

  • BTW, it’s probably coming in part2 but Nicole clearly said that during an argument between her and Raniere, He told her “I’m trying to break you”…
    Something he said about Allison too…

    When I read the testimony, I don’t see anything we didn’t know yet (so I don’t get why the sudden change of mind)…The monster is still Raniere, He was the one in control, the one that gained advantage of them all…Nicole aimed specifically at Raniere because he is the one behind everything.

    • When the Marines or Special Forces break people, they don’t tell them that’s what they are doing, they just do it. But then the person either washes out or is immediately built up again. Raniere broke people and kept them broke in all respects, physically, mentally, psychologically, spiritually, etc., and kept them there. She changed her mind as a coping mechanism.

  • Poor her and didn’t feel she could say no. It’s very difficult to know the boundaries between consent and no consent which is why few cult cases tend to get prosecuted. At one stage Lye Jerffs’s wife in the FLDS said the leader prohibited sex between married couples and had nominated men who created the babies with other people’s wives whilst I think the husband looked on (if that’s true) and presumably everyone there because they believe in the great leader “consented” and helped make it happen. Then take that argument to cultures like FLDS and indeed Islam where women are brought up to think it’s absolutely fine men can have 3 or 4 husbands so the women consent or is their childhood conditioning a form of cult that means any consent to be a second wife or not to refuse sex with your husband is not a real consent?

    • Jane,

      Good points in regards to why cults do not get prosecuted.

    • The societal framework of FLDS and Islam is such that it accepts multiple wives, even though polygamy is illegal in the U.S. FLDS and Islamic men in the U.S. have one “official” wife and then additional “girlfriends,” it’s to get around that issue with a loophole, because being married to a woman and having sex with other women is not illegal, unless you’re in the military and are governed by the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Conduct). That’s why law enforcement goes after other crimes, such as sex with underage girls, as was the case with Warren Jeffs’ Mormon group.

      As far as Raniere is concerned, the government is apparently showing the manipulation is much less about whether there was consent or not and more about manipulation to the point of fraud, particularly RICO fraud, extortion, sex trafficking,illegal alien smuggling, and having child porn, all of which sidestep the sticky consent issue. The testimony related to consent is intended to show consent was fraudulently obtained through coercion, particularly the collateral blackmail, not because it was NXIVM’s societal framework.

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