In the early '70s, Joaquin Phoenix's family joined The Children of God — a cult founded by David Berg that became infamous for allegations of child abuse. Up until 1977, at the age of 3, the Oscar winner was a member of the cult along with his parents, John and Arlyn, and siblings, the late actor River, Summer, Liberty, and Rain.
The hippie, anti-capitalist church had 15,000 followers around the world. So it's no surprise that another actor, Rose McGowan, had also spent part of her childhood in the cult. Like her family, the Phoenixes left once the "flirty fishing" policy — a "religious prostitution" — was introduced.
In 2014, the Joker star revealed that at first, his parents truly "believed" in the Children of God's teachings. Here's the truth about his family's time in the cult.
Joining The Children Of God
The Children of God was initially called Teens for Christ. It soon evolved into hundreds of communes all over the world. David Berg promoted "free love" and the prophecy that the apocalypse was close. Joaquin Phoenix's parents "found a community" in that group. His father was also designated "the Archbishop of Venezuela."
"When people bring up Children of God, there's always something vaguely accusatory about it," the actor, now 46, told Playboy. "It's guilt by association. I think it was really innocent on my parents' part. They really believed, but I don’t think most people see it that way. I've always thought that was strange and unfair."
He added that the Children of God didn't seem like a dangerous sect at first. "I think my parents thought they'd found a community that shared their ideals," Phoenix continued. "Cults rarely advertise themselves as such. It's usually someone saying, 'We're like-minded people. This is a community,' but I think the moment my parents realized there was something more to it, they got out."
Growing Up In The Cult
Adult members of the Children of God didn't work. The children also didn't go to school. People with real jobs were labeled by the cult as "systemites." As a result, the Phoenix siblings would "sing at jails and stand on street corners passing out literature containing uplifting messages," as River recalled. The late actor also played his guitar while his sister, Rain, sang "to attract potential converts."
"They wanted to make a good life for their kids that wasn’t the typical ‘white picket fence’ kind of life," said River's friend, Joshua Greenbaum, about the family's decision to join the community. "Obviously, they were searching for something."
Later on, Berg was accused of abusing children including his own daughters and granddaughters. McGowan claimed to have witnessed some of the horrible acts in the church's commune in Italy. "I remember watching how the [cult’s] men were with the women... [The women] were basically there to serve the men sexually — you were allowed to have more than one wife," she told People.
The Phoenix brothers never talked about their troubled childhood in detail. But once, River mentioned in an interview that he had lost his virginity after being sexually abused at the age of 4. He was 2 years old when their family joined the Church of God. The Stand by Me actor didn't say anything else about the revelation. He said he'd "blocked it out."
Escaping The Cult Due To Its 'Disgusting' Practices
River was once quoted saying the Church of God was "disgusting" and that "they’re ruining people’s lives." He was probably also referring to "flirty fishing" which Berg's daughter later called "religious prostitution." McGowan said that it was this practice where "the women would go to bars as lures [and pick up recruits]." That's when her family, as well as the Phoenixes, decided to escape their respective communes.
After moving back to the US, River still didn't get a formal education. Being the eldest, he became the breadwinner of the family at the age of 8. Arlyn reached out to Paramount's casting director and got him his first gig. Joaquin and their other siblings eventually got into show business as well.
"We kinda miss [having a normal childhood] sometimes," a 13-year-old Joaquin said in a family interview in their Florida home. "Missing our friends, but when we go someplace we get to meet other people. But then you have to say goodbye to them." The family remained close throughout the years. But due to John's alcohol problems, River served as a father figure to his siblings until his untimely death.