Nicki Clyne will continue to support Keith Raniere, even if her affiliation with NXIVM keeps her from speaking to wife Allison Mack.
In a new interview with CBS This Morning, Clyne and five other members of the alleged cult claimed that Raniere, who was found guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering by a jury last year, was wrongfully convicted. They told reporter Nicki Battiste that they believe there was prosecutorial misconduct and that the media unduly influenced the trial.
Clyne's continued support of the purported cult leader and the organization, however, means that she and her wife of three years are not allowed to speak, as outlined in Mack's bail conditions. She shared, "This has been the hardest, most humbling experience of my life."
These restrictions went into effect when Mack was released on $5 million bond in April 2018. Since then, she's lived on her parent's California property, where she's monitored daily by an electronic tracking anklet.
And while Clyne said that their separation has been difficult, she also noted that she has no regrets. She told Battiste, "I wouldn't trade my experiences for anything."
Clyne confirmed that she remains a member of NXIVM, but suggested that those involved consented to the acts outlined by officials in the case, which included branding members with a symbol that included Raneire's initials. "We're not denying that certain things took place. There is evidence that certain things happened," she claimed. "How they happened, why they happened and how certain people chose them—that's a whole other conversation."
During the trial, Clyne was accused of recruiting members for NXIVM, but was never formally charged.
Raniere's co-conspirator, Clare Bronfman, who recently stated she will not disavow Raniere, will be sentenced on Wednesday, Sept. 30. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conceal and harbor illegal aliens for financial gain and fraudulent use of identification, and faces up to five years in prison.
Raniere will be sentenced on Oct. 27 and faces life in prison.
Meanwhile, Mack has yet to learn her fate as she awaits a sentencing date. She pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and racketeering acts of state law extortion and forced labor in the case involving NXIVM. She was previously arrested and charged with alleged sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy and forced labor conspiracy.
To learn more about the case, read our coverage here.