Celeste Gross - Growing Up in the Children of God

In this powerful episode of Trust Me, host Celeste Gross shares her harrowing yet resilient journey growing up in the Children of God, also known as The Family, a cult that began as a seemingly benevolent spiritual movement but evolved into a tightly controlled, globally dispersed organization. Celeste recounts how her parents—both from chaotic backgrounds—found belonging and sobriety within the group, only to later face sudden homelessness when her father was demoted and the family was cast out. Living off donations, surviving on rotting food, and enduring strict rules like using only two squares of toilet paper, Celeste and her seven siblings were raised in a world devoid of outside media, with only three approved films—The Wizard of Oz, Pollyanna, and Cece—and a constant stream of cult-produced music and videos. After fleeing Brazil and rebuilding their lives in poverty, the family struggled with trauma, shame, and financial instability for years. Now, as adults, Celeste and her siblings use TikTok to process their past, reclaim their story, and support each other’s healing. The episode also features a surreal personal anecdote from Megan Elizabeth about falling in love with an actor who looked exactly like the villain from a banned Care Bears movie—highlighting how cults shape perception and memory in lasting, unexpected ways.