Elizabeth Lyn Vargas is sharing details of the “religious cult” in which she was raised.
On the latest episode of “Real Housewives of Orange County”, Braunwyn Windham-Burke helped the newcomer to the show work through a panic attack sparked by discussions regarding her childhood.
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“From zero to 13, I was raised in this religious environment,” Vargas said. “My grandmother was the head of the religious cult and my father was one of the main preachers as well.
“As a young girl, I knew something was wrong with what was going on in this church. We couldn’t wear anything else but this uniform. We couldn’t eat anything but what they made us or what they shot. We couldn’t leave the ranch — we were stuck on a commune. We couldn’t even go to a hospital, they knew how to control every single person on that property.”
The problems continued into adulthood for the reality star.
“I felt for years I had to hide my sadness and show people I was happy,” she said. “And I found that laughter attracted people to me — it was easier to live in a fantasy world of happiness than live in my reality of depression.”
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Vargas then asked Windham-Burke if learning about her past reflected on any issues they’ve had with each other before.
“It just makes me think better of you because now it’s like I have context for all of this,” Windham-Burke told her.
She added in a confessional, “This puts everything into perspective, I regret digging up the petty stuff. I wasn’t a good friend when I could have been. I definitely have to make a big amends to her.”
Vargas concluded, “Religious abuse is the worst kind of abuse.”
