The Teen Mom stars have done some crazy things throughout the years, but Leah Messer has recently set the bar even higher… by apparently joining a cult.
Now, the sketchy organization that she’s a part of is only getting sketchier, and it’s being hit with some seriously dark accusations.
Credit: MTV
The rumors started when Leah shared pictures from an event with her new organization, Mastery in Transformational Training.
She posted a series of photos from a MITT Advance conference, and fans were more than confused. A user on reddit started a thread titled, “So I got curious after see Leah's culty phrasing on her last selfie. Sure enough, she joined a cult. MITT Advance is sketchy af.”
One commenter said that the organization was used as the inspiration for a Law and Order episode. “Ha a law and order episode I was just watching is based off of mitt like their cult thing in the serious was a big scheme that took advantage of women,” they wrote.
So we did some digging to find out if their claims are true!
According to their website, the organization’s purpose is to “create responsible and creative world-citizens… MITT is a stimulating, experiential environment where you can start to build the next level of your life.”
They call it the “Harvard for the mind,” but do not have any specific descriptions of what they do.
In an article for GQ, published in late 2018, one journalist describes his experience with the organization.
For newcomers, M.I.T.T. can seem like a sideshow barker, promising mind-blowing experiences once you get inside the tent, but you have to take their word for it and pay first… For the next hour, Aunt Lydia explained a set of "ground rules" we needed to obey through Sunday. No tardiness. No phones. No "side-talking" with others, which meant no conversing unless instructed, and no saying "bless you" if someone sneezed. Also, no alcohol or drugs, and no eating or drinking at any time in the ballroom.
As reported by Radar Online, an Amended Complaint in the Los Angeles Superior Court reveals that Plaintiff Dana Sabre sued MITT, its leader Margo Majdi, and other Defendants for “fraud, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and more on December 13, 2017.”
She accused them of using “techniques of brainwashing.”
The court filing read:
“Such non-consensual imposition of brainwashing techniques generated massive psychiatric stress, which caused Plaintiff to suffer a psychiatrically diagnosed psychotic break. Such psychiatrically diagnosed psychiatric break rendered Plaintiff to suffer severance from reality which included cycling among extreme confabulations, violent acting out and a catatonic state requiring four-point restraint and psychiatric hospitalization.”
She also accused the Defendants of being aware of multiple trainees that “suffered miscarriage, psychotic breaks and injury.”
According to Radar’s discoveries, the Plaintiff was criticized for “not being emotional enough” and for her “inability to be vulnerable,” likely because she didn’t have a boyfriend or a long term relationship. Despite her complaints that she was feeling “overworked” and that she had a medical condition, her coach responded that he was “going to be there and it would be special to see [her] go through this.”
When Dana revealed how her dad “financially and emotionally abandoned her,” the recruits “screamed at her in a ‘dog-packed’ style,” calling her “weak, a little girl, incompetent, phony, ugly, and insecure,” and they were encouraged to yell at her by the trainer.
At some point, Dana was expected to “give a lap dance,” simply “because they told [her] to.”
The court papers read: “Performing a striptease, which included giving a woman a lap dance, Dana did her ‘stretch.’ When Dana came out of the Stretch Room her bra had been removed. [Defendants] are responsible for the sexual violation of Dana and furthermore did not allow her to leave the Advanced until the very end of the night.”
At another point, Dana cycled among “extreme confabulations, violent acting out and catatonic state requiring paramedic response, four-point restraint and psychiatric hospitalization.” She was then diagnosed with having a “psychotic break caused by sleep deprivation and stress.”
Read more of Dana’s story at Radar Online.
Fans are concerned that Leah is sinking deeper into the alleged cult after she posted a pic with a group of women in L.A. She captioned it, “A powerful, strong, trusting force we are! I love each and every single one of you!! You can count on my word! Each one of you have changed my life and we will forever be connected!! I AM A POWERFUL, CONNECTED, INSPIRATIONAL LEADER! I LOVE ALL OF YOU!" She captioned the shot “MITT 16 Heaven” and hashtagged it “mitttransformation.”
What do you think about the group that Leah’s in? Should fans be concerned for her? Let us know in the comments and SHARE this article!