2024

Bella Magazine - February 2024

My interview with That’s Life was reprinted in Bella Magazine in February 2024, recounting my childhood growing up in the Children of God Cult, my experience as a child bride to the cult leader David Berg, and my subsequent escape from the cult at 18. We talk about the insane religious beliefs I grew up with, having my mother as a top leader, and what I’m doing with my life now.

Link: https://www.bellamagazine.co.uk/magazine/latest-issue/forced-to-get-married-at-three-years-old/


2023

The intuitor podcast - 2023

I talk with childhood friend and fellow cult survivor Mami Onami about our time growing up in the Children of Gold cult. We discuss a typical morning routine in the cult, the abusive practices, extreme isolation and psychological manipulation we were put under on a daily basis.

Links:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growing-up-in-the-children-of-god-cult-with-serena-kelley/id1694595339?i=1000632464435

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5nVus6KATEFaliurmLO7uP

Google: https://shorturl.at/cfnA1


TalkTV - 2023

TalkTV reached out to me about doing an episode on my early childhood and subsequent escape from the Children of God. It was a short segment but interviewer Beau asked thoughtful questions pertaining to my early life as well as how I grew up and managed to leave the cult.

Link to the YouTube segment can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGfd0YvPYco


The Daily Mirror - 2023

The Daily Mirror also featured me in a piece that had nothing to do with my traumatic childhood! This article talks about my up and coming business of helping solo travelers get over their fear of solo travel by booking safe, cost effective and fun adventures, tailored to each person’s needs and style of traveling .

Click the link below to read the article as well as hear about some of the more scary instances I’ve experienced while solo traveling.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/travel/news/woman-cornered-man-shower-block-30235760.amp


SEEN Survivors - 2023

I was featured in a short Snapchat story series about my childhood in the The Children of Gold cult. I never knew such a complicated issue could be whittled down in a stories on Social Media, but the producers of SEEN did a great job in condensing such a delicate topic into a short story format.

Snapchat: https://t.snapchat.com/gxdkVkFj

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CranI7RpZvV/


The Mirror - 2023

I was featured in an article in The Mirror in the UK about my life. Written by John Bett, this article focuses on not only the abuse I suffered as a child, but the extreme isolation I endured due to my “celebrity status” in the cult.

Link: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/inside-vile-celebrity-sex-cult-29655057.amp


TRUE CRIME PODCAST WITH SHAUN ATTWOOD - 2023

I was invited on the critically acclaimed True Crime podcast, and interviewed by Shaun Attwood. This was the first podcast I was asked things I’d never been asked before, such as “what would you say to your mother if you ran into her at the store?” and other such questions to ponder. It was truly an honor to be on his show and I hope to be back soon!

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFbR2diCXMY


For the Lust of God Podcast Series - 2023

For the Lust of God was a year-long collaboration project with me and two other women, giving our stories about growing up and leaving the Children of God Cult.

I love this podcast series because it shows how three women who grew up in the same cult can have three completely different experiences, ways of healing and moving on with our lives. I hope you all give it a listen and the support it deserves.

It was created by Dr. Darian Parker, creator of Dr. D’s social network, one of the top rated Apple Podcasts.

I would suggest listening to the entire podcast from the beginning, as my part is part 3 of 5.

Links:

YouTube: https://youtu.be/0SOyISkCIpY

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-1-for-the-lust-of-god-origins/id1463806552?i=1000597575851

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2W8eiDaf6XqH19Q4Gt6Vu6?si=6yEKif1fQZm69L1a2wrSfg


2022

that’s life - 2022

I was featured in a print only article in Australia, once again written by the brilliant journalist Kate Graham. I’ve been blessed to have worked with her twice in sharing my story, and she never fails to report everything with complete accuracy and multiple timeline verifications.


2021

children of the cult - 2021

I was featured in the critically acclaimed UK docuseries Children of the Cult, on Discovery Plus UK. This documentary follows the story of fellow cult survivor Hope Bastine and her hunt to bring her abuser to justice. As of 2022, she is still the first and only successful Children of God cult survivor to put her cult abuser behind bars.

Featured on Amazon Prime and Discovery +

Amazon: shorturl.at/gisP3

Discovery Plus: www.discoveryplus.com/gb


daily star - 2021

The Daily Star also featured my story based on the article from The Sun.

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/sick-paedo-cult-survivor-forced-24669152


the sun - 2021

serena kelley, the child bride

I worked with the brilliant journalist Kate Graham as she retold the true story of my childhood growing up in the Children of God cult, in particular the day I was given to cult pedophile leader David Brandt Berg, as a child bride at only 3 years old.

https://www.the-sun.com/lifestyle/3389554/i-was-forced-to-marry-notorious-paedophile-cult-leader-david-berg-at-aged-three/


2020

the activation podcast - part 1 & 2, 2020

Serena Kelley the Child Bride

My 2 part podcast interview with The Activation Project, where I talk about being born and raised in the COG, groomed before birth to be a child bride for the pleasure of David Brandt Berg. I also talk about meeting host Olivia Eden in Guatemala as a teenager.

Available on: Spotify, iTunes, and Audible

Audible: shorturl.at/kCGPQ

Spotify: shorturl.at/pvIX0

iTunes: shorturl.at/jpMRX


The dharma life podcast - 2020

My interview about growing up in the sex cult The Children of God, my healing journey and now how I now use my experience to help others.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeqjlocDd18


serena kelley and her dog franklin.JPG

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