Prepare to be unsettled as we unravel the final chapters of Gwen Shamblin's legacy and the Remnant Fellowship Church. The heartache begins with the tragic demise of young Joseph Smith, the tremors of which expose a disturbing connection between Shamblin's ideologies and the extreme discipline his parents practiced. Experience a profound sense of urgency as we reveal the church's cunning legal maneuvers and the alarming expansion of a controversial child weight loss program. Our narrative weaves through testimonies from those once ensnared by the church's demanding clutches, detailing the harrowing impact on both their wallets and wellbeing.
Amidst a backdrop of opulence and secrecy, the personal life of Gwen Shamblin emerges—a tale of grand estates, a lavish wedding to Joe Lara, and legal skirmishes that hint at the enigmatic nature of the church. The echoes of a hushed family tragedy bring to light the cult's inner workings, cultivating an atmosphere heavy with silence and suspicion. As the story unfolds, Gwen's fervent defense against cult accusations paints a portrait of a woman battling tumultuous public perception while steering her controversial church.
Source Material for All 3 Episodes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wmx-gisrSJb3-E53_GOOmJxffZYY7nG1tt09EeVTCLE/edit?usp=sharing
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Prepare to be unsettled as we unravel the final chapters of Gwen Shamblin's legacy and the Remnant Fellowship Church. The heartache begins with the tragic demise of young Joseph Smith, the tremors of which expose a disturbing connection between Shamblin's ideologies and the extreme discipline his parents practiced. Experience a profound sense of urgency as we reveal the church's cunning legal maneuvers and the alarming expansion of a controversial child weight loss program. Our narrative weaves through testimonies from those once ensnared by the church's demanding clutches, detailing the harrowing impact on both their wallets and wellbeing.
Amidst a backdrop of opulence and secrecy, the personal life of Gwen Shamblin emerges—a tale of grand estates, a lavish wedding to Joe Lara, and legal skirmishes that hint at the enigmatic nature of the church. The echoes of a hushed family tragedy bring to light the cult's inner workings, cultivating an atmosphere heavy with silence and suspicion. As the story unfolds, Gwen's fervent defense against cult accusations paints a portrait of a woman battling tumultuous public perception while steering her controversial church.
Source Material for All 3 Episodes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wmx-gisrSJb3-E53_GOOmJxffZYY7nG1tt09EeVTCLE/edit?usp=sharing
Thanks for being a loyal Crime Connoisseur! Enjoy your free 30-Day Audible Trial Membership
Discover your dog's DNA with a simple cheek swab for their genetic testing.
BoxDog and BoxCat are premium customizable subscription boxes for dogs and cats.
Your cat deserves better. Have fresh, human-grade meals for your cat straight to your door each month.
Hey, hey, crime connoisseurs, I'm your host, grace D. Today we're finishing up with Gwen Shamblin and Reminette Fellowship Church. To recap last week we covered the tragic death of Joseph Smith On October 8, 2003, first responders were called to the Smith residence for an unconscious, unresponsive child. Joseph was taken to Cobb Hospital and then transferred to Scottish Rite Children's Hospital. Joseph ultimately died the next day. First responders in hospital, saf, saw bruises all over Joseph and when they called the medical examiner's office, the hospital informed them that he died of swelling in the brain due to child abuse. Scarring, bruising, lacerations and burns were all found all over Joseph's body. There were marks in looping patterns, and former Cobb County detective David Schweizer compared a glue stick with the fresh marks on Joseph's body and it was a perfect match. Joseph's parents, big Joseph and Sonia Smith, are members of Reminette Fellowship. Gwen Shamblin and members of Reminette Fellowship paid for the Smith's legal fees. They were found guilty on several counts, including felony murder, involuntary manslaughter, first-degree cruelty to children, aggravated assault, false imprisonment and reckless conduct. The judge gave them the maximum sentence life in prison plus 30 years. And now we're going to jump back into chronological order for the rest of the case. This is the final episode of Gwen Shamblin and Reminette Fellowship Church.
Speaker 1:
In September 2003, gwen took her way down workshop methods and made a version for kids. The program, called the Last Exodus, is taking her message to children, 15% of whom are obese nationwide. The 8-week class is geared toward people 8 to 28 and, for $125, includes prayer lectures, motivational speeches and, of course, bible study. By May 2004, about 500 classes had been held since the program began in September. Some participants were members of Reminette Fellowship. The Last Exodus was run by Gwen's son Michael, his wife Erin, gwen's daughter Elizabeth and her husband Brandon. The building of Reminette Fellowship Church was completed in 2004 on 40 acres that Gwen purchased in Brentwood, tennessee.
Speaker 1:
Gwen preached that members should give their money to Reminette Fellowship Church, the only true church, and that all other churches were fraudulent. If a congregant fell ill with cancer, gained weight or had disobedient children, gwen declared that it was God's judgment. In the way down. Gina Wilson said that Gwen told her followers quote they had to repent for bad things they had done if bad things were happening to them, but they never held that same standard to themselves. End quote.
Speaker 1:
Following up to Joseph's death, news Channel 5 investigates uncovered the church's controversial practices for disciplining their children, including an internal recording in which Gwen had praised the Smiths for how they treated Joseph. Former members of Reminette Fellowship admitted to hot glue sticks being such a normal thing within the church. It's been said that you would go into church service, walk down the aisles and see the glue sticks just sticking out of diaper bags like it was no big deal In their firm beliefs. Investigation News Channel 5 investigates also revealed other controversial practices, including demands that followers not take psychiatric medications to deal with mental illness. In their 2004 report, they revealed how Reminette Fellowship followers considered Gwen to be a prophet. During the interview with News Channel 5, gwen admitted that she would be willing to lie to protect her church.
Speaker 1:
Some former members said that Gwen Shamblin's Reminette Fellowship church held a vice-like grip over its membership. According to an article from the Guardian, church leaders like Gwen heavily influenced members' finances, marriages, social media and contact with the outside world. In the HBO Max docu-series the Way Down, glenn Wingerd talks about his daughter who was recruited and joined Reminette Fellowship. He said in the docu-series quote you know you talk to your kids about drunk driving, the dangers of drug taking, how to have safe sex, but you never expect to have to teach them not to join a cult. End quote Gwen and the leaders of Reminette Fellowship had their hands in everything with the church members. People were not allowed to post on social media without permission from church leaders.
Speaker 1:
Reminette Fellowship members are assigned a leader as their church counselor. Ted Enger, one of the leaders, was one of the main counselors. He is described as the meanest leader in the church. In the Way Down, one ex-Reminette member recalled him telling her that she would never get to heaven because she was too fat. Another remembered when he was trying to change his last name, saying it was French and pronounced on gay. One ex-member, lauren Alvarez, recounted being allowed only 10 bites a day and after that she was fasting every other month. No food, just a little bit of broth. That was it. This caused irreparable damage to her body. After Laura left, she became pregnant with her daughter and Laura became very ill. The doctors did a biopsy and asked her if she was ever bulimic or anorexic. She told them that she used to starve herself. The doctors then told her that her kidneys had holes in them from her body eating away at itself due to starvation.
Speaker 1:
If you wanted to visit your family who were not members of Remnant Fellowship or if they wanted to visit you, you had to talk to your designated leader first. If you were having marital problems, you would speak with your assigned leader to fix things. And by fix things I mean if the husband was having an affair and the wife wanted him out of the house, like Gina Wilson, the leaders would say to let him come back home, he's really sorry, he won't do it again. And then tell the woman they needed to be submissive to the husband and give him everything he wanted whenever he wanted, and there wouldn't be issues. This particular incident happened to Gina Wilson with Ted Anger.
Speaker 1:
Gwen made her wealth on the backs of her congregants. Within Remnant Fellowship there were real estate and financial planning companies, business industries. The church's business arm built custom homes and provided plumbing, electrical work and air conditioning work. Mindy Alvarez, laura's mom, said in the way down quote everyone worked for free. She would tell them you're doing it for God. Everybody in the church, the congregation were, the workers were cooks, there was daycare, there was everything. While they were making their money end quote. As a Spanish speaker. Mindy spearheaded the way down method to the Latin community in Arizona Before moving to Nashville.
Speaker 1:
Remnant Fellowship offered her a job. Mindy said quote they offered to meet my pay, which at the time was probably $21, $22 an hour end quote. But when Mindy got her first paycheck for $8 an hour, she asked Gwen about the discrepancy Quote and I'll never forget this. She said Mindy, you need to humble yourself. This is your pay and never, ever expect a raise. I was sorry because I thought I wasn't humble and I shouldn't ask for more and that I should be content. End quote. Mindy was also expected to work on the weekends, but because this was officially considered church time, she never got paid for those days. Mindy says that Gwen broke her family and the only thing she can do is pick up the pieces, because that's what Gwen left. It would be several years before anything else notable would come up.
Speaker 1:
In 2017, gwen filed for a divorce with David, her husband. 40 years. Up until now, gwen was ultimately against divorce in the church. Someone went to their leaders wanting to leave their husbands who were abusive or unfaithful, and they would be instructed to have to work things out. What could they do to satisfy their husbands so that they would remain faithful or not abuse them? Helen Bird, a former member of Remnant Fellowship, said in her interview with the Way Down quote All of those years you have told people to suffer through their marriage, but whenever the spirit hits you, you done had a whole change of heart. Now it's okay to get divorced, end quote.
Speaker 1:
Now there is speculation about why we don't see or know much about David, even though Gwen was in the public eye for their whole marriage Because he didn't subscribe to Gwen's religious philosophies and lives in a larger body. David supported Gwen and her work and he was even the CEO of the Way Down workshop. But when Gwen started Remnant Fellowship, david took a step back. He didn't attend Remnant Fellowship Church services, festivals and other significant events. The reason why David was absent is unknown, but several people speculate in the Way Down that he stayed in the background because, as a man with a master's in divinity, he felt uneasy about his wife's teachings on religion and dieting.
Speaker 1:
David was blindsided by Gwen wanting a divorce. He begged her to reconsider and to try to work things out, but she had decided that she wanted out Phil Williams with News Channel 5 Investigates, who had been covering Gwen Shamblin, the Way Down workshop and Remnant Fellowship for decades, discovered that Gwen suddenly agreed to a settlement after David Shamblin's attorneys filed a subpoena to require Remnant Fellowship to reveal all payments and fringe benefits provided to her and to Joe Lara, as well as any non-disclosure agreements that the church had signed with current or former members. That divorce settlement, filed in court, details how the couple split 18 pieces of property. Those properties are now valued at more than $20 million. Gwen also had to pay David another $3 million out of her own pocket. Among the properties that she got to keep in the divorce was a luxury beach house in Destin, florida, located in a gated community known as Destiny by the Sea. Gwen's Beach House has four bedrooms and five baths and is located right on the Gulf of Mexico. Property records show that Gwen and David paid $1,940,000 for it in 2010. In 2021, zillow valued it at $4,241,200, more than double what they had paid 13 years ago. The home recently sold on December 11, 2023 for $3,020,000.
Speaker 1:
Take a listen to the real estate listing for the home. Your personal oasis on the Gulf awaits From the moment you step inside. This home will captivate your senses with its intricate architectural details and Tuscan style columns. The two-story library at the entrance sets the tone for the breathtaking views that await you in the stunning open concept living, dining room area and adjoining kitchen. Every room in this home boasts great attention to detail, from the carefully planned layout to the opulent decor. You will immediately feel like you have been transported to your own private villa. The owner's suite will take your breath away, with its very own separate sitting area, fireplace and two private bathrooms. The third floor has everything necessary to provide additional guests with an ultra-private retreat. Home is sold furnished with few minor expectations. In Gwen's YouTube videos, one appears to have been recorded from the balcony of the beach house. Included in it is a discussion of Joe Lara's love of scuba diving Back in Brentwood, just down the road from the church. The divorce settlement shows that Gwen also got to keep the couple's pre-Civil War plantation home known as Ashlawn. The current value of that property is $6,920,900.
Speaker 1:
Just two months after Gwen and David's divorce was final, gwen Shamblin married Joe Lara in a lavish wedding at Remnant Fellowship on August 18, 2018. Their wedding was wild. It was held where they performed the church services, there were archways of flowers and Gwen's wedding dress was like that out of a fairy tale. They pulled out all the stops and had such a luxurious wedding that was planned all in two months. They posted a video titled the Covenant Wedding of Gwen Shamblin to Joe Lara on their YouTube page highlighting the nuptials and the reception. You can also find their YouTube channel Life with Gwen and Joe.
Speaker 1:
So who was Joe Lara? Joe Lara was an actor who portrayed Tarzan in the TV movie Tarzan in Manhattan and then the follow-up TV series. He met fellow actor Natasha Pavlovich. The two dated off and on for a while and ended up having a daughter together. Joe and Natasha moved to Nashville for Joe to pursue his country music career. They had agreed that if his music career didn't take off by the time their daughter reached kindergarten, they would move to Chicago to be near her family. Well, their daughter reached kindergarten age in 2015, and Joe's music career was unsuccessful, but he refused to move when the time came. Instead, he filed a police report in an attempt to obtain sole custody of their four-year-old daughter, alleging that Natasha had sexually abused her. A police investigation later discovered that Joe was lying and he and Natasha officially separated. Natasha said in the way down quote when he met Gwen I feel like he won the lottery and he also was cast in her production. End quote Remnant fellowship members were seemingly unaware of Joe's custody battle with Natasha.
Speaker 1:
Among the many expensive gifts that Gwen spent on her new man were flight lessons. Joe's ex Natasha said, quote when he met Gwen, he started to renew his pilot's license because he hadn't flown in seven and a half years until about 2017, when Gwen paid for it. In a very short time I'd say in a year he got multiple new flight ratings and he also got a helicopter's license. End quote. Soon after their marriage, property records show, gwen began transferring her real estate holdings not into Remnant's name but into the names of various trusts, effectively shielding the real identity of the owners. The Beach House is listed as the 4714 Ocean Trust and the 902 Franklin Trust now owns Ashlawn Lake. Property along Center Hill Lake is listed as the Highway 56 Farm Trust.
Speaker 1:
At some point throughout all of this, members began turning on each other after Gwen's daughter Elizabeth lost her five-month-old son Henley Shamlin Hannah, the members of Remnant were alerted to the tragic news and were asked to pray for baby Henley. That following Sunday, was an eerie feeling for members. Gwen nor the church leaders ever acknowledged the loss of baby Henley. They were told it would no longer be mentioned and that the congregation was expected to act normal In the way down.
Speaker 1:
Several former members spoke about the tragedy. Gina said details about the infant's death are sparse, admitting quote, no one ever really acknowledged that he died. I mean through word of mouth. It kind of spread but there wasn't an official anything from Gwen. End quote. Rachel Phillips explained that things were kept private because, quote, the way that Remnant works when it comes to death is you don't grieve, you move on. End quote. But Helen Bird suspected that the death was kept under wraps because the shamlins preached that bad things happened to immoral people. She said, quote, there is a concerted effort to sort of hide things so that you can keep that facade of. This is the most perfect place on earth and this is God's kingdom. So when Elizabeth lost a child, it wasn't really talked about. End quote.
Speaker 1:
As the news spread, members began to panic. The number called. Everyone was looking at themselves saying wasn't me, did I cause this? Remember? Gwen instilled guilt and fear in everyone and said that when things like this happened it was God's judgment and someone caused him to be upset with the church. She said it got to a point where Gwen started interrogating members In the docu series. She said that the leaders called them in saying, quote we're bringing in the strugglers to assess how you're doing, because God is bringing judgment on this church and we want to know where it's coming from. End quote. In 2019, joe fought with Natasha for custody of their daughter. Gwen and Joe underwent depositions where questions about the church, the disciplining of children and other things were questioned. Gwen was called to testify in the child custody case. Natasha's attorney pressed Gwen about the controversies surrounding remnant fellowship.
Speaker 2:
Are you aware that a lot of folks have, at least online, expressed that they think remnant fellowship is a cult? Check to the floor. I'm not aware of a lot. It's kind of like a lot of people know and you have to define a lot.
Speaker 1:
The testimony from Gwen revealed the church was so worried about its image that she admitted remnant fellowship had a web team dedicated to trying to manipulate its Google search results.
Speaker 2:
It's the purpose of this Google placement to push negative websites down in the searches for remnant fellowship, or to push the truth of what it is about us to the top.
Speaker 1:
You know, the funny thing with depositions is that when you read them, you're just reading what was verbally said back and forth between parties and then with this podcast, it's audio. So you're just hearing what she's saying, but what's not being able to be witnessed is the eye rolls, the shoulder shrugs, the perturbed look on her face. You can somewhat hear the size and the in her tone of the way that she's speaking, like she looks and is acting like. I want to eff you all up and that's a shame like when you read a deposition that you don't get to see that sense of everything. So I'm going to post links to the videos of the deposition so that you guys can go and watch them for yourselves.
Speaker 1:
Phil Williams of News Channel 5 investigates had asked Gwen in 2004 about allegations that her followers viewed her as a prophetic figure. They asked are you a prophet? Gwen said, quote. I don't believe. I know what my gift name is, so I will tell you. I'm still wrestling with that. I've been told that for years. End quote. But 15 years later in the video of the deposition she was asked quote what is your position with Remnant Fellowship? She replied I am one of the leaders. Do you have any kind of official title with the church. I am Gwen. End quote After years of portraying herself as a prophetic role, gwen resisted any such labels. In the deposition they asked do you consider yourself to be a pastor? Though? She said honestly my background Church of Christ. Being a female, I've tried to resist any title. But Gwen. What followed was a lengthy legal battle over the custody of their daughter. In the end, a judge ruled that Joe and Natasha would be awarded 50-50 custody in 2020.
Speaker 1:
On May 29th 2021, gwen, joe and five other Remnant Fellowship leaders boarded a small private jet and headed to Palm Beach, florida, for a we, the People Patriots Day rally in support of former President Donald Trump. Shortly after takeoff and by shortly, I mean within minutes while flying over Percy Priest Lake in Tennessee, something went wrong and the plane went down. Everyone on board died, including Brandon, hannah, gwen Sonnenlohn and Elizabeth's husband. That same day, a wedding for members of Remnant Fellowship was taking place. Gwen Wyngerd, from earlier in the episode, whose daughter was recruited to join Remnant Fellowship, was getting married that day to Jackson Rector. Her parents had learned about the crash hours before the wedding and thought the wedding would be postponed. So Gwen called David Rector Jackson's father and asked him if the wedding was still on. And lo and behold, the wedding was still set to go. So Gwen and Carrie got ready for their daughter's wedding and went to the ceremony. When they arrived, they expected the members to look as if they had been crying and sad. Yet as they looked around, they noticed that the members were all still smiling and happy-go-lucky. Gwen and Carrie thought surely they must not know about the accident, but they knew. At least several people did, so they chose not to say anything to their daughter, delaney, about it because she seemed happy. This was baffling to Gwen and Carrie, but as we've learned, this is the way of Remnant Fellowship you do not grieve, you do not mourn, you go on being happy. By June 1st 2021, searchers had recovered both aircraft engines, a significant portion of the fuselage and unidentified human remains. Authorities confirmed those on board were Joe Lara, who was piloting the plane, gwen Shamblin-Lara, david and Jennifer Martin, jonathan and Jessica Walters and Brandon Hannah. Nearly two years later, on March 22nd 2023, the National Transportation Safety Board's final report determined the cause of the accident.
Speaker 1:
On May 29, 2021, the plane took off from Smyrna Airport at 10.50am. Flight tracking data revealed that after takeoff, the plane entered the clouds at 1300 feet and made a series of heading changes, along with several climbs and descents, before it entered a steep descending left turn. The plane started a right turn and climbed to an altitude of 2900 feet before descending to 1800 feet, then climbing again to 3000 feet and then finally diving into the lake. Weather reports for that day indicated the presence of an overcast cloud layer at 1300 feet in the area around that time. The accelerations associated with the plane's increasing airspeed were likely perceived by the pilot as the airplane pitching up, although it was in a continuous descent. This occurred because Joe was experiencing a type of spatial disorientation, a somatographic illusion, and he probably didn't effectively use his instruments during takeoff and climb. As a result, joe most likely experienced a high workload managing the flight profile, which would have hurt his performance. As such, the plane entered a high acceleration, usual altitude and the descending left turn, from which he was not able to recover. The NTSB investigation reviewed Joe's pilot training in the CE-500 type aircraft and reported that at the end of a 12-day series of training sessions at a flight school in January 2020, quote the pilot did not meet the requisite performance level to attempt the CE-500 type rating check ride. End quote. Joe would return to his local instructor for more training and subsequently passed his check ride. Nonetheless, on several occasions a pilot who flew in the accident aircraft with Joe judged him as weak when flying in instrumental meteorological conditions.
Speaker 1:
In the audio recordings from the communication between Joe Lara and AirTraft Control released from the accident, you can hear what sounds like an alarm going off in the background when Joe is responding. Take a listen. When Joe responds 1-300-66 Bravo Kilo, you can hear what sounds like the alarm in the background. It's faint but if you listen closely you can hear it. I'll play that part again to try and isolate it so you guys can hear it more. My heart goes out for Elizabeth because in such a short time she lost a child and then with this accident she lost her mother, her husband, and Jessica Walters was one of her best friends. You can see in photos as time goes on from before she lost baby Henley till the accident. She just is like withering away. Her eyes are cold and dead like and her face is sunken in and she looks emaciated.
Speaker 1:
Gwen's children, michael and Elizabeth, were announced to continue remnant fellowship. However, since then Elizabeth is listed as one of 37 church leaders and has hardly shown up in person, but she does attend services through the conference calls. Michael's relationship with the church was always rocky. In the docu-series, a former member who uses a pseudonym and is shrouded in the dark alludes to having an affair with Michael and that he told her he would get so angry that he shot at the church Because his mother's death. He's divorced his wife and severed ties with the way down ministries and remnant fellowship church.
Speaker 1:
It's been reported that Gwen didn't leave anything to remnant fellowship in her will. The will signed in 2011 originally left everything to David Shamblin, with Elizabeth and Michael listed as successors, but because the couple divorced in 2018, tennessee law provides that David, the ex-husband, was no longer eligible to be the beneficiary of the will. In regards to the will, remnant fellowship provided the following statement to News Channel 5. Quote In regards to Gwen's estate, gwen, michael and Elizabeth decided almost two decades ago to give approximately $10 million of what would have been Michael and Elizabeth's inheritance to the building and grounds of Remnant Fellowship Church. Gwen also donated way down ministries and its proceeds, as well as all her intellectual properties, over to the church. This was an incredible gift of generosity from Gwen and her family's inheritance, and the church would expect no more. End quote. In 2017, elizabeth said that Gwen practically handed her and Michael's inheritance away.
Speaker 1:
At the time of her death, Gwen was one third of the way through a nine week video series on greed, a series in which she urged Remnant followers to prepare to give up all of their wealth. In her video about greed, gwen warned quote Most of the world has abandoned true religion and are now converts to building up their own pocketbooks. Yet God is a God of justice and he will not be mocked. End quote. Gwen promoted the notion that great things came to those who bowed before God and that the bad ones were the consequences of unfaithfulness. Consequently, her untimely demise was an enormous complication for the church that sent them into an identity crisis tailspin. Former member Helen Bird said quote when bad things happen, it's God's judgment. So if he takes seven of your leaders out at the same time, what other message could have been sent? According to them, this is God's judgment. End quote. Since the way down, god greed and the cult of Gwen Shamblin first premiered in late 2021.
Speaker 1:
Remnant Fellowship has disputed the negative publicity in a series of videos encouraging inclusivity and emphasizing their family friendly values. In one clip, a man named Otis Rickman, wearing a white doctor's coat, says, quote One of the things I'd like to touch on as we talk about people losing weight or gaining weight is everyone is different. God made us all different. So we have big, sturdy, muscular people, we have thin, wispy people, we have just all kinds of people. End quote. Helen, who's an absolute favorite of mine, said quote Otis Rickman put out this video that everybody's body is different, right, and that nobody gets shunned or shamed or whatever, when his wife was sat out of the church because she had gained weight. So that's a lie. It's the goddamn remix. End quote.
Speaker 1:
As far as the church's future without its higher the hair closer to God, pastor, only time will tell. However, the docu series offered some insights into the future of Remnant Fellowship without her guiding the way. While her daughter, Elizabeth Hannah, is expected to be the heir, she is not officially taken over yet. Instead, she's more of a behind the scenes leader who conferences in during services. On the weekend, during one service, elizabeth addressed the church saying, quote I know a lot of you have wondered how I'm doing and if I'm throwing in the towel. Considering what has just happened, I'm doing very well. I'm very strong and my children are very strong. I just want to keep letting everybody know that, even though I haven't been there recently, the precious leadership has allowed me to have a little time off. End quote. This member, gina Wilson, tells the way down quote. I don't know how Elizabeth is going to be able to do it. She's lost her husband, her mother and her best friend, but she was trained mightily by Gwen to be her mockingbird. End quote.
Speaker 1:
Gwen Shamblin-Lara's diet program Way Down Workshop became a multi-million dollar corporation accumulating over $20 million in revenues annually. At the time of her death in 2021, the company's net worth was close to $80 to $100 million, and Gwen and Joe had full ownership over it. Gwen's book made her one of the best selling authors of her time. Her first book, the Way Down Diet, has sold over 1.2 million copies worldwide. Given the multiple sources of revenue at her disposal, gwen's net worth was estimated at $100 million at the time of her death.
Speaker 1:
The HBO docu-series the Way Down, god Greed and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin was originally three episodes. It's scheduled release date was September 30th 2021, and Gwen's death threw the future of the docu-series about her into doubt and complicated the filming process, its production had resolved to carry on with the project. The director, marina Zinovich, said quote it was never about not continuing, it was about shifting how we were going to tell the story. End. Quote. In fact, more people wanted to talk to the documentarians after Gwen's death, since they finally felt safe and comfortable coming forward leading HBO executives to add more episodes to the series. Lizzie Fox, senior vice president of nonfiction at HBO Max, explained that there's a fuller story to be told. Kalina Fraga said it best in her report, for All that's Interesting, in an article from April 26, 2022. So to quote Kalina in the end, depending on where you stand, gwen Shamblin, lara, is either a scam artist or a savior. She either built a church or constructed a cult.
Speaker 1:
People will look at photos of Gwen Shamblin from the most recent years and think how in the world did people follow her? Look at her. She looks crazy the hair, the makeup, the way that she dresses. But the thing is, when she started all of this, she was your typical modern day woman of the 90s, like a housewife and the mom. She just seemed so normal, she presented herself so well and as the years went on and the ideology got crazier and crazier. The hair got bigger and bigger and the makeup got more wild and the clothing got even wilder, and that's the case of Gwen Shamblin and Reminette Fellowship Church. I hope you guys liked going over this style of a case.
Speaker 1:
As I said in part one, this is bound to bring out some conflicting dialogue, since it's about religion. When discussing it, let's remember to please stay respectful to one another. You don't have to agree, but we must be polite when debating things, especially on topics like this. So what do you think? Did Gwen Shamblin build a church or form a cult with Reminette Fellowship? If you've done the way down diet, I'd love to hear your feedback on it. Or if you used to be a member of Reminette Fellowship, I'd love to hear your thoughts as well. Heck, if you are a current member of Reminette Fellowship, I'd love to chat. Be sure to follow on Instagram at CrimeConnoisseurs and subscribe and download to CrimeConnoisseurs wherever you listen to your podcasts. In the meantime, keep it class, econosaurus, and I'll catch you on the next case.
