Gloriavale Cult Survivor Exposes Everything WRONG with New “Devotion” Doc (ft. Lilia Tarawa)

Lilia Tarawa—granddaughter of Gloriavale founder Neville Cooper—shares her perspective on the new Paramount+ documentary Devotion, which offers unprecedented access inside the isolated New Zealand religious community. While she appreciates the rare footage and the opportunity to hear from current members, Lilia argues that the documentary fails to present the full reality of Gloriavale by omitting critical historical context, survivor experiences, and the systemic ab*se that has shaped the community for decades. Drawing from her own upbringing inside the group, she explains how communal living, isolation, rigid gender roles, and absolute obedience created an environment where manipulation and control became normalized. The conversation then examines Gloriavale's culture of secrecy, forgiveness, and institutional protection of ab*se. Lilia challenges the documentary's balanced approach, arguing that presenting current leaders' perspectives without fully addressing their roles in enabling abuse risks minimizing the harm suffered by survivors.

Watch our initial interviews with Lilia: https://youtu.be/ZYLd7JxLZKU?si=qdnTrxQcSCYsdk4F
Live with Lilia: https://www.youtube.com/live/24ajRC6sL74?si=XiGfNWEOOk59nw60


Follow and support Lilia!

IG: https://www.instagram.com/liliatarawa/
YT: https://www.youtube.com/@LiliaTarawa

Book: “Daughter of Gloriavale: My Life in a Religious Cult”
https://amzn.to/3MUD7zd

For inquires, email: media@LiliaTarawa.com
Podcast - Brandbreaker with Lilia Tarawa: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/brandbreaker-with-lilia-tarawa/id1859810768

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Chapter Marks
00:00 — Intro: Lilia Explains Why Gloriavale Keeps Growing
00:01:43 — She Shares Her First Impressions of the New Gloriavale Documentary
00:03:48 — Lilia's reaction to watching Devotion
00:06:04 — She Describes What It Was Like Growing Up Inside Gloriavale
00:10:46 — She Explains What the Documentary Failed to Show
00:17:55 — She Challenges Claims That Gloriavale Has Reformed
00:23:00 — She Reveals How Secrecy Protected Predators for Years
00:24:42 — Lilia's family's decision to leave
00:29:00 — She Explains How Purity Culture Enabled Ab*se
00:35:30 — Lilia Explains Why Ab*se Was Never Reported to Authorities
00:38:48 — Things left out of the documentary
00:42:30 — She Breaks Down How ChiIdren Were Conditioned to Obey
00:48:10 — She Reveals How Persecution Narratives Strengthened Control
00:54:00 — She Questions Why Governments Struggle to Intervene
00:51:31 — Thoughts on how to change things
01:00:00 — Lilia Explains Why Survivors Must Tell Their Stories
01:03:05 — She Describes How Leaders Claimed to Speak for God
01:10:45 — She Shares What Daily Life Was Really Like in Gloriavale
01:17:55 — She Encourages Survivors to Reclaim Their Voices and Heal
01:16:00 — Linda, listen
01:19:30 — Final Call for Awareness and Compassion


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