Two-Hour Special on the Alleged Sex Cult Features New Interviews with Former Member India Oxenberg & Her Mother, Catherine Oxenberg
PLUS: NXIVM Founder Keith Raniere Speaks with ‘Dateline’ In First Interview Since 2018 Arrest
‘Collateral Damage’ Airs Friday at 9pm ET/8pm CT
February 24, 2021 – In an exclusive interview with Dateline NBC, former NXIVM member Dr. Danielle Roberts defended branding members of the alleged sex cult, telling NBC News’ Kate Snow that she was not acting as a doctor during the branding but as a member of a social group. She explained:“These women didn’t come to me because they thought I was a doctor. They had no idea who the branding technician was going to be, you know? There was no patient-physician relationship.”
To watch the exchange, click here. The transcript of the exchange is below.
When pressed by Snow about inflicting pain on members and her oath as a doctor, Roberts responded, “I think pain and harm are two different things.” Roberts, an osteopathic doctor, has never been charged but her license is under review. The interview is part of a special two-hour Dateline NBC, entitled Collateral Damage, airing this Friday at 9pm ET/8pm CT.
Friday’s special also reveals new details about NXIVM, including interviews with former member India Oxenberg and her mother Catherine, who open up about how they are doing since the group’s founder Keith Raniere was convicted of felonies including racketeering, sex trafficking and forced labor.
Additionally, Collateral Damagewill feature the first interview with Raniere since his 2018 arrest. From prison, Raniere denies being the mastermind behind the branding, telling Dateline: “If you look at my long-term partners, I’m even against tattooing. I don’t have tattoos. None of my partners have tattoos. If my partners want to get them, that’s up to them.”
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DR. DANIELLE ROBERTS: These women didn’t come to me because they thought I was a doctor. They had no idea who the branding technician was going to be, you know? There was no patient-physician relationship.
KATE SNOW: But my question, just as a human being hearing this story–
DR. DANIELLE ROBERTS: Yeah, of course.
KATE SNOW: – my question is you are a doctor.
DR. DANIELLE ROBERTS: I am.
KATE SNOW: I understand you’re saying you weren’t practicing medicine in that moment. But you are a doctor. You’re a trained doctor. You took an oath. How could you then, you know, inflict pain on people?
DR. DANIELLE ROBERTS: Well, I think pain and harm are two different things. You know, I think people are making an assumption that people were harmed. Nobody was harmed in this. These women wanted this, they asked for this. You know, I mean and I understand now that their narrative has changed and they’re saying other things–
KATE SNOW: Because there are women have said, “I didn’t want this. I felt like I had to do it.” There are women who have said – India Oxenberg said to me, “I didn’t really want this.” She’s now covered it up with another tattoo. She’s ashamed that she has the brand.
DR. DANIELLE ROBERTS: And I feel badly that that’s how they’ve chosen to perceive it. I feel badly about that, — understand that when they were in the room with me, they wanted it. They said they wanted it. They were laughing.
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For More Information:
Dominique Cuce
NBC News
e: Dominique.Cuce@nbcuni.com
Dateline NBC is the longest-running series in NBC primetime history and is in its 29th season. Dateline is anchored by Lester Holt and features correspondents Andrea Canning, Josh Mankiewicz, Natalie Morales, Keith Morrison and Dennis Murphy. Airing Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT, Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT and Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, Dateline is the #1 Friday newsmagazine and reaches more than 17 million people every week through its broadcast, and millions more through its social media platforms and podcasts. Additionally, Dateline closed out 2019-2020 broadcast season as the #1 Friday newsmagazine across the board. David Corvo is the senior executive producer, and Liz Cole is the executive producer.
