The recent Survivor season left fans shocked with a “new era” of twists and turns, blindsides, and surprises from players and producers. One shocking twist was the personal backstories that the show revealed throughout the season. Katurah Topps, a vibrant contestant who was always entertaining to watch, revealed her past escaping a religious cult as a teenager.
Known for her fierce rivalry with Bruce, a fellow contestant, Katurah brought hilarity, rivalry and entertainment to the show. Surprising her fellow contestants, late in the show, she had a panic attack during one of the challenges, later revealing the reason why she panicked—she disclosed her traumatic experiences all throughout middle school and how that brought her to Survivor.
The cult (the name of which she does not specify on the show) which her family joined after she graduated fifth grade, pulled her out of her school, not granting her an education for years, instead making her work inside the cult. Katurah and her family remained in the cult until she was 14, when the cult leader decided that Katurah would be his next bride. He was 68 at the time.
“The purpose of women [in the cult] was never about what you like or what you care about or what excites you—it would never be about love… you would do it out of obligation” Katurah shares in an interview about her experiences (interview).
Her mother, realizing that her child would be forced into a marriage, packed all of their belongings into two trash bags, and together they fled the cult in the middle of the night. Overnight, Katurah was enrolled in public school, her first interaction with the “real” world. After three years of no education, she was thrown into high school, forced to discover who she was and face the trauma that had plagued her.
Her drive and determination fueled her to become a lawyer to help others trapped in similar situations. Her story became one of empowerment and self advocacy, and she became an inspiration both on and off her survivor platform.