A conversation with Kimberly O'Donnell (ex-JW abuse survivor) 

What a moving story! Thanks so much to both of you for telling Kimmy's story. What's so amazing is that she blossomed into such a caring and sweet person (both in helping people and in rescuing animals) despite her horrific upbringing. What bad luck to wind up turning to the JW cult for help. Her story is one of thousands where the organization not only turned their back on her as an abused child desperately seeking help, but they actively and continuously put her back in harm's way. I'm so glad she and Mark stayed together despite JW org. Together they are helping so many others!

A teacher would be sent to jail if he or she failed to report abuse. To all current witness who are watching this, PLEASE REPORT this to the police, NOT the elders! The elders need to go to prison for failing to report abuse.

The 2014 convention was a turning point for me. I already knew this wasn’t the truth, but at this point I knew I had to get out.i didn’t clap or pray once. I was done.

Big thank you to Kimberly for sharing her incredible story. The abuse she endured from her mother was horrific, as was the lack of help she received from the organization. It sounds like a living nightmare. The way they treated her and Mark is beyond reproach. Kimberly’s resilience is truly inspiring. She and Mark are a beautiful & admirable couple. Thank you, Lloyd, for interviewing Kimberly. She is an amazing person.

Incredible story, Kimberley you are so strong, brave and inspirational. Wishing you and Mark every happiness for the future X

What a great story. I have to add, they both exemplify what true and genuine love actually looks like.

What an incredible woman, my heart goes out to her. This was hard to listen to in places, especially when the elders wanted to send her back to her abusive mother😲 SO happy that Kimmy and Mark got out of the cult and managed to create a meaningful life together. Thanks to all, sincerely 💙

"Two Witness Rule" but oh, btw, both of them have to be baptized and in good standing! They really make this stuff up as they go along, don't they? Disgusting.

My non JW friend died of heroin OD a few years ago it was devastating. My JW parents couldn't understand my grief. They had this blank look. It was so sad like their emotions are highjacked

I want to sincerely thank you for all your work! I relate to her story in so many ways and am so happy to have these examples to relate too. I escaped the religion in 2014 and have recently been reading, researching and watching experiences and this has been a huge healing process. When I left I chose to rid my life of all religion including not doing any research about Jehovah’s Witnesses, even though this was my whole life. I am finally feeling ready to heal.

Really good interview. I’m very grateful for those willing to share their story and for those who put in the work to create platforms that enable us to hear them. Thank you.

Thank-you Kimberly, and John Cedars channel for this interview.

Oh Kimmy, I'm so sorry to hear your extremely sad story. It hurts my heart. My therpist figured my father could have been a psychopath, too. I had to run away also. "Go back home and obey my mother" is such baaaad advice coming from the so-obviously untrained Watchtower elders. and When the elder told you "I'll give you one day" to grieve. Ugh! They make up rules for grief, too? That bad JW advice which is used to hide abuse of all kinds --- MAKES the organization looks even worse :/ I'm glad to hear you woke up and that things are improved now (I left in 2000, df'd). Now I have faith --- in myself. It's much more empowering that way for me. My life has improved, too.

Thank you both for this wonderful interview. Sorry to hear about what you went through Kimberly - I am so happy for you now though to see you have your freedom. You and Mark are beautiful people!

What is the saddest thing about listening to your experience Kimmie is that it is not unique. While still in we had a blended family in the hall (he had 1 she had 1 and they had 2 together). His daughter caught the brunt of the abuse from the stepmom. They also had locks on the fridge and cabinets to the point she was eating out of the trash. They made her sleep in the garage along with lists of abuse that would sicken you. She had the courage to tell the elders and they told her she needs to be like Job and endure....she was around 9 or 10!!!! She finally ran away to another sister who also knew what was going on. The parents called the police and they made her go back home. They would publicly humiliate each others children while their combined 2 were treated like kings. They elders knew exactly the situation and did NOTHING to help these kids. You know why these 2 experiences are the same? Because they all play by the same playbook written by the hateful 8. I truly wish each and everyone of them could be hauled into court and jailed for all the atrocities that happened due to all their pharisaical rules and policies. How many countless lives have they effected to their detriment? How many lives, marriages and relationships have been lost or severed? I truly hope I live to see them all go down. Justices screams for this.

what a fantastic couple they are. Kimberly if you're reading this I just want to say I am so sorry that you were deprived of grief time. I know how much it hurts. Thank you for sharing,

Wow! What a great interview. This has helped me in my healing. When I told my Field Service overseer that I was leaving the organization, he said he and another brother would come to my house for a brief call. They never came and never called. Part of me was relieved, but the other part of me was hurt that they "let me go" SO EASILY. But that goes to show I was of no real value to the organization.

Great interview. This shows that you really need to be patient to wake your spouse. I'm so glad it worked out for them..

I enjoy listening to the different stories and experiences when people wake up. Thank you for sharing Kimberly’s story! On a sidenote, my cousin ordered and is currently reading your book… The reluctant apostate. I haven’t read it yet, but will be ordering it as she says it is beyond amazing! Thank you for all your hard work!

Thanks for the video! Talk about a "power couple" :) really cool to hear her parallel experience unfold alongside her husband's. These folks are very fortunate to have each other!

Kimberly you are an amazing women. Great interview!!!

GREAT to meet Kimmy after all this time! It gives me shivers to remember sitting at that 2014 convention and feeling feelings that unnerved me. I thought back then it was just because I was attending at the same location as my abusive EX (who died just DAYS following that convention!) You seem so happy and relaxed about your life now. It's good to see stories of people who have been out longer and hope that someday we will be stronger and find our stability.

That was hard to watch, but I'm glad I did anyway. As with other commenters, I thank Kimmy for telling your story, as horrific as it is. I hope life just continues to improve for you now that you're out. I also hope that your story resonates with other victims of abuse, and helps them get themselves out of such awful situations. Your story of your friend, who took you in when you most needed it, helps demonstrate what Lloyd and others have been saying, that there are plenty of very good people in the rank-and-file of the JWs, and that we shouldn't treat them badly based on the crimes of the cult itself. I'm sorry your friend died, but glad you were able to benefit from his kindness and decency. I also thank Lloyd for having Kimmy on, helping her tell her story. And I salute Mark for taking the best route in helping wake your wife up.

Lloyd, you know the right questions to ask and the right time to ask them. You do a great interview!

Great interview. I had to pause this often as it brought back a lot of memories of my mother. Terrible times I tell you. I sure appreciate your interview and all the work you’re team is doing.

Thank you Kimmy. Yes, no more ' just getting by ' actually living ! 💯 Congratulations on your flourishing marriage and life. I've found this to be true also. 💛

Just when you think you've had it bad you realize there’s people who’ve had it so worse.

Wonderful interview. Thank you both for your time and energies.

Wow! I’m so glad to hear from Kimberly. This interview drew me from the first moment and it continually became more engaging.

Incredibly insightful interview with Kimberly! Amazing how when she stated how the "friends" looked to see if Mark commented any more that would be how they would judge him. The dynamics of the social structure like the elders looking for "details" on Mark, their snooping around, the paranoia the elders create by imputing bad motives, it's all designed around control, control, control. If the elders don't have bullying control then they use their manipulation with emotional blackmail, threats and intimidation. It's the deeper, more intrinsic high-control methods that are so telling as to how this cult really operates using fear-mongering, obligation-burdening, guilt-tripping and shame-blaming.

Wow, what a woman. Her life is so similar to mine. The abuse by the mom, the neglect of the "elders. My dad died when I was 12, and I was told I couldn't mourn at all, I was disloyal to jah by being sad. Then got abused by an elder at 13, but all my fault... I wish these channels were around when I was abandoned by the borg. Some support would have been so great for my mental health. So happy you and all the activists are helping people escape and recover...yall are awesome..

When I hear that jingle at the beginning of many of your videos, I smile and do a little shuffle dance. Thanks for bringing a measure of joy to my life with your videos!

I just want to give this sweet lady a hug. Another amazing story. Now she is free to help people as she sees fit. Just wonderful!

Truly an amazing interview.

Thank you for sharing your story Kimmy! I am so sorry for all that you had to go through as a child in the org. Your comments about the unending gossip really makes me think about what my mom who is still in goes through. Your willingness to help others through their journey out/recovering is such a selfless thing to offer after all you yourself have been through. Much love to you and Mark for all you do!

Perfect timing.. love these interviews that expose more and more of the org.

Beautiful Interview, I was also experiencing serious cognitive dissonance during the 2014 convention, when I saw that they were really trying to exploit our emotions thru the issue of resurection, I knew it was propaganda, although I didnt fully woke up until early 2017.

What an amazing interview! I'm so glad you and Mark have each other and have moved on from the Watchtower Pharisees.

Thank you for your experience Kimberly!! When my husband was reproved, even though HE wronged ME, I was told it was up to me to build up his spirituality. Making it seem it was my responsibility to make him a spiritual man again...I'm so glad to hear this thinking was not just the elder who told me this (well not "glad" but you know what I mean) :) Oh and before he became a MS, I was always pressured to "help" him reach out. He became one in his 30s to please ME...I never realized what the stress of not wanting to do something can put someone through.

Fantastic interview. It’s great that both were able to get out.

What is wrong with the USA that we--or Britain--uphold these horrible cults? Religion is NOT sacrosanct. Take these abuses down!

Quite tough to listen to at times but always great to hear accounts of how people escaped this evil corporate cult. You are doing a public service exposing these narcissistic charlatans at the Watchtower, keep up the good work.

Wow! Thank you for sharing your story! We were just down the road from each other during a lot of the time you cover-experiencing many similar situations. I've been out for 12 years and go through periods of processing the experience. I did have a bit of a flashback when you mentioned the Assembly Hall-Crownsville? Flooded with thoughts about that place that I haven't thought of in 20 years! The double and triple binds we were in as JW children: doing our best in school to bring honor to Jehovah, yet not being able to go on to further education. Pioneering and working while carrying such heavy burdens and secrets yet still feeling inferior no matter how hard we tried and how much we sacrificed.

Fantastic interview!! Thank you so much y’all!

Love your interviews! There’s a lot to doing a good interview. You got it down! Best wishes for the year!!

Thank you for your sharing... so touching... Blessings to you and Mark. Thank you Lloyd for your dedication 🕊💜🕊

I am the older sister I am so proud of her love you kimmy

Really appreciate you sharing your story Kimberly, great interview.

Thank You Lloyd for this very interesting interview.Dear Kimberly,what a story.You are very courageous,intelligent,beautiful Lady.Marc,to find a good wife is more important then gold,pearls and diamonds. Your talents,gifts and dedication to help others is so wonderful.

Wonderful! Thank you for sharing your story! I know it can be difficult to talk about these things, I can hear the tenseness and shaking of your voice and recognise it as I have experienced it when talking about things as well. It lessens in time, the more you talk about it. The year of that annual meeting with Tony Morris was the year I walked away as well. For similar reasons, the talks disghusted and rattled me. I appreciate your strength and loyalty! I'm so sorry for all you had to go through to get to this point. Amazing interview guys!!

What Kim said about JW's and grieving is soooo true. I heard so many similar things myself. I heard them say, why is she grieving? He is just sleeping in death, waiting for the resurrection. She needs to get over it and trust in Jehovah. The organization hardens the witnesses. Any kind of emotion is frowned upon, except the love bombers. Then that's ok, that's allowed.

Lloyd, your interviews are my favorite part of your channel. Each person has such a unique experience to share which will inevitably wake up more people as they "hear" their own story within the experiences of your friends. Keep up the great work. And please know that your activism IS working!

The blood guilt thing is so disgusting. 1. The command was given to the apostles. The gb claim they’re the ones in a covenant a God while rank and file are just saved by association. So the rank and file don’t have an obligation to preach. 2. Nowhere does the Bible say that preaching is necessary for salvation 3: they often cite the blood guilt verse from the Old Testament but we’re not under that due to Jesus sacrifice.

Lloyd and Kimberly, This is exactly what i needed to hear today. I left the ORG last year and my wife still attends. I've had some missteps in how i've handled the situation. The uphill battle that i have is that we have 2 young children. But this interview does give me hope that the elders or congregants will show their lack of love and put a crack in her blinders.....I think i was at the same convention with Tony. I had access to the staging area and got to see him up close, the people treated him like a rock star...selfies, hugs, trying to get them to hold their baby....It was disgusting. How can i reach out to the Redwoods?

So heartbreaking. It took me a couple of tries to watch. Thank you Kimberly for sharing.

Another great interview.

John,I really enjoy your videos and interviews!And all of you guys have been a big part of my life!

Thank you so much for responding to my audio call 👍 I am an absolute mess right now, but through your excellent research and honesty, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have begun reading your book HOW TO ESCAPE FROM JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES. Perfect timing.

Thanks Lloyd for this great interview! Thank you Kimmy for having the courage to share your story. You are an amazing person and my heart goes out to you for the suffering that you have endured.

What a great interview! I am so grateful for the John Cedar's channel and all the great content. Thank you Kim for sharing! You have been through so much and have survived. So great that you married a good man who could support you. Shame on the organization for what they put you through!

Such a great story and addition to the many voices which seem to be growing! ....always amazing how I made it through the legendary tight pants annual meeting program a full believer, not giving one second thought to any of it.

Lloyd Thanks for this interview! Kimmy your story is heartbreaking, the abuse you endured was horrible. You're a strong, beautiful person for sharing your story. I admire you❤

Thankyou so much for sharing your journey. The more of us who do help others in the line behind. It amazes me how through it all your love of life and humanity shines brightly. ❤️

Finally bought your book, at long last!! Arrived today and so looking forward to reading it after watching the channel for over 2 years. Love from England

This was one of the most riveting programs I’ve listened to. First I want to say to Kimmy I’m so sorry and you are one incredibly strong woman. You also are one of the brightest people I’ve ever listened to and I hope you have found peace. I know I did when I left 20 years ago! 💕

Kimmy, you did a remarkable job telling your story about growing up in an extreme totalist group and escaping. I am so proud of you. And Lloyd, kudos to you for facilitating this remarkable interview and personal story.

I was 20 I have a very serious illness I got the courage to go to the elders for help my mom was a alcoholic with a very serious mental illness.I told them I was being physically& mentally abused.They shut me down by asking me what did I do.I was treated like your parents are always right.I knew in my heart that wasn't true.I had no help from the Org.

I love you, Kimmy. I look forward to sharing my story that has both you and Mark in it!

Thanks Kimmy for sharing this story. It was sad, and made me cry. I too feel sad for those who are stuck. The best to you!

Vaguely similar story I had, certainly I can relate with a lot. Great interview!

Really good interview

Thank you for sharing your story. I can relate on so many levels. 25 years of my life spent "serving Jehovah" and I have seen and experienced a lot of untruth, manipulation, and cruelty. Thank you again for sharing. It was very brave of you to be so open.

Amazing interview and at some points far too uncomfortably close to home. I started my 'research' in an attempt to resolve my doubts, it is a painful process to discover that what you believed was 100% truth for decades is so very far from it.... and quoting a favourite of theirs.. "The truth will set you free" Thanks Lloyd and Kimmy for this!

Indeed, a beautiful interview.

Kimberly is a personal friend since childhood, and I (as a child myself) witnessed these abuses, she (their mother) even tried to endocrine me into the organization saying that they couldn't be friends with "worldly" people.... I am very proud to see the Kimmy and her brother escaped the abuse handed down by their mother...

Great interview! Thank you for sharing your story. xoxo

Much love and appreciation to Kimberly and her husband and Lloyd for their personal histories and the hard work of xjw activism♥♥♥ This video is excellent, brave and honest.

I just want to thank Kimmy for sharing her story. Her experience was heartbreaking,and I'm so glad that she's found happiness.

Where in the Bible is there a 2 witness rule where the 2 witnesses have to be in good standing? Does the Bible really have that stipulation? 2 witnesses are 2 witnesses. Another added stipulation by Watchtower.

OMG. Heart rending.

Nice work Lloyd. These interview really help with the healing of many that need support. We Ex JW’s so need to share our experiences and stay close together just like the JW cult members do at their meetings. We should have a monthly meeting in every town in the country for ex JW’s to go and meet face to face and talk and heal from this soul destroying cult. Keep up the good work Lloyd.

One of the best interview I’ve ever seen So heartfelt and real Thank you Lloyd

Kimmy is helping so many people by sharing her story. I’m sure victims of abuse feel very alienated and think it only happens to them. Congratulations on your bravery and speaking out. Big hugs from NY.

I can’t believe I’m just now seeing this. Kimmy, your are so brave and strong. Thank you for sharing your story. It is so heartbreaking but also so accurate. You are loved!

Awesome interview. Kimmy is a lovely person. Wow, what an amazing couple her and Mark are 😘

Great story, thank you 💜

This is so heartbreaking! The mum reminded me of Eunice Spree. Time and again the organisation condones and covers up child abuse. It makes it easy for monsters to get away with atrocities and goes hand in hand with mental illness degenerating and getting out of control. Women are 2nd class and children are 3rd class. So being a girl child JW gets you nowhere fast when you have valid complaints

All strength to you lady. I am absolutely aghast at the logic of the "truth" .

Good one. Well presented.

Thanks for sharing abt the process of ur awakening! Your story of how u understood those were not prayers that help but kind people is of high value!

Oh! So sorry you had to go through all that abuse and got no help from the elders. How many other children are going through similar hardships? Thank you for telling your story and to your husband who reports on these kinds of cases.

This conversation is very liberating for me. I can see that Kimberly is very intelligent, but that it was limited information and circumstances which boxed her into the religion, this makes it easier for me to accept my decision to join Jehovah's Witnesses. Jehovah's Witnesses are a lot more functional and logical than the family I grew up in, I made a simple comparison and abandoned my family, now of course I see that Jehovah's Witnesses are illogical, irrational, do not follow Jesus simple teachings (like "forgiving everyone all their sins") and do not protect and properly equip their children. So I am fading out. My outlook on life is better, I am much healthier and thanks to videos like this I feel a closeness with other people that I never felt in my family or as a JW. Thank you John and Kimberly. Peace

So much BULL@%$T I am so sorry you had to go threw this!! That CULT is to dangerous!!

Thank you so much for this interview.. it truly touched my heart...what a beautiful intelligent women ❤ i needed this today.

I can understand how “brethren “ use coercion , to urge you to make the “right” decisions especially in personal relationships. When I first announced our wedding engagement to the friends at the 1978 NY Bible Students Labor Day Convention, a number of sisters took it upon themselves to warn my bride to be against marrying me, telling her I was a bad influence on my peers as a teen and that she was surely making a mistake by marrying me. That was 40 years ago. We are still crazy about each other. After we did marry my Bible Student father in law sat us down and had a very serious discussion about it being wrong to have children in this evil world. He went into the horrors of Armageddon and that the world was rapidly becoming more and more depraved under Satan and that it would be wrong to bring children into this world. Our two daughters are happy we didn’t listen to that advice. Now I have a beautiful 3 1/2 year old grandson who is the joy of our life. Armageddon hasn’t happened yet. And all those who were so sure they knew everything better than we did are all dead and gone. If we had listened to them we’d have ruined our lives, and never even known the joy of parenthood or the joy of having a grandson.

For some reason I had never seen this interview although I am very familiar with Kimmy and Mark. Watched it today, 2 years later and was absolutely spell bound. What wonderful partners Kimmy and Mark are to one another. Just as I was feeling I wanted to ask a question, Lloyd would ask it so he was listening as intently as I was...... what amazing interview skills you have, Lloyd. Thank you for this wonderful interview, Kimmy. Your speaking skills are great and I was very moved by your whole story.

Thank you Kimberly for your story. Have you and Mark ever thought of getting an ex jw meet up together? I’m not that far in PA and would love to meet and hear stories of fellow exjws.

love your honesty...'the truth shall set you free'

Hi Lloyd- I just found your channel a few days ago and wanted to thank you for your work and thank Kimberly for sharing her story. It's unbelievable helpless children are forced to live this way. I turned 50 this year and grew up as a JW. I was disfellowshipped in 1990 for leaving my abusive husband, was reinstated in 1999 and then faded away a couple years after that. I live in the US and was a victim of sexual abuse by a much older ministerial servant in the congregation from the time I was about 9 years old until I married at the age of 18. He was probably in his 50's at the time it began. The elders in my congregation were made aware of his behavior by my mother and the authorities were never alerted to my knowledge. Going to meetings 3 times a week was torture for me as I was constantly trying to avoid being trapped in some isolated area of the Kingdom Hall by this man. I know for a fact he had abused several other young sisters over the years as we shared our experiences years later, each thinking we were the only one he singled out. He has since passed away but... for me, being subjected to that torture for years as well as marrying an abusive elder in the congregation along with many occasions of being dragged into the "room of doom" to be grilled by the elders over the years for the slightest slip up from the time I was a teenager has caused such a physical, mental and emotional exhaustion for me that I just had to get away from it all. I've always known something just wasn't right with this religion and hearing others voice the same feeling has helped me feel a tremendous weight has been lifted off me. My mother is still a JW and constantly preaches to me that I need to return to Jehovah but for me this way of life was not living. It was brainwashing, torture and constant guilt trips for not ever living up to that perfect person they expect one to be.

Thank you for sharing your story, Kimmy and for the expert interview, Lloyd.