Children of God Celebrities include Joaquin Phoenix, Christopher Owens, and Susan Justice. Joaquin left the cult with his siblings in 1978.
Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Phoenix was born into the Children of God in 1974.
Phoneix's parents joined the cult before he was born and worked in South America and Puerto Rico as missionaries of the Children of God. The pair welcomed Joaquin when they were working for Children of God in Puerto Rico.
However, Phoneix was just 4 years old when his parents John Lee Bottom and Arlyn "Heart" Bottom left the organization in 1978. They grew tired of the practices and rules of the cult and its emphasis on the practice of flirty fishing since 1976.
Along with Phoneix, his younger sibling Liberty Phoenix was also born while their parents were working for the cult. His elder siblings River and Rain were born before their parents joined the organization and their youngest sibling Summer was born after they left the cult in 1978.
The actor Joaquin is best known for his role as Joker in the eponymous film in 2019. He is a recipient of several prestigious awards including the Academy Award, Grammy Award, and Golden Globe Awards.
Christopher Owens
Christopher Owens was born in 1979 when both of his parents were members of Children of God.
Owens' parents lost his elder sibling due to pneumonia shortly before his birth. His infant brother lost his life due to the reluctance of the member of Children of God members in seeking medical treatment.
His parents left the United States of America when Owens was just 2 years old in 1981 and traveled across East Asia. Owens grew up all over Asia until he was 10 years old when they migrated to Europe and finally to the United States of America.
The singer quit Children of God at the age of 16 years old and followed his sister to Texas where he initially worked as a shelf-stocker on night shifts until his musical career kicked off.
Christopher is best known as the frontman of the indie rock band Girls, now disbanded. He released three albums with the band and later released three more solo albums after leaving the Girls.
Susan Justice
Susan Justice was born Susan Cagle in 1981.
She is the second oldest of ten siblings in her family and was born when her parents were active members of Children of God.
As part of traveling missionaries of the cult, Susan and her parents lived in numerous countries including England, Scotland, Venezuela, Mexico, Italy, France, and many more. Although it is not entirely clear when Susan left the cult, she returned to New York and left the cult in the late 1990s.
Susan started playing guitar at the age of just 7 years old and was able to write meaningful songs and lyrics by the time she was 14. After returning to New York, she formed a band named The Susan Cagle Band with her siblings and started performing and busking around New York City.
Her life turned around when she was discovered by producer Jay Levine and introduced to the president of Columbia Records. She released her debut and only album The Subway Recordings in 2007.
Juliana Buhring
Juliana Buhring is a British-German ultra-endurance cyclist.
She was born in 1981 while both of her parents were active and full-time members of Children of God. She was abandoned by her parents at the age of just 4 years old and was fostered by other guardians within the cult until her adulthood.
She lived and worked for The Family International in over 30 countries in Europe, Asia, and America. Buhring left the cult in 2004 after her sister Davida (also a member of The Family International) died.
Juliana united with her two sisters Kristina and Celeste Jones and wrote a book titled "Not Without My Sister." The autobiography details all the traumas and tortures the three sisters endured while they were members of Children of God and later The Family International.
Buhring also holds the record of the first woman to circumnavigate the world in a bicycle for her world tour which started on 23 July 2012 and ended 152 days later. She covered over 29,000 kilometers through four continents and 19 countries.
Jeremy Spencer
Jeremy Spencer joined Children of God now known as The Family International in 1971.
Spencer is still an active member making him one of the few prominent and famous members of the group. He left his band Fleetwood Mac abruptly in 1971 to travel to the United States of America with his wife Fiona.
The British musician has recorded numerous songs for Children of God since joining the organization in 1971. He also has done hundreds of free concerts for the cult and later made professional music and albums to support the organization.
Jeremy Spencer and the Children his first album with The Family International was released in 1972 but was a commercial failure. He has released several other albums including Precious Little, Coventry Blue, and his latest Boundless, among others.
