'RHOC' Star Elizabeth Vargas Opens Up About Cult Experience On 'The Doctors'

Instagram | Elizabeth Vargas

Elizabeth Vargas appeared on an episode of "The Doctors" earlier this week, where she opened up about her horrific experiences as a child growing up in a cult. 

Following her debut season on "The Real Housewives of Orange County," which concluded production in 2020, Vargas said that what some may not know about her is that she was actually "raised in a religious cult."

"The name of the cult was Faith Bible Tabernacle and my grandmother Dorothy Bell was the leader of the cult," she disclosed.

Instagram | Elizabeth Vargas

"And my father was one of the pastors,” Vargas continued.

Vargas was added to the cast of "The Real Housewives of Orange County" for season 15 in 2019, around the time that Vicki Gunvalson and Tamra Judge confirmed they would no longer be seen on the show.

During the season, Vargas addressed her time in the cult briefly with her cast mates.

“We weren’t allowed to speak our minds whatsoever," Vargas recalled.

In fact, if someone did voice their opinion, they were dealt with devastating consequences.

Instagram | Elizabeth Vargas

"If you questioned what was happening you would get beaten, or locked in closets or you wouldn’t eat," Vargas recalled. 

Vargas went on to shockingly reveal that she was molested three or four times every week for hours at a time, starting from the age of just five-years-old.

“I never wanted to be a victim I only wanted to be a survivor," she shared. "I have to confront my fear and my anger and my turmoil and it’s been very very very tough on me.” 

Instagram | Elizabeth Vargas

Following years of abuse, Vargas met with hypnotherapist Kimberly Friedmutter, who helped her move forward from her traumatic childhood.

“I’ve uncovered self-worth...and discovery of who I really am inside," Vargas revealed of the hypnotherapy process. 

Then, when Dr. Ordon asked the reality star, “You’ve held onto this for so long... what would you say is the most difficult part to your past to face now today?” 

She responded by saying it makes her terribly upset to know that "there are still religious organizations out there that are abusing young children.”  

Instagram | Elizabeth Vargas

While what Vargas went through was heartbreaking, she's come out on the other side.

“You don’t have to walk through life as a victim, you can be a survivor," Vargas went on to declare.

Andy Cohen said weeks ago that while there are no plans to cancel "The Real Housewives of Orange County," they have not yet begun production on the upcoming episodes that will make up season 16.