He used scripture to tell me it is your duty to be a comfort to your husband, especially my husband, because he was the prophet, Musser said. Rebecca Musser wore red when she walked into a Texas courtroom to testify against the man who had once threatened to break her. Afterward, at a hair salon, I blanched as yards and yards of my rich brown hair hit the ground. Rebecca Musser was the fifth of the fourteen children born to her mother Sharon Steed (her fathers second wife) and one of the 25 children born to her father Lloyd Wall. In a matter of weeks, he married several of them himself. "I think that there's a lot of people, not just in our country but in this world, that don't have the parents we deserve," Musser said. Warren, the new in charge of the church had given her the ultimatum to marry the person he chose. So today, is Rebecca still married to Ben Musser? She often speaks about the abuse she endured throughout the years ever since her marriage to Jeffs at the age of 19. When Rebecca Musser turned 19 in 1995, she discovered that Rulon Jeffs, the church's then-president, had a "divine inspiration" that she was to become his 19th wife. Between the horror stories I knew from the inside, and with the police in Warren's pocket (God's law was above man's law, we were told, and law enforcement in our area was either the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints or affiliated with the FLDS), I could not win on my own. "I love that generally, people will have no idea (about my past). Rebecca started giving her lessons in November 2016. Rebecca Musser married her husband Ben Musser who was technically her grandson. Excitedly, I called my mother, anxious to share with her what I was learning in life and through books. She remembers feeling Rulons hand and how bony it was at our wedding. After some years they decided to separate from each other on good terms. One was Musser's younger sister, Elissa, who was the same age as Musser's daughter, Natalia, at the time. There was always a calculated part of him, about what his next best move was, whether it was for power or position, but I never felt completely relaxed around him, Musser said. Warren Jeffs the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was on trial for child sexual assault after prosecutors alleged that he married teenagers and children as part of the polygamist religion he led. Rebeccas passion is to inspire women all over the world who feel trapped in their situation to understand their rights to own themselves and to claim their power to choose. Memories flooded my mind: neighbors offering sympathy and supplies after my childhood house burned down; a former violin teacher who nurtured my talent; the owner of a stringed-instrument shop who encouraged me to playI took a long, hard look at all the things that new church leader Warren Jeffs had said were absolutely true that I knew were not. 2023 Gossip Next Door. Ben and Rebecca married not long after. A woman's hair, usually worn piled high atop her head, was her crowning glory. After enduring years of violation, upon her husband's death she escaped from his son, Warren Jeffs, when he tried . As a new widow, fear gripped Musser when she noticed that Warren had quietly begun to marry some of his fathers wives. No, none of her family members are on social media. The far offshoot of the Mormon church practices polygamy, also known as plural marriage. 60.3_Article_Blythe_WasJesusMarried - Read online for free. If I was going to leave, I would have to take a chance on that outside world, whatever it held for me. Musser, a former member herself, helped put Jeffs away for life with her testimony while wearing a color that had been forbidden in their strict, religious community, according to "Dateline: Secrets Uncovered," airing Wednesdays at 8/7c on Oxygen. It is hard to find words to describe what it is for us to watch the early stories of my family and life told on-screen. Her daughter, Natalia attends a charter school in Fruitland. But, even after the divorce, they are still in touch with each other. Living with other sister-wives, she faced her own set of trauma married to an 85-year-old man. That's when she made the decision to escape after finally realizing that "I could not say yes to something I no longer agreed with, and I did." Her book, 'The Witness Wore Red: The 19th Wife Who Helped to Bring Down a Polygamous Cult,' shocked the country as they read on to find out about the lives of 'sister-wives' and others in the FLDS, headed by Warren Jeffs. Below, we cover details regarding his age, job, and his current wife. She barely knew him when she first escaped from the FLDS churchs compound. Her father didnt grow up in the FLDS community but eventually converted to it. People at rest stops and restaurants stared curiously at our attire and my hairstyle. Rebecca Musser opens up about sharing her past with new people, Rebecca Musser opens up about embracing the Idaho outdoors, Full interview: Rebecca Musser opens up about life from the FLDS to Fruitland, Idaho. Four days before the deadline, I glanced into the mirror before bedmy eyes were sunken and colorless, surrounded by graying, sallow skin. and Id be Googling it because I didnt know," Musser said. "It just gave me this deep sense of appreciation for what my journey has been and even in that constrained society, the effort that my mother went through to try to make good moments for us. Warren Jeffs once threatened to "break" Rebecca Musser, but the former FLDS member would find her own power while playing a critical role more than once in taking down the powerful polygamist leader. However, being a businessman, Lloyd never opened up about being a polygamist. However, after having the children, they separated and eventually got divorced. They headed to Oregon, where Rebeccas brother Cole lived after banishment from FLDS when he tried to shield our younger siblings from a beating. They ended up becoming parents of two children; Kyle and Natalia. Whereas, Natalia is 14 years old in 2022. She was born in Indianapolis, IN to Harry J. and Nina McMillan. . In 2011, Jeffs was convicted in Texas on sexual assault charges . Rewind to life 20 years ago, and Musser lived on a polygamist compound in southern Utah under the power of Warren Jeffs, a religious leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Before the deadline ever came, Musser fled the community in the middle of the night, leaving behind the only life she had ever known. Invite Rebecca to speak at your organization, conference, special event or womens group. With none of Jeffs underage wives being willing to turn against him, it was up to Musser once again reveal the dark secrets within the strict community during his sexual assault trial. It's one of the things I'm most proud of.". She empowers women around the world to escape from bondage in all its forms, because as she has said, "I was once owned, too." . Rebecca Musser was married to Rulon Jeffs, Warren Jeffs' father. I had no escape route and no time for a new plan. As for me, life is happy & whole today. Her younger years were spent in the heart of Salt Lake City and her family trees get complicated. Musser found herself at odds with her now-stepson Warren Jeffs once again after refusing to visit Rulon when he had summoned her for sexual relations. For the two days before the escape, I had attended every meal and class so it wouldn't occur to Warren that anything was different. One day, Cole insisted that I watch a movie calledThe Truman Show. In the Netflix series, Musser explains how her marriage to Rulon was considered a great honor for her entire family. Below, we cover details regarding his age, job, and his current wife. Rebecca Musser. RELATED:Who Killed A Former French Model Discovered Dead In Her Backyard Pool? I couldn't begin to think of how to live among the wicked, corrupt, ignorant, and unkind people of this world, as outsiders had been described to us since birth. One of the many wives of former FLDS leader Rulon Jeffs, Rebecca Musser, escaped the religious sect in 2002 after her polygamist husband's death. "The sorrow that you feel for the young girls, there are so many," Musser said. When she turned 19, she became the 19th wife of the church leader, Rulon Jeffs. Authorities then raided his temple at the YFZ ranch in Eldorado, Texas, in 2008, finding evidence of illegal underage marriages. Married at 19 to the 85-year-old Prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Rebecca Musser thought she was free after his death seven years lateruntil she was told she must remarry. Your login session has expired. Rebecca Musser, an author and activist, was once known as one of the 20 wives of Rulon Jeffs. I had just left everything and nearly everyone Id ever known, and so had he.. Today, Rebecca is a mother of two, a speaker, and a New York Times Best Selling author for her book, The Witness Wore Red. Many of Warren's brothers and several members of the God Squad were sent on a massive manhunt for us, scouring Colorado City, St. George, Cedar City, and environs. The Utah Supreme Court later overturned the conviction. He has 45 siblings in total. Rebecca spoke about Ben to MarieClaire, He had shown kindness to me, telling me not to be forced into doing anything I didnt want to do. This structure meant that women don't get the time, affection, and validation they so crave. I looked him square in the eyes and we both nodded slightly as if to say, we meet again, Musser recalled of taking the stand. Heres how it works. she wondered. In September 2002, Jeffs died at the age of 92 and it was at that time, that Musser decided to escape the FLDS Church with the help of Ben Musser, Rulon Jeffs grandson, after being told she had one week to choose a new husband. This weekend we shut off! The couple had two children, Natalie and Kyle, but soon got divorced. Throughout their marriage, she says she suffered abuse and n0n-consensual. Rebecca Musser was born into the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS Church). Jacob J. Musser. "I told (my mom and sisters) how much I loved them and that I hoped they would understand.". She even published a book titled The Witness Wore Red: The 19th Wife Who Brought Polygamous Cult Leaders to Justice, narrating the past abuse she faced. Follow along on Rebecca's journey on Instagram here. She is also known for being a wife of the late Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints prophet Rulon Jeffs and for her escape and involvement in legal proceedings after leaving the FLDS. In 2011 Jeffs, who counted a 12- and 15-year-old among his reported 80 wives, was convicted of sexual assault and aggravated sexual assault of a minor and is serving a life sentence plus 20 years in a Texas prison. "The (Netflix) producers would give us updates and I asked if they had a name yet, and she said, 'Oh, yes! Life in Idaho is what Musser always dreamed of. Enjoyed no service and no worries. Musser, who is now an activist, author, and divorced mother-of-two, has disclosed the horrific details of her past life on multiple occasions. We never learned this stuff! In August 2006, Warren Jeffs was arrested when the church's custom of getting minors married to older men came to light. son. See other celebrities, athletes, actors, singers, politicians with surname Musser. At the time, Ben was 19-year-old, and the grandson of her husband Rulon from one of Rebecca's sister-wives. After escaping from the FLDS community and finding freedom with her three children, Rebecca wrote an autobiography entitled The Witness Wore Red, which shared . Rebecca Musser (born in 1976) is an American author and activist who was the ex-wife of Rulon Jeffs, a prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, although she departed the church's complex before filing a lawsuit. She says she doesn't purposely lie or mislead people about her past but she will often skirt around small talk when it comes to growing up in Utah and relocating to Idaho. Life in the FLDS is sheltered. So, keep on scrolling to learn more about Ben Musser. She is featured in the Netflix hit, Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey. Readers' discretion is advised. Natalia Musser is the daughter of Rebecca Musser and her ex-husband, Tom Greene. Two weeks and countless applications later, we both got jobs at restaurants. FLDS Breakdown on Ex-members Husband and Former Spouse! He reportedly founded the company with his brother Wendell Musser. Her fears nearly came to fruition after she was caught kissing another man and Warren called her into his office, threatened her, and ordered her to be married in a weeks time. Every way that I examined it, it was neither healthy nor holy. "And I think certainly I'm a better parent because of the parents I had, and also the grace of having other people come into our lives to fill that space.". What would the Prophet have me do?" He was 85. He was 85 years old at the time. Marie Claire is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. . FMSPPL. He is currently living in Payette, Idaho. "As corny as those looked on film, those were some of our best moments that we had, and there was this warm sense of nostalgia of remembering where you belonged," Musser said. In the immortal words of Tully Hart, "Firefly Lane girls forever!". Born in July 1983, Ben Musser reached 38 years old in 2021. mother. Who Are FLDS Ex-Members Myrna And Lloyd Wall? New York Times Best Selling Author, Speaker & Advocate for Human Rights, Key witness in Warren Jeffs' prosecutions. In the fall of 2002, Musser recalls a conversation with Warren Jeffs, who was determined to remarry her to a new husband by the end of that week. Her fathers first wife didnt grow up around polygamy. So she escaped from her faith, family, and the only way of life she had ever known. She spoke highly of Ben in her book and on media. He was the eighth president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. A few years later, Lloyd married Sharon, Rebeccas mother, and her fathers second wife. Wall eventually left her husband and the FLDS community, too, and headed to Oregon to join her sister. From FLDS to Fruitland, Idaho, Rebecca Musser lives a life now that is worlds away from her past. Ben Musser saved Rebecca Mussers life from being abused and being assigned to or married to someone she wouldnt want to. The main character, Truman Burbank, was adopted as a baby by a television studio. But, eventually sending countless applications, after two weeks of escaping, they ended up getting a job at a restaurant which helped them support themselves. NFL Player Damar Hamlin in Critical Condition after Collapsing on Field, Legendary Designer Vivienne Westwood Dies Aged 81, 10 Female IAS Officers who can inspire us. Children Rebecca Musser has two children from Ben Musser. Reflecting on the moment, Ben and Rebecca were escaping from Utah to Las Vegas, she recalled: In the silence of the growing light, I stole furtive glances at Ben, whom I barely knew. Rebecca Musser was born into the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS Church). Once in Oregon, I was paralyzed by fear of the outside world. "The life and the choices she has compared to what that could have been," Musser said. dateline husband ben musser dr phil elissa wall realtor ex husband witness wore red flds husband now testimony. Musser claimed that she felt "scared" and had no control over the situation. When he died at the age of 92, he had 64 wives, and the new church leader (his son, Warren) told Rebecca that she had . Ben was 91 years old and lived a long, happy life.Ben was born on April 25, 1924 in Linton, India That is like this cage that just locks around someone and I can almost hear it and feel it click where there's no emotion, no honesty, only absolute obedience." The movie was a mirror of my own life. Contact us to schedule Rebecca as your next speaker! I had to pull him out of the chair because he couldnt walk by himself. Press Esc to cancel. Even though Rebecca Musser was only 19-year-old when she first got married her husband Rulon Jeffs was 85-year-old. This, as seen in the preview below, was troubling to. In the meantime, Ben and I needed to start earning money immediately. Musser realized that the reality, of course, was quite different, reports NPR. He was born to Rulon Jeffs and one of Rebeccas sister-wife. I kept thinking, This is what Im supposed to be in love with?'. The company also has a business page on, Meet Rebecca Musser Family: Husband, Daughter, Parents, Siblings. According to the article, the multiuse shed on their 13-acre property matches their main home. 7 years of adventures with Ben! Warren took it into his own hands to reassign his father's wives after his passing. How Does The Watcher Cast Stay Fit at the Age of 54. 4 Rebecca Musser Escaped In 2002. Musser doesn't hear those words very often anymore but the new docuseries showcases decades-old home videos and photos where the phrase was often front and center. Gossip Next Door 2023. The FLDS is a strict faction of fundamentalist . (Photo courtesy Rebecca Musser) Claims of a secret society within the already secretive FLDS. Rebecca Musser (ne Wall, formerly Jeffs; born 1976) is an American author and activist.She was a wife of the late Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints prophet Rulon Jeffs and escaped the compound before bringing legal proceedings against the church. POSTSCRIPT: Rebecca Musser, now 37, was the key state witness in the 2008 trials of Warren Jeffs and several FLDS leaders. So, keep on scrolling to learn more about Ben Musser. Whereas, Natalia is 14 years old in 2022. About Rebecca. Your email address will not be published. I scaled the tall fence that protected the Jeffs family from "outsiders and wicked apostates." Rebecca Musser is currently living in Idaho. Rebecca was born into another FLDS polygamist family in Colorado City, Arizona. FRUITLAND, Idaho Rebecca Musser lives a life now that is worlds away from her past. The church controls most aspects of its member's daily lives including how they dress, where they go, what they learn, and who they marry. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. However, he doesnt seem to be on Instagram. Months of righteous fasting for the failing health of my late husband, Rulon Jeffs, had played havoc on my body, but it was my spirit that felt broken. Musser watched much of the series with her daughter, really putting the experience into perspective. Alyson Bourne places dinner on a table rather than handing it directly to doctors Andrew Herzik, Bourne's husband, left, Ben Musser, center, and Craig Torres-Ness. Michael Moser. Rebecca Musser, a creator and lobbyist, was as quickly as typically generally known as considered one of many 20 spouses of Rulon Jeffs. But rejecting that blessing would have brought tremendous shame to my family. Prior to leaving, she shared a husband, Rulon, with more than 60 other women. 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