Tyler Hilton once found himself in a situation where he tried to pursue a relationship with his former One Tree Hill co-star Bethany Joy Lenz, but her involvement in a “high control group” (which she and others later referred to as a “cult”) created a barrier.
At a concert in Portland on November 18, Hilton, 40, reflected on Lenz’s revelation in her new memoir, Dinner for Vampires, about her experiences with the religious group, and how it impacted their connection.
In footage shared on TikTok, Hilton recalled, “The book talked a lot about personal stuff and I went through a lot of that with her.” He explained that despite not being encouraged to socialize off-set, they grew close and developed a strong friendship. “Bethany and I weren’t really supposed to be hanging together on the show, but off set we became really good friends and started becoming close.”
Bethany Joy Lenz’s memoir reveals how a cult affected her bond with Tyler Hilton
As they spent more time together outside of work, Hilton and Lenz, who portrayed Chris and Haley on the show, began to bond over music. “We started writing songs together and eventually, we started to catch feelings for real,” Hilton remembered.
As their connection deepened, Hilton described how they began having “so many beautiful, deep conversations about religion and stuff,” and how, at times, he would get “cult vibes.” Still, he was so drawn to Lenz that he shrugged it off, saying, “I don’t care about that s—. Yeah, that’s no big deal, I’ve dated tons of girls [in cults].”
When it came to their relationship, Lenz allegedly had one condition: her cult had to approve of Hilton. Hilton was put to the test when the group “sussed me out” at a concert in Portland. “They were like, ‘Yeah, he’s not the vibe,’” Hilton laughed. “And she was like, ‘Yeah, the cult said no.’”
Hilton, taken aback by the rejection, admitted, “I’d never been broken up with by [a] cult before. That was the first time.” In her memoir, Lenz opened up about how her faith and the cult affected her romantic relationships, revealing how her relationship with Hilton fizzled after he discovered the truth.
“Tyler and I took up together like two kids in a potato sack race,” Lenz wrote, describing the initial stages of their connection. While she had developed strong feelings for him, the situation took a turn when Hilton grew suspicious of her involvement with the religious group.
As their tour continued, Lenz noted, “Tyler seemed to want more space away from me.” She was confused until one night, when Hilton called her in her hotel room. Hilton’s tour manager had caught wind of rumors about Lenz’s association with the cult, prompting Hilton to confront her directly. Although Lenz denied being in a cult at the time, the revelation changed their dynamic.
“Tyler always treated me normally from then forward, but I hated having it hang over me,” Lenz confessed. “He had become a good friend, crush or no crush, and it hurt to have people keep distancing themselves from me.”
