Heaven's Gate Cult Survivor Speaks Out 25 Years After Group's Mass Suicide

This month marks the 25th anniversary of the Heaven's Gate mass suicide. Thirty-nine members of the bizarre cult led by Marshall Applewhite all took their own lives, making it one of the largest mass suicides in U.S. history.

After a quarter-century, one survivor who got out before it was too late is speaking out for the first time in an upcoming interview.

Jana Gibbons was a vulnerable 16-year-old girl when she moved into the mansion. She lived there for five years, and is now talking to ABC’s Diane Sawyer.

“My guess is three-quarters of the people never set foot outside the door, and I was one of them — ever. And there probably wasn't even any open windows. It was like a little spaceship,” Gibbons said.

Newly released home video shows inside the cult, where every minute was controlled, including when and how they slept, how long they showered and rules about not talking.

Gibbons says she went for years without speaking. Finally, she was permitted to find work as a waitress.

“Luckily we did start restaurant jobs at the very end, because I hadn’t spoken probably in four years,” Gibbons said.

That taste of freedom convinced Gibbons it was time to escape. 

Giddy farewell videos were recorded by the cultists, knowing they were about to commit mass suicide. They were brainwashed into believing they were all about to board an alien spaceship that would transport them to a higher level of existence.

Among the dead was the brother of “Star Trek” legend Nichelle Nichols.

“Most people, if put into the right circumstance, will tend to conform,” says professor of religious studies Dr. Lorne Dawson in the upcoming special.

“The Cult Next Door: The Mystery and Madness of Heaven's Gate” airs tonight on ABC's "20/20" at 9:00 p.m. and beings streaming Saturday on Hulu.

Related Stories