# Mark Vicente

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**Mark Vicente** (born 1965) is a South African filmmaker. He is best known as a co-director of the 2004 film *[What the Bleep Do We Know!?](/source/What_the_Bleep_Do_We_Know!%3F)* and for his involvement in—and subsequent [whistleblowing](/source/Whistleblowing) against—[NXIVM](/source/NXIVM), an organization whose activities were widely reported in international media and examined in the [HBO](/source/HBO) documentary series *[The Vow](/source/The_Vow_(TV_series))*.[1]

## Early life and career

Mark Vicente was born in [South Africa](/source/South_Africa) in 1965. He began his career working in film production, including roles in cinematography and camera operation, before moving into directing and producing.[2]

## Filmmaking

Vicente co-directed, co-wrote, and co-produced the 2004 independent film *[What the Bleep Do We Know!?](/source/What_the_Bleep_Do_We_Know!%3F)*, which combined narrative storytelling with interviews and explored themes related to [quantum physics](/source/Quantum_mechanics) and spirituality.[3][4] The film achieved commercial success as an independent production but drew criticism for promoting [pseudoscientific](/source/Pseudoscience) ideas.[3][4]

## NXIVM

Vicente became involved with [NXIVM](/source/NXIVM), a self-help organization led by [Keith Raniere](/source/Keith_Raniere), in the mid-2000s.[3][1] He rose to a senior position within the organization and worked closely with its leadership, producing promotional videos and recruiting members.[5]

He left NXIVM in 2017 after becoming aware of allegations of abuse within the group.[6][7] Vicente later became a key witness for the prosecution in the 2019 federal trial of Raniere.[8][9]

During his testimony, Vicente described the internal structure of the organization and alleged abuses, including coercive practices involving female members.[8][10][11]

## *The Vow*

Vicente is a central figure in the [HBO](/source/HBO) documentary series *[The Vow](/source/The_Vow_(TV_series))* (2020), which chronicles NXIVM and the experiences of former members.[12][5] The series follows Vicente and others as they document their involvement in NXIVM and their efforts to expose the organization.[12][1]

Reviewing the series, several publications noted Vicente's central role in documenting the group's internal culture and eventual collapse.[5][7]

## Personal life

Vicente is married to actress [Bonnie Piesse](/source/Bonnie_Piesse), who was also involved in NXIVM before leaving the organization.[6][7]

## References

1. Gardner, Chris (September 18, 2020). ["'The Vow' Star Mark Vicente on the Horror of NXIVM: "I Was in a Cult""](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/the-vow-star-mark-vicente-on-the-horror-of-nxivm-4066759/). *[The Hollywood Reporter](/source/The_Hollywood_Reporter)*

1. McGrath, Mary Kate (September 16, 2020). ["Mark Vicente From The Vow Is Writing A Book About His NXIVM Experience"](https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/mark-vicente-the-vow-documentary-book-everything-else-to-know). *[Bustle](/source/Bustle_(magazine))*

1. ["HBO’s NXIVM Docuseries The Vow Reveals the Heartbreaking Truth Behind the ‘Sex Cult’ Headlines"](https://time.com/5880876/the-vow-hbo-nxivm/). *[Time Magazine](/source/Time_Magazine)*. August 23, 2020.

1. Zoladz, Lindsay (October 19, 2020). ["Looking Back at Mark Vicente’s What the Bleep Do We Know!?"](https://www.vulture.com/2020/10/looking-back-at-mark-vicentes-what-the-usd-do-we-k-now.html). *[Vulture](/source/Vulture_(website))*

1. Heller, Emily St. James (16 October 2020). ["'The Vow' revisits the NXIVM nightmare through the eyes of former believers"](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2020-10-16/the-vow-hbo-nxivm-sarah-edmondson-mark-vicente). *[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)*

1. ["This is about abuses of power: the shocking true story of the Nxivm cult"](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/sep/02/the-vow-nxivumcult-hbo-docuseries). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. September 2, 2020.

1. Harris, Margaret (September 14, 2020). ["Where Are Mark Vicente and Bonnie Piesse From The Vow Now?"](https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a33810813/nxivm-mark-vicente-bonnie-piesse-the-vow-today-now/). *[Esquire](/source/Esquire_(magazine))*

1. ["Nxivm trial: alleged sex cult leader tried to 'break' female followers, says witness"](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/13/nxivm-trial-keith-raniere-mark-vicente-testimony). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. May 13, 2019.

1. Moynihan, Colin (9 May 2019). ["Former Sex Cult Official Describes Its 'Evil' Inner Workings"](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/09/nyregion/nxivm-cult-trial.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. Retrieved 10 May 2026.

1. Georgantopoulos, Mary Ann (May 9, 2019). ["An NXIVM Whistleblower Broke Down On The Stand Describing Keith Raniere's Group As "Horrible And Evil""](https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/maryanngeorgantopoulos/nxivm-whistleblower-testifies-raniere-mark-vicente). *[BuzzFeed News](/source/BuzzFeed_News)*

1. ["Mark Vicente has meltdown in NXIVM trial, calls cult ‘horrible evil’"](https://nypost.com/2019/05/09/mark-vicente-has-meltdown-in-nxivm-trial-calls-cult-horrible-evil/). *[New York Post](/source/New_York_Post)*. May 9, 2019.

1. ["HBO's The Vow Proves NXIVM Is More Than a "Sex Cult""](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/08/nxivm-cult-hbo-the-vow-documentary). *[Vanity Fair](/source/Vanity_Fair_(magazine))*. August 2020.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mark Vicente](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Vicente) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Vicente?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.