In 1990, when Katherine was just two years old, her mother tragically passed away from breast cancer, leaving behind her, her older sisters, and her father, Ken. This event completely transformed Katherine’s life. The Programme: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping, a Netflix documentary, claims that Katherine, who was enrolled in the programme for 15 months by her abusive stepmother and father, is a survivor of a violent cult. In the course of the documentary series, Katherine and other victims she assisted pay a visit to the long-abandoned Academy at Ivy Ridge and relive the abuse incidents perpetrated by their purported guardians.
Katherine was taken to the Academy at Ivy Ridge, an institution that was little more than a prison for teenagers whose parents believed them to be dangerous, challenging, or too vulnerable. After all, the administration referred to the students as “units,” and they had to strictly adhere to a set of regulations in order to graduate and reach “level six,” even though their credential was useless elsewhere. These regulations prohibited talking to anyone without permission at all, peering out of doors or windows, making eye contact with people of the opposite gender, touching other students, turning corners while keeping a military-style structure, and sleeping with their arms outstretched, as if they were on suicide watch.
When someone did indicate a wish to leave or how unhappy they were, staff would just edit out points to convince loved ones that their child was being manipulative in order to prolong their stay. Regarding education, it didn’t exist because the school didn’t have any qualified teachers; instead, it just had computers and a level system that gave students at levels 4-6 access to certain privileges like seeing parents. Other than that, “units” attended a monthly class where they were practically brainwashed through weariness, and one fun day each year.
Despite living in Los Angeles, California, with her devoted husband, Kyle Kubler, Katherine still maintains a close relationship with her father and sisters. Many people are unaware, however, that the latter is also her business partner. Together, they co-founded the Tiny Dino creative agency in 2016, and she was the marketing intern who later became a William Morris Endeavour editor and a Paramount Pictures film and TV properties specialist.
