Rebecca Musser
{{Short description|American author and activist}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Rebecca Musser
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = Rebecca Wall
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|08|31}}
| birth_place = Hildale, Utah, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| spouse = {{unbulleted list|
- {{Marriage|Rulon Jeffs|1995|2002|end=d}}
- {{Marriage|Ben Musser|2004|end=div}}
}}
| other_names =
| occupation = Author and activist
| known_for = Involvement in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
| alma_mater = Alta Academy (Grades 2–12)
| relatives = Elissa Wall (sister)
}}
Rebecca Musser (née 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.
Early life, FLDS life, and first marriage
Rebecca Wall was born to Sharon Steed and Lloyd Wall, both of whom were members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) and had a polygamous family. At the time of her birth, Musser's father had two wives; his first wife was Myrna and his second was Sharon.{{cite news |last1=Aloian |first1=Addison |title=Rebecca Wall Musser Escaped The FLDS Church By Scaling A 6-Foot-High Gate |url=https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/rebecca-wall-musser-escaped-flds-211800791.html |access-date=June 13, 2022 |publisher=Women's Health |date=June 9, 2022}} Musser remembers her father being frustrated with only having two wives, as other men in the religion had many more.{{cite news |last1=Bruney |first1=Gabrielle |title='Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey' Examines a Polygamist Cult Through the Eyes of Women Who Escaped |url=https://jezebel.com/keep-sweet-obey-and-prey-examines-a-polygamist-cult-th-1849025225 |access-date=June 13, 2022 |publisher=Jezebel |date=June 6, 2022}}
Lloyd had nine children with Myrna and 14 with Sharon. As Sharon was the second wife, she was lower in rank than Myrna; Sharon and her children lived in the family's basement while Myrna and her children lived upstairs.{{cite news |last1=Vanapalli |first1=Viswa |title=Rebecca Wall Now: Where is Rulon Jeffs' Ex-Wife Today? |url=https://thecinemaholic.com/rebecca-wall-now-where-is-rulon-jeffs-ex-wife-today/ |access-date=June 13, 2022 |publisher=The Cinemaholic |date=June 7, 2022}} One of Musser’s sisters is Elissa, author of the memoir Stolen Innocence, an account of her own escape from the church. Musser is mentioned in the book, including her reaction to the fact that Elissa had to marry their cousin at age 14.{{cite book|last=Wall|first=Elissa|title=Stolen Innocence|year=2008|publisher=William Morrow|isbn=978-0-06-162801-6|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/stoleninnocencem00wall}} At around age five, Musser was the victim of sexual abuse along with some of her sisters by an upstairs half-brother. She stated that when Myrna found out about the abuse Musser was "threatened" and did not tell anyone again until she was an adult.
Musser recounts her experience in the FLDS being extremely regimented, stating, "They didn't let us work, they didn't let us go to school. Our sole purpose was to be in religious prayer and to be obedient, adoring."{{cite news |last1=Ridley |first1=Jane |title=An 85-year-old cult leader forced teens to have sex with him. Now the women are telling their stories. |url=https://www.insider.com/netflix-documentary-keep-sweet-pray-obey-polygamy-cult-teenagers-2022-6 |access-date=June 13, 2022 |publisher=Business Insider |date=June 9, 2022}} When she turned 19, she became the 19th bride of Rulon Jeffs after he received "divine inspiration" that she was to be his new wife. Rulon was 85 at the time.{{cite news |last1=Witter |first1=Brad |title=Several Of Rulon Jeffs' Former Wives Speak Out In A New Netflix True-Crime Series |url=https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/rulon-jeffs-wives-in-keep-sweet-pray-and-obey |access-date=June 13, 2022 |publisher=Bustle |date=June 8, 2022}} Musser stated, "I was scared, I was terrified of marrying this man, and yet I could not say no because it would bring a tremendous amount of shame on my family." After Musser was given to Rulon by her father Lloyd, Lloyd was "gifted a third wife" by Rulon. Musser endured years of sexual abuse by Jeffs until his death in 2002 at age 92. By that time, 63 other women were her "sister-wives", a designation given to the polygamous wives of one man in the FLDS.{{cite web|last=Barney|first=Kevin|title=Sister-Wives|date=June 10, 2007|url=http://bycommonconsent.com/2007/06/10/sister-wives/|publisher=By Common Consent|accessdate=April 10, 2013|archive-date=March 13, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090313012718/http://bycommonconsent.com/2007/06/10/sister-wives/|url-status=live}} After Jeffs' death, Musser was told by Jeffs' son and new church leader Warren Jeffs that she needed to remarry. Warren threatened her with her life if she did not obey.{{cite news|title=Testified Against FLDS Leader Warren Jeffs, Advocate for Victims of Human Trafficking|url=http://www.hachettespeakersbureau.com/RebeccaMusser|accessdate=September 14, 2013|newspaper=Hachette Speakers Bureau|archive-date=September 9, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130909044914/http://www.hachettespeakersbureau.com/RebeccaMusser|url-status=live}} Musser was able to escape the compound by scaling a wall which surrounded the house and slipping past Jeffs' armed guards. After her escape, Musser traveled to Oregon to live with her brother.{{cite web| url = http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20739362,00.html| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140108013355/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20739362,00.html| archive-date = January 8, 2014| title = Rebecca Musser: Escape from Polygamy - Real People Stories : People.com}}
Testifying against Warren Jeffs and media exposure
Musser testified against Warren Jeffs a total of 20 times and helped prosecutors to win 11 convictions against him. During one of the days testifying for the trial, she showed up in a sleeveless red dress. This was significant because the color red had previously been banned by Jeffs for all church members.{{cite news|last=Weber|first=Paul J.|title=Warren Jeffs Trial: Polygamist Leader Ruled With Heavy Hand, Witnesses Say|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/06/warren-jeffs-trial-polyga_n_920325.html|newspaper=Huffington Post|date=September 14, 2013|access-date=September 14, 2013|archive-date=February 22, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222214817/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/06/warren-jeffs-trial-polyga_n_920325.html|url-status=live}} Author Debra Weyermann stated, "As the wife of a former prophet, Rebecca had credibility compounded by her collected, steady, and unflappable demeanor in the witness box."{{cite book |last1=Weyermann |first1=Debra |title=Answer Them Nothing: Bringing Down the Polygamous Empire of Warren Jeffs |date=2011 |publisher=Chicago Review Press |isbn=978-1569769157 |page=321}} After testifying, Musser made headlines in the New York Daily News,{{cite news|last=Mandell|first=Nina|title=Rebecca Musser, former polygamist sect wife, speaks out|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/rebecca-musser-polygamist-sect-wife-speaks-article-1.1061337|accessdate=2013-09-14|newspaper=New York Daily News|date=April 4, 2013|archive-date=2013-05-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522151003/http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/rebecca-musser-polygamist-sect-wife-speaks-article-1.1061337|url-status=live}} AOL,{{cite web|title=Former Plural Wife of FLDS Prophet Speaks Out|url=http://on.aol.com/video/former-plural-wife-of-flds-prophet-speaks-out-517933170?hp=1&playlist=127167|publisher=AOL Entertainment|accessdate=September 14, 2013|archive-date=September 14, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130914000328/http://on.aol.com/video/former-plural-wife-of-flds-prophet-speaks-out-517933170?hp=1&playlist=127167|url-status=live}} and Marie Claire{{cite web|title=How I Fled a Life of Polygamy|date=August 20, 2013|url=http://www.marieclaire.com/world-reports/inspirational-women/how-i-fled-a-life-of-polygamy|publisher=Marie Claire|accessdate=2013-08-20|archive-date=2013-08-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130823040312/http://www.marieclaire.com/world-reports/inspirational-women/how-i-fled-a-life-of-polygamy|url-status=live}} among others.
In 2013 Musser wrote the memoir The Witness Wore Red: The 19th Wife Who Brought Polygamous Cult Leaders to Justice along with author M. Bridget Cook, which was released by Grand Central Publishing.{{cite book|last=Musser|first=Rebecca|title=The Witness Wore Red: The 19th Wife Who Brought Polygamous Cult Leaders to Justice|year=2013|publisher=Grand Central Publishing|isbn=978-1455527854}} The title referenced when Musser wore her red dress to Jeffs' trial. The book received a positive welcome from The Today Show and was featured in their 'Today Books' section.{{cite web|title=Author emancipates herself from a polygamous cult in 'The Witness Wore Red'|date=12 September 2013 |url=http://www.today.com/books/author-emancipates-herself-polygamous-cult-witness-wore-red-8C11137865|publisher=The Today Show|accessdate=September 14, 2013|archive-date=September 13, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130913150257/http://www.today.com/books/author-emancipates-herself-polygamous-cult-witness-wore-red-8C11137865|url-status=live}} The Witness Wore Red was also featured on NPR,{{cite news|author=NPR Staff|title='The Witness Wore Red': A Polygamist's Wife Finds A New Life|newspaper=NPR.org|url=https://www.npr.org/2013/09/14/221790096/the-witness-wore-red-a-polygamists-wife-finds-a-new-life|publisher=National Public Radio|accessdate=September 18, 2013|archive-date=September 18, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130918102547/http://www.npr.org/2013/09/14/221790096/the-witness-wore-red-a-polygamists-wife-finds-a-new-life|url-status=live}} Secular News Daily,{{cite web|title=Interview: Rebecca Musser, Author Of 'The Witness Wore Red'|url=http://www.secularnewsdaily.com/2013/09/interview-rebecca-musser-author-of-the-witness-wore-red/|publisher=Secular Coalition For America|accessdate=2013-09-18|archive-date=2013-09-18|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130918154338/http://www.secularnewsdaily.com/2013/09/interview-rebecca-musser-author-of-the-witness-wore-red/|url-status=live}} and others. Publishers Weekly called the memoir a "harrowing account" of FLDS life.{{cite web|title=The Witness Wore Red: The 19th Wife Who Brought Polygamous Cult Leaders to Justice|url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-4555-2785-4|publisher=Publishers Weekly|accessdate=September 18, 2013|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304215500/http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-4555-2785-4|url-status=live}}
Musser is a member of Sheroes United, a non-profit organization that embraces female role models in communities. Musser is featured as a Shero on their website with a biography focusing on life after leaving the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.{{cite web|title=Rebecca Musser|url=http://www.sheroesunited.org/Rebecca-Musser-Storyline.html|publisher=SHEROES United|accessdate=2013-09-14|archive-date=2013-09-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928052549/http://www.sheroesunited.org/Rebecca-Musser-Storyline.html|url-status=live}} She has also founded the non-profit organization ClaimRED, an organization dedicated to those who have become victims of human trafficking.
Actress Sabina Gadecki portrays Musser in the 2014 film Outlaw Prophet: Warren Jeffs. Musser recounts her experiences in the 2022 Netflix documentary Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, directed by Rachel Dretzin.
Post-FLDS family life
Bibliography
- {{Cite book |first1=Rebecca |last1=Musser|first2=M. Bridget|last2=Cook |year=2013 |title=The Witness Wore Red: The 19th Wife Who Brought Polygamous Cult Leaders to Justice |publisher=Grand Central Publishing|isbn=978-1455527854}}
Filmography
| class="wikitable"
|+ Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Piers Morgan Live | ! rowspan=4| Self | Episode: "Starbucks and Guns" |
| 2013 | Inside Edition | Episode: "Caught on Tape" | |
| 2020 | Dateline NBC | Episode: "Unbreakable" | |
| 2022 | Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey | Documentary series |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5957990/ Rebecca Musser] at IMDb
{{Portal|Biography|Latter-day Saints}}{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Musser, Rebecca}}
Category:American Latter Day Saint writers
Category:Former Latter Day Saints
Category:Former members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Category:American women memoirists
Category:People from Washington County, Utah