Note: We have edited the audio to remove the last name of the Community's inside attorney and the Busar mentioned in the podcast. To read the correspondence discussed, go to :8 Months | My Life During and After The Community of Jesus

Carrie Buddington responds to statements made about her departure from the Community of Jesus

After living inside the Community of Jesus for 40 years—including 20 years as a vowed sister—Carrie Buddington says she left with a small suitcase, a bus ticket to Boston, and $1,000.

In this episode, Carrie responds directly to comments made by attorney Jeff Robbins in a Cape Cod Times article by Denise Coffey published April 29, 2026. She reflects on the years leading up to her departure, repeated requests for a leave of absence that she says were denied, and the difficult process of rebuilding a life after decades inside a high-control religious environment.

The title of this episode, 8 Months, refers to the amount of time Carrie says it took to recover a single personal belonging: a cross-stitch piece she had made herself.

This is a conversation about autonomy, loss, survival, and what it means to rebuild a life after leaving with almost nothing — and, most of all, about refusing to remain silent in the face of narratives that do not share the full truth.🎧 Listen as we continue telling the story of The Cult on the Cape.