Twin Flames Universe Took My Niece: Cheryl Tuppa Speaks Out
A Little Bit Culty
Sarah Edmondson & Anthony “Nippy” Ames
4.6 • 2.7K Ratings
🗓️ 22 December 2025
⏱️ 67 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode, Cheryl Tuppa joins the pod to tell the story of her niece Briana’s seven-year entanglement with Twin Flames Universe—from a late-night Google search about soulmates to a full-blown high-control group that nearly swallowed her life and savings. A longtime cybersecurity specialist, Cheryl walks us through how a close, resourceful New England family still missed key early signs, then organized “Team Briana” behind the scenes, contacting ex-members, law enforcement, journalists, and cult consultants (Sarah included), and ultimately helped Briana escape and rebuild her life. We get into money, “divine dish” food control, the pressure to stalk “twin flames,” Jeff and Shaleia’s role in mass gender transitions and the Mind Alignment Program, recent FBI action against the group, and why being a “safe place to land” may be the single most important thing loved ones can do.
We also mention therapist and cult specialist Rachel Bernstein, who worked with Briana and has been a guest on our show. Also check out our previous episodes with ex-Twin Flames Universe member Keely Griffin and journalist Alice Hines, who both helped expose the group’s abuses and digital reach.
And for creative arts therapy approaches, look up clinical psychologist Jennifer French.
Be sure to follow Cheryl’s YouTube channel and join her mission to expose cults and other high control groups.
Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of gender transition under high-pressure conditions, and disordered eating and food control.
Also…let it be known that:
The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.
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CREDITS:
Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This holiday season has already been a little bit stressful. We went away for Thanksgiving and I had to go back to Vancouver for a last-minute family thing. And between that travel and figuring out what my kids want for Christmas and hosting and holiday band concerts and last-minute plans, let's be honest, money stress. It's really easy to lose track of where your cash is actually going. That's why we've been using Monarch. Rated Wall Street Journal's best budgeting app of 2025, Monarch is an all-in-one |
| 0:25.6 | personal finance tool that brings your entire financial life together in a clean dashboard on your |
| 0:30.4 | phone or laptop. Right now, I'm keeping an eye on our holiday spending category so we don't start |
| 0:35.2 | the new year with a debt hangover. Monarch lets you link |
| 0:38.1 | everything, checking, investments, retirement, even property value so you can see your true net worth |
| 0:42.5 | and stay on top of your year-end priorities. Nippy and I use it for quick weekly money check-ins, |
| 0:47.6 | which has made financial conversations way easier and far less stressful. Thank you, Monarch. |
| 0:53.0 | Ignoring your finances completely can get expensive fast. |
| 0:56.1 | If you don't pay attention, you might miss chances to save more, invest smarter, or move closer to big |
| 1:00.1 | goals. One of ours is buying a home in the next year, so we got to get on top of it. And Monarch keeps you |
| 1:05.3 | informed, even in the chaos of the holidays. Don't let financial opportunities slip through the cracks. |
| 1:10.2 | Use code culty at monarch.com |
| 1:11.9 | in your browser for half off your first year. That's 50% off your first year at monarch.com |
| 1:17.3 | with code culty. Happy holidays. This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be |
| 1:23.1 | considered legal, medical, or mental health advice. The views and opinions express do not |
| 1:27.4 | necessarily reflect the official policy apposition of the podcast and are not intended to considered legal, medical, or mental health advice. The views and opinions expressed do not necessarily |
| 1:27.9 | reflect the official policy or position of the podcast and are not intended to malign any religion, |
| 1:32.7 | group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone, or anything. |
| 1:36.8 | I'm Sarah Edmondson. |
| 1:48.1 | And I'm Anthony Nippy Ames, and this is a little bit culty. |
| 1:50.9 | We woke up from a cult, and that journey was captured in The Vow on HBO and in my memoir, Scarred. |
| 1:56.3 | Now, in this podcast, we break down the shame and secrets that make these experiences so destructive with |
... |
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