Joaquin Phoenix was born on October 28, 1974, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Prior to his career on screen, he grew up with his parents and siblings in the Children of God cult in the 1970s. According to The Mirror, his parents, John and Arlyn Bottom, were already members of the Children of God when he was born, which led them to travel around as missionaries before settling in Caracas, Venezuela. As a child, Phoenix often spent time with other children in the cult or sang songs in the street in exchange for food, per Daily News.
Children of God itself was based around Christianity but took its own liberties in establishing new rules and belief systems. As reported by Esquire, the organization’s leader, David Brandt Berg, implemented a new recruiting system called “flirty fishing” in which women members would have sex with outsiders as a means to entice them to join the cult. It was around this time that Phoenix’s parents received a letter detailing the new practice, which turned them off and motivated them to flee.
Reflecting on his parent’s initial decision to join the cult, the “Joker” actor told Vanity Fair, “I think they were idealists, and believed that they were with a group who shared their beliefs, and their values. I think they probably were looking for safety and family.” After leaving Venezuela, the family moved to Florida and once again to Los Angeles, where Phoenix’s career would start to take off.
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