“Tyler Perry’s Ruthless” is on its fifth season of madness. In case you’ve been living under a rock, “Ruthless” centers around the main character, Ruth, who is a member of the notorious Rakadushi cult. At one point, she thought it was a good idea to kidnap her daughter, Callie, and bring her to The Highest, the murderous, sex-crazed, psychotic, drug addict, who leads the dysfunctional and murderous cult. We watched Callie's initial kidnapping unfold in the first couple of episodes of “The Oval.” 

At some point, Ruth got enough sense to realize that she should probably get herself and her daughter out of that situation but it hasn’t been easy. Five seasons later, Ruth is still trying to escape, and we’ve witnessed terrible horrors, some likely inspired by real-life cults. For example, there have been moments when someone mentioned that if the feds got too close to raiding, then they’d consume a drink that would take them all out. That draws inspiration from the Jonestown Massacre, which happened in 1978. In that event, cult members killed themselves by drinking a powdered drink. It’s one of the most popular cult lores in pop culture, but there are other instances in “Ruthless” that are inspired by real-life cults. Here are five examples of real-life influence on “Ruthless.” 

Nuwaubian Nation 

Malachi York founded the Nuwaubian Nation in the early 70s. Their belief system mixes ideologies from Egyptology, Christianity, and Islam with a belief in aliens and Black supremacy. It was located in New York City and then in parts of Georgia. It is alleged that York took advantage of his flock by sexually abusing children and conning adults out of valuable items. In April 2004, York was sentenced to 135 years in prison for child molestation, racketeering, and more. 

Value Creators 

The Value Creators was also known as the United Nation of Islam. It’s an offshoot of the Nation of Islam founded by Royall Jenkins in the late 70s, and based in Kansas City. Jenkins believed himself to be “The Supreme Being,” who was abducted by angels who showed him how to properly rule on Earth. He believed that Black men were god, Black women were created for men’s pleasure, and that white men were created by a mischievous scientist named Yakub. Like most, if not all, cult leaders, Jenkins had several wives. The can of worms burst open in 2017 when a woman filed a lawsuit against UNOI for forcing her to work for several businesses without pay. Several of its leaders were eventually arrested, including Jenkins, and accused of a variety of forced child labor, entrapment, child molestation, human trafficking, starving members, forcing colonics, and more. Jenkins died in prison in 2021. 

House of Evil/Sisters of Mercy

Vernon LeGrand fancied himself a preacher and was at the center of a home in Brooklyn, New York, once known as the House of Evil. Throughout the 60s, it was also known as “the Phony Nun House,” where several women, known as “Sisters of Mercy,” were forced to dress up as nuns and set up charity boxes on the streets, pretending to raise money for churches. Many of those women were abused and tortured inside the townhouse commune located at 222 Brooklyn Avenue. LeGrand fathered at least 50 children, some of whom were kept in cages, according to witness testimonies, and is accused of murdering several women. LeGrand went to jail in the mid-70s for killing three women. There are about 20 women who have gone missing after joining the compound, with their disappearances going unsolved. The house eventually burned down under mysterious circumstances, and many people in the neighborhood were relieved. 

Nation of Yahweh 

Yahweh Ben Yahweh was the leader of the Florida-based Nation of Yahweh, an organization described as a Black separatist and Black supremacist movement. Yahweh had thousands of followers who believed his teachings that “white devils” had temporary rule over Black people. At its core, there was racketeering, abuse, and extortion going on. Yahweh got caught up in the 90s when the feds indicted him on RICO charges and conspiracy to commit murder. 

Carbon Nation 

Nature Boy, born Eligio Bishop, was the leader of Carbon Nation, an Atlanta-based group that was said to believe in nature, holistic healing, and nudity. They hid their dysfunction, which included rape, false imprisonment, and other abuse, behind the veil of spiritual enlightenment. Bishop was arrested in 2022 after former collective members came forward with chilling accounts of misconduct. Bishop was eventually convicted on several counts of rape and sentenced to life in prison without parole.