Max Docuseries ‘Teen Torture, Inc.’ Exposes Abusive Troubled Teen Industry

Socialite-turned-businesswoman Paris Hilton made waves in late June when she testified before the House Ways and Means Committee about the harrowing abuse she endured at the Provo School for troubled teens. Hilton’s testimony, detailing how she was abused and “force-fed pills” at the age of 16, sheds light on a deeply personal yet politically significant issue. Over the past five years, Hilton has emerged as a prominent advocate against the billion-dollar troubled teen industry. Her story is prominently featured in the new documentary by filmmaker Tara Malone, which is currently trending on Max.

For Malone, who spoke by phone with The Hollywood Reporter as her series gained traction, Hilton’s involvement serves as a powerful catalyst for the movement. Her three-part series, Teen Torture, Inc., weaves together survival stories spanning generations and various youth facilities across the U.S. These facilities entice parents with misleading advertisements, only to subject truly troubled or often not-troubled-at-all teens to “scared straight” tactics involving verbal assaults and systemic abuse reminiscent of the Stanford Prison Experiment.

The documentary also follows the financial trail, revealing how some of these abusive and unlicensed facilities are linked to prominent U.S. business interests and politics. Notably, Mitt Romney and his firm, Bain Capital, acquired the Aspen Education Group, which was part of Romney’s preparation for a presidential bid. This acquisition highlights the intricate web of financial and political interests sustaining this controversial industry.

“It was always important for us that the audience understands what really makes this tick,” Malone said. “Because it is such a complicated, layered web of an industry, and to understand why our survivors mobilize the way they do, and why people react the way they do, we wanted them to be able to untangle it — and that is no easy feat.”

Among the dark and disturbing stories featured in Teen Torture, Inc. are those of Danielle Peskowitz Bregoli, better known as rapper Bhad Bhabie, and reporter Evan Ross. Bregoli gained viral fame after her appearance on Dr. Phil in 2016, where she infamously told the audience to “cash me outside.” On the show, she learned that her mother had decided to send her to Turn-About Ranch in Utah for six months. Barbara Ann Bregoli, at her wits’ end, turned to Dr. Phil McGraw, who has been a significant proponent of the troubled teen industry. McGraw later claimed he was unaware of the abuse Bregoli would face, such as being forced to sit still for three days without sleep.

“I am most driven by first-person storytelling and survivor-based storytelling,” Malone said. “It was important for us to make sure that we had multiple generations of this, in terms of the voices that we had covered. Because this is not a new problem. It’s been going on for decades, but it is also very current. There’s not one type of teenager that this happens to, whether that’s about the economics, race, or where they live.”

One survivor, Wright, entered a notorious facility called The Seed at age 13 after being expelled from school for selling marijuana. The rehabilitation methods at The Seed have been compared to North Korean brainwashing techniques and the Synanon cult. Here, subjects were subjected to what is known as “attack therapy,” involving prolonged verbal abuse and humiliation.

At The Seed, privacy was entirely stripped away. Wright described being held while urinating and defecating, made to stay silent for days, and forced to pledge loyalty to an apocalyptic vision for America. The National Institute of Mental Health funded The Seed, and the only way to escape was to feign compliance, Wright revealed in an interview with the filmmakers.

The Seed closed in 2001, but its legacy continued through Straight, Inc., another facility following its model. The lasting legacy of these facilities is evident in the high rate of suicides among those who attended and later struggled with post-traumatic stress and anxiety. Tragically, Wright himself became part of this legacy when he was found dead in his Los Angeles home on July 12, a suicide by firearm.

Executive producer Julian P. Hobbs, principal at Talos Films, along with Elli Hakami, expressed that Wright was not just a crucial part of the documentary but also a good friend. Wright was instrumental in drawing connections between different people, organizations, and power structures, earning him a co-executive producer credit on the film.

The filmmakers acknowledged the significant emotional toll that discussing such traumatic experiences can take on survivors. As such, they stressed the importance of support and setting clear expectations during the interview process.

“There was a lot of making sure that we were clear about what they needed out of the film, and what their expectations were,” Malone said. “It’s tough for people to come out and speak their truth,” she added, recognizing these conversations as invaluable gifts.

Teen Torture, Inc. is the second documentary in recent times to delve into the troubled teen industry, joining the Netflix feature The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping in exploring the issue and urging change. Some progress has been made, such as the Missouri House Bill passed in 2021 that mandates background checks for staffers and volunteers at child residential homes.

However, these facilities often relocate to evade legal repercussions, moving across borders when shunned by courts. Despite these challenges, Malone remains hopeful for change.

“There’s a financial incentive to keep [the industry] going, backed by powerful supporters in Washington, D.C., who ideologically align with it,” she said. “Change is a difficult process, but it’s beginning to happen.”

Source: Hollywood Reporter, Max