Sharon Gans Horn

(1935-2021)

Gans, and her late husband Alex Horn, founded and operated a "school" of the Fourth Way which some former students have asserted is actually a cult but which Gans has vehemently disputed. December 1978, Gans and Horn operated a theatre company in SF where members accused Gans and Horn of brainwashing and violence. One former member of their group in NY, recounted specific allegations of public humiliation, forced labor, private adoptions, and ostracizing of former members.

In 2002, Jeannette Walls reported that Gans, who starred in the documentary film Artists and Orphans: A True Drama which had just been nominated for an Academy Award, had come under fire for various controversial practices, including attempts to force gay men to change their sexual orientation. Gans died on January 22, 2021.

Following her death, a class action was filed against her Estate and several others in New York Supreme Court claiming, among other things, that the plaintiffs were duped into becoming unpaid servants of Gans.

According to news reports, the Gans Group continues to operate even after her death. [cited Wikipedia]