Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Woman Claims She Was 'Deprogrammed' Back Into Being A Republican After College 'Brainwashed' Her

Fox News screenshot of Tucker Carlson and Annabella Rockwell
Fox News

Annabella Rockwell of Prager U claimed college left her 'sad' and 'anxious' until her mom hired a 'cult deprogrammer'.

During an interview on Fox News, pharmaceutical heir Annabella Rockwell claimed she fell victim to "wokeism" while in college and her mother hired a "cult deprogrammer" to bring her back into the Republican fold.

Rockwell—who works for nonprofit advocacy group PragerU, which creates videos promoting a conservative viewpoint on various political, economic and sociological topics—told Fox News personality Tucker Carlson college left her "sad" and "anxious" until her mother stepped in.


Rockwell then proceeded to stump for her employer, saying she was able to unlearn "wokeism" with the help of PragerU, which she said she discovered one day on her social media feed.

You can hear what Rockwell said in the video below.

Rockwell said:

"As time went on and I studied history, I became completely brainwashed into believing that I was depressed by our toxic, patriarchal society and I left school. I was sad, anxious, intellectually starving, and by 2015, when I graduated, I completely estranged myself from my family."

After Carlson claimed "the real cost" of a college education is it teaches students not to "love their parents anymore," Rockwell explained how she got "better."

"So in this panic of me not communicating with my mother, she consulted a cult specialist. This person gave her devastating statistics that most people don't make it out but [there was] a glimmer of hope that it tends to be young women who do."
"So she spoke to him and he made it very clear to her: 'Do not affirm your daughter's newfound identity. You know her best. She is your child. Don't affirm her.'"
"So she was taught how to communicate with me. Now, to actually be deprogrammed, I had to humble myself."
"[I did] A couple of things. I reconnected with my family. I moved home. I asked for forgiveness. I admitted I was wrong."
"Secondly, I made a lifestyle change. I stopped drinking. I started to believe in God again."
"And lastly, I had to unlearn my four years of wokeism by watching five-minute PragerU videos online for free."

Carlson laughed in response, adding college is "a cult" aiming to "separate you from the people who love you most."

He went on to praise Rockwell's mother for "deprogramming" her and commended Rockwell herself for "speaking out."

The interview felt more like an advertisement for PragerU, which was founded by right-wing radio host Dennis Prager, who made headlines over the summer for publishing an op-ed in which he accused women of "hurting the country" with their "emotions."

Many criticized Rockwell.


Rockwell first spoke about her experience extricating herself from "wokeism" in a recent interview with the Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid New York Post.

Rockwell, a graduate of Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, said she had been "brainwashed" by the school into believing she is a victim of patriarchal oppression and said until she took classes at the school, she had never actually experienced sexism.

Her mother, Melinda Rockwell, told the Post she hired a $300 a day deprogrammer after becoming so frustrated with her daughter she "smashed a vase through a window at her home in Florida and into drywall another time."

More from People

Tim Walz; Donald Trump
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images; Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Tim Walz Perfectly Explains Why Trump Running The Country 'Like A Business' Is A Bad Idea

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz criticized President Donald Trump during an interview with MSNBC host Jen Psaki, stressing just why the people who elected Trump to run the country "like a business" were completely misguided.

Walz particularly lamented the impacts of Trump's ongoing trade war with Canada and Mexico, noting that Trump has a history of scuttling deals and "a proven track record of being an absolute failure."

Keep Reading Show less

People Reveal Red Flags That Scream "This Couple Won't Last!"

Love is not a many-splendered thing.

Ok, maybe it is for some, but not for most.

Keep Reading Show less
JD Vance; Cory Bowman
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images; @corymbowman/X

Vance Roasted After His Brother Gets Walloped In Ohio Primary Following Vance's Endorsement

On Tuesday, the city of Cincinnati, Ohio, held their primary election to determine who would earn a spot on November's mayoral ballot.

The city's mayoral race is nonpartisan—no parties appear next to candidates' names on the primary or general election ballots. The top two vote getters in the primary, regardless of their party affiliation, vie for the office.

Keep Reading Show less
Ellen DeGeneres; Ellen DeGeneres on a lawn mower in the UK
FOX via Getty Images; @ellendegeneres/Instagram

Ellen DeGeneres Just Tried To Mow The Lawn At Her Sprawling UK Estate—And It Went South Fast

Say what you may about Ellen DeGeneres, but we can all agree that she's always tried to find the funny side in a situation, even if it's something that should be as mundane as mowing the lawn.

DeGeneres left the talk show scene in 2022 after allegations ran rampant about her running a toxic workplace, so when President Donald Trump was elected for a second term, it seemed the perfect time for the entertainer and her wife, Portia de Rossi, to look for greener pastures, namely in the U.K.

Keep Reading Show less
Screenshot of Pete Buttigieg; Linda McMahon
MSNBC; Patrick T. Fallon/Getty Images

Buttigieg Epically Drags Education Secretary For Confusing A.I. With 'A1 Steak Sauce'

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg mocked Education Secretary Linda McMahon during an MSNBC appearance after she recently went viral for confusing AI with A1, the steak sauce brand.

McMahon slipped up during her appearance at the ASU+GSV Summit last month. While discussing the state of modern education, she brought up the role of AI in today's classrooms.

Keep Reading Show less