My name is Jennie. I’m 68 years old, a widow, and a mother of four grown children. I was a Jehovah’s Witness for 38 years, along with my husband. We raised two children together, a son and a daughter, and for most of my life, I believed we were part of a loving, supportive community. But I’ve come to realize that love in Jehovah’s Witnesses is conditional. And when I started asking questions, everything I had was taken from me—my friends, my daughter, and even my grandson.
Three years ago, I lost my husband. That alone was devastating, but what followed was even worse. My daughter and I had always been close, and I was there for her when she had my grandson in 2014. I helped her through those early days of motherhood, spent precious time with my grandson, and never imagined a future where I wouldn’t be a part of his life.
But five months after my husband died, my daughter and her husband came to visit. During their stay, I asked a few simple questions about the organization. I wasn’t trying to argue—I just wanted answers. My son-in-law, an elder, exploded. He started yelling at me, and in that moment, I felt the shift.
After that visit, my daughter stopped returning my calls. By March 2022, she was completely gone from my life. I never heard from her again. I have never seen my grandson again. I wasn’t even given an explanation from her directly—only through her husband. He told me that unless I sought help from the elders and became obedient to the governing body of Jehovah’s Witnesses, they wouldn’t have anything to do with me.
Although I was never disfellowshipped, I was shunned—completely abandoned by the only friends I had. I was left entirely alone. When I got sick, my daughter didn’t come. When I was hospitalized, she still didn’t come. Instead, my son-in-law showed up with another elder, but they didn’t bring her. That moment broke me.
Desperate to see my grandson, I contacted a lawyer to pursue grandparents’ visitation rights. Instead of going through a full court battle, my lawyer drafted a letter to my daughter and son-in-law, asking for some kind of compromise. Their response was cruel. My son-in-law sent back an email filled with lies, calling me erratic and verbally abusive. I have never raised my voice at them, let alone abused them. But his words weren’t meant to be true—they were meant to discredit me and justify keeping me away.
I know this is about control. My son-in-law is a third-generation Jehovah’s Witness, and he’s used the policies of the organization to cut me off completely. But what worries me most isn’t just the organization’s grip on my daughter—it’s his grip on her. Before I ever left, my daughter told me she was afraid of him. At the time, I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to interfere in their marriage. I thought I was doing the right thing by staying silent. Now, I regret it more than anything. I believe she is trapped, not just in the religion, but in her marriage as well.
Losing my husband was hard. Losing my daughter and grandson to this religion has been unbearable. I didn’t just lose them once—I lose them every single day.
Earlier this year, my brother came to stay with me, and I am grateful for his support. But the scars of being shunned will never fully heal. This religion has done so much harm to so many people, and I am just one of countless victims. I don’t know if my daughter will ever wake up and come back to me, but I hold on to hope.