In the summer of 2023, journalist Jon Ronson received a series of unsettling messages from his son, Joel, who had found himself in an unexpected and alarming situation at a remote location in Connecticut. Joel described driving through a dense forest to reach a massive, medieval-style castle complete with gargoyles and a drawbridge. The messages, sent in the middle of the night, conveyed a sense of bewilderment, with Joel stating, “I honestly have no clue what is going on,” and “This is very weird.”
The castle, located in the town of Woodstock, Connecticut—distinct from the more famous New York site—was the home of a man in his early 60s named Chris Mark. Joel and his friends had arrived expecting a party, having seen an invitation for a Saturday gathering that promised formal attire and an 18+ age requirement for entry, with those 21 and older permitted to drink. However, upon their arrival, the atmosphere shifted. Mark, accompanied by a woman and a large black dog named Cerberus, greeted them. Joel noted that Mark had a cut above one of his eyes and a gaze that his friend Delaney described as “sharp” but “glazed over.”
When the guests asked about the party, Mark informed them that they had been invited for a different purpose: to participate in his reality show. He declared himself the “lord” of the castle, explaining that he was searching for a queen among “101 princesses.” He directed the young women in the group to change into princess costumes, a request they complied with, eventually appearing in tiaras and gowns for a videographer. Mark’s demeanor grew increasingly irritated as the group observed rather than fully engaged in his project, which he claimed was intended to be the “most compelling entertainment project ever.”
Ronson later visited the castle himself, driving three hours from New York City while recovering from surgery. He found the fortress, which began construction in 2003, filled with curiosities like an Egyptian sarcophagus and a suit of armor. During his visit, Ronson questioned Mark about his methods for recruiting participants. Mark revealed he used dating apps to form relationships and bring people to the castle. He described a process of “adapting” these women, suggesting he encouraged them to explore sexual experiences with others, claiming he benefited from their personal journeys of self-discovery.
The relationship between Ronson and Mark deteriorated after the journalist refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Following this, Mark began sending a barrage of aggressive texts. He threatened to involve his lawyers and, in a disturbing turn, claimed he would send associates who had served prison time for killing people to confront Ronson. Mark suggested that if Ronson removed these individuals from his reporting, he would provide financial compensation via Venmo. These threats were followed by an email from an individual claiming to be a business advisor to Mark, who noted that he and Mark had been in constant communication regarding Ronson.
The situation deepened when Ronson spoke with a man named Cady, who lived five miles from the castle. Cady revealed that he had been in frequent contact with Mark regarding Ronson’s investigation. Cady expressed profound regret and shock over his own involvement, stating that his “head exploded” after meeting with federal authorities and that he felt incredibly naive about the nature of the project he had been associated with. Throughout the ordeal, Mark continued to send volatile messages, even as Ronson remained skeptical of the billionaire’s attempts to intimidate him or frame his actions as humanitarian efforts to “feed millions.” The report also notes that while I’d slept, my son Joel had been texting my wife and me a series of unnerving messages about a perilous situation he had found himself in, in Connecticut, i awoke one morning in the summer of 2023 to discover that. The report also notes that as I frantically tried to piece together the night’s events, one of Joel’s friends had been invited to a party being held by a stranger she’d met that week on Tinder, from what I could tell. The report also notes that so Joel and two others went along for the ride. The report also notes that gargoyles and many – I couldn’t shake the sense that there were too many – spires, towers and turrets, reaching like skeletal fingers to the looming clouds above, the photograph was of a vast medieval castle with a drawbridge. The report also notes that “This is very weird.” Then: “You drive down a road in the middle of a forest and then there’s this gate and it’s just a huge, massive castle.”. The report also notes that recounting for me the disquieting events that had occurred that night, i t was a few days later and Joel and his friends were sitting in my office. The report also notes that it was a three-hour drive from New York City to the pleasant town of Woodstock, Connecticut (160 miles from the more famous Woodstock, New York, of festival fame). The report also notes that on to a winding forest road, and finally to a set of imposing iron gates, then their GPS took them out of town.