Los Angeles, CA – August 16, 2025 – Bethany Joy Lenz, best known for her role as Haley James Scott on the hit series One Tree Hill, has recently shed light on the reasons behind her 2012 divorce from musician Michael Galeotti, sparking renewed interest in their tumultuous relationship. In her 2024 memoir, Dinner for Vampires, and a revealing interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Lenz detailed the challenges that led to the end of their six-year marriage, citing emotional disconnection, Galeotti’s struggles with alcoholism, and her involvement in a high-control religious group.
Lenz and Galeotti married on December 31, 2005, in a private ceremony at an apple orchard in Hillsboro, Oregon. The couple welcomed their daughter, Maria Rose Galeotti, in February 2011. However, beneath the surface of their seemingly idyllic life, their marriage faced significant strain. Lenz revealed that Galeotti’s battle with alcoholism led to violent behavior and multiple arrests, which took a toll on their relationship. “The marriage had been troubled by Galeotti’s struggle with alcoholism,” Lenz wrote on her now-defunct blog when announcing their divorce in March 2012, emphasizing their mutual decision to part ways and commitment to co-parenting their daughter.
Adding complexity to their marital issues, Lenz disclosed her involvement in The Big House Family, an ultra-Christian organization based in Idaho, which she describes as a cult in her memoir. She alleged that the group’s strict rules, including a mandated “sex schedule,” exacerbated the emotional distance in her marriage. “I had an intense desire for intimacy,” Lenz shared on the Call Her Daddy podcast, expressing her disappointment in the lack of closeness with Galeotti. “I thought if I save myself for marriage, then the promise is amazing closeness and a deep connection, but nothing lives up to that… I married the wrong person.”
Lenz also claimed that Galeotti, raised within the group led by his father, Mike Galeotti Sr., was influenced by its controlling dynamics. Mike Galeotti Sr., a pastor-teacher at WildBranch Ministries, has denied allegations that the organization was a cult, calling Lenz’s claims “heartbreaking” in a 2024 interview with DailyMail.com. Michael Galeotti himself has remained largely silent, stating only that he wishes to protect his daughter from the public fallout of these allegations.
Following the divorce, Lenz gained full custody of their daughter and relocated to Los Angeles, while Galeotti stepped away from the public eye. Contrary to widespread rumors sparked by confusion with the 2016 death of actor Michael James Galeota, Galeotti is alive and managing his family’s business, Galeotti’s Wine Cellar, in Battle Ground, Washington.Lenz’s candid revelations in her memoir and interviews have fueled public understanding of the challenges she faced during her marriage. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me and why I will allow myself to be treated this way, but there’s no way in hell I’m going to allow this to happen to her,” Lenz said on Good Morning America in 2025, crediting her daughter as her motivation to leave both the marriage and the religious group in 2012.
As Lenz continues to rebuild her life and career, her story highlights the personal struggles behind her decision to divorce Galeotti, offering fans a deeper perspective on the challenges that led to the end of their once-celebrated union.
