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Episode 669: Anton LaVey Part IV - Old Wizards Die Hard
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Diane Hegarty Leaves and Zeena Takes the Wheel
At 1:33:20 · chapter starts 1:32:10
The Satanic Panic was the moment Anton LaVey most needed Diane Hegarty, and the moment she finally left him. In 1984, after years of emotional and physical abuse including a headlock that knocked her unconscious, Diane filed a restraining order and walked out. [1] — Marcus Parks "Diane Hegarty left LaVey in 1984 after abuse: Diane Hegarty left LaVey in 1984 after years of abuse — without her, LaVey had no one to mana…" 1:32:10 Without Diane, who had been managing virtually every aspect of the Church's operations, LaVey admitted he had no one to handle media. His daughter Zeena — 22 at the time — stepped in as spokesperson on a temporary basis that lasted years. She appeared on Phil Donahue, Sally Jesse Raphael, and everywhere else, debating Christians and methodically deconstructing the Satanic abuse myth. Her appearances caused Church membership to skyrocket throughout the '80s — the ultimate irony of Christian suppression breeding popularity. By 1990, however, Zeena had also had enough of her father, resigned from the Church, renounced him publicly, and joined Michael Aquino's Temple of Set, where she immediately became a high priestess. The FBI issued a report in 1992 refuting all Satanic abuse conspiracy theories, but Zeena was gone.
Diane Hegarty left LaVey in 1984 after years of abuse — without her, LaVey had no one to manage the church and became an increasingly isolated, lazy recluse.
The McMartin Preschool case had 300 allegations of Satanic ritual abuse, lasted 7 years with zero convictions, and is believed to be one of the longest trials in American history.
While Anton LaVey rotted on the vine, his 22-year-old daughter Zeena appeared on Donahue, Sally Jesse Raphael, and every platform she could find to debunk Satanic ritual abuse claims. Church of Satan membership skyrocketed. The FBI issued a full exonerating report in 1992. Then Zeena quit, renounced her father, and joined Michael Aquino's Temple of Set.
At 54, LaVey began a relationship with 17-year-old Blanche Barton in 1984, who later wrote his official but heavily falsified biography.
Zeena LaVey's media appearances during the Satanic Panic ironically caused Church of Satan membership to skyrocket, demonstrating how suppression breeds popularity.
