This Is Who All The Cult Members Of American Horror Story Are Probably Based On

When we started American Horror Story: Cult, it was hard to tell what was fact, what was hallucination, and what was wild fan theorizing. Were the murder clowns and Kai Anderson (Evan Peters) actually connected, or were they a terrifying coincidence? Is something deeply questionable going on with Ivy Mayfair-Richards (Alison Pill), or are we as paranoid as poor Ally Mayfair-Richards (Sarah Paulson)? And, most importantly: are we ever going to get any details about this titular cult? Finally, we know the answer is “yes” to all of those questions thanks to the revelatory fourth episode, “11/9.”

The installment takes us to Election Night 2016, and the days leading up to it. Through that lens, we find out how the cult we’ve been hearing so much about came to form, and who is definitely in it, or related to it. During the episode, it’s confirmed Harrison Wilton (Billy Eichner) and his wife Meadow Wilton (Leslie Grossman) are definitely held under Kai’s murderous cult-y sway, while we learn there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to Ivy’s connection with her “babysitter” Winter Anderson (Billie Lourd).

Since all good fiction has its basis in facts, all of these cult members are inspired by real-life events, people, and trends. Keep reading to find out the secret histories of all these villainous American Horror Story season 7 characters.