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| What Happened to Phil Cooper? The Former Gloriavale Member Speaks Out |
Phil Cooper spent much of his life under the shadow of his father, Neville Cooper, the founder of the controversial Gloriavale community in New Zealand. But while many people born into the isolated religious settlement remained, Phil chose a very different path. Decades after leaving, he is still one of the most recognisable former members speaking publicly about life inside the commune, and Paramount+ documentary Devotion: Obedience or Betrayal has once again put his remarkable story back into the spotlight.
Growing up as one of Neville and Gloria Cooper’s sixteen children, Phil knew little else besides the strict routines and expectations of communal life. Born in Australia before his family relocated to New Zealand in the late 1960s, he watched his father transform from a family patriarch into the leader of a growing religious movement.
For years, the customs, uniforms, and rigid social structure were simply part of everyday life. After all, when something is presented as normal from childhood, it rarely feels unusual until much later.
As Phil entered adulthood, however, cracks began to appear in the world he had always known. He married Sandy Benjamin when he was 18, and together they started raising a family within the community.
Yet while many accepted the rules without question, Phil increasingly found himself asking uncomfortable questions. Those questions eventually grew louder than the answers he was receiving.
By 1989, Phil made the decision that would change the course of his life forever. He left the community for good, taking the first steps towards building an independent future. Settling in Australia, he attempted to create a new life outside the boundaries that had shaped his upbringing.
But leaving physically proved far easier than leaving emotionally. His wife and children remained behind, and according to Phil, thoughts of them never truly left his mind.
In 1991, events took a dramatic turn when Phil successfully removed his wife and four children from the community. The family relocated to the United States, hoping for a fresh start.
Yet reality proved far messier than any neat ending. While Phil believed life outside the commune would eventually become comfortable for everyone, Sandy later chose to return to Gloriavale. It was a painful twist in a story already filled with difficult decisions, and one that left Phil facing another chapter of separation.
The years that followed brought further legal disputes and family challenges. In 1994, Phil testified against Neville Cooper during legal proceedings involving allegations against the Gloriavale founder.
The move further deepened divisions between father and son. If family reunions were already awkward before, this was hardly the sort of development that improved the atmosphere.
Perhaps one of the most emotional moments in Phil’s journey came in 2009 when he learned he had a youngest daughter, Cherish, whom he had never properly known. Determined to reconnect, he travelled to Gloriavale and began a lengthy fight to establish contact.
After years of legal battles, he eventually gained custody of her. However, not every outcome went his way. Court rulings later required that his son Dawn be returned to Sandy, while one of his daughters eventually chose to return to the community herself.
Today, Phil continues to live in Australia and remains vocal about experiences. He has participated in documentaries, interviews, and examining Gloriavale's culture and legacy.
His story was also explored in the 2009 biography Sins of the Father: The Long Shadow of a Religious Cult by Fleur Beale, helping bring wider attention to the experiences of former members.
When Neville Cooper died in 2018, Phil did not attend the funeral. He later explained that he was uncertain whether his presence would be welcomed or appreciated by those still living within the community.
It was another reminder that even after leaving decades earlier, the relationship between Phil and the world he grew up in remained complicated.
Interestingly, Phil has said that age has changed how he views the events that once dominated headlines. Looking back, he acknowledges that some of his actions were driven by anger and frustration.
Rather than seeing everything in black and white, he now speaks about the importance of avoiding the same kind of rigid thinking he spent years challenging. It's a perspective that reflects someone who has spent much of his life wrestling with difficult memories while trying not to become trapped by them.
Public reaction to Phil's story remains deeply divided. Many viewers of Devotion: Obedience or Betrayal praised his determination to build an independent life and reconnect with his children despite enormous obstacles.
Others focused on the complexity of the family disputes, noting that there are rarely simple heroes or villains in stories involving faith, family, and personal freedom.
Across social media, some called Phil's journey inspiring, while others described it as heartbreaking. One thing most viewers seem to agree on is that his life story feels stranger than many fictional dramas currently streaming.
For now, Phil Cooper remains one of the most outspoken former Gloriavale members, continuing to share his perspective on a community that shaped much of his life.
Whether readers agree with his views or not, his story offers a rare glimpse into a world that few outsiders fully understand. What do you think about Phil's journey and the choices he made over the years? Has Devotion: Obedience or Betrayal changed your perspective on Gloriavale? Join the conversation and share your thoughts