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| What Happened to David AKA Soulmar Allerai? Inside His Life After Soulful Journey |
The latest episode of People Magazine Investigates: The Cult of the Soulful Journey has put fresh attention on David, better known as Soulmar Allerai, one of the most recognisable former members connected to Soulful Journey. His story stands out not because of dramatic headlines but because it follows someone who spent years deeply involved in the organisation before ultimately deciding it was time to walk away. After years away from his family and immersed in a completely different lifestyle, David is now focused on something far less complicated: building a quieter life with his wife.
According to the programme, David joined Soulful Journey in his early twenties alongside his mother, Rachel Rains, and sister, Meghan Griffith, after the family relocated from Michigan. Rachel, who had worked as a psychic medium for years, believed working with Soulaire Allerai could provide a fresh opportunity when business slowed.
While Rachel and Meghan eventually chose to leave after becoming uncomfortable with the group, David decided to remain, explaining during his interview that he had been drawn to Soulaire's personality and leadership.
The documentary explores how David's decision created distance between him and his family. Rachel recalls that they stayed in occasional contact for several years before communication eventually stopped altogether.
As painful as it was, she said she respected that her son was an adult making his own decisions, even if she wished circumstances had been different. Sometimes families argue over whose turn it is to wash the dishes; this situation was, unfortunately, a touch more complicated.
Over time, David became increasingly involved in the organisation's day-to-day operations. He legally changed his name to Soulmar Allerai and later became one of the co-owners of Bad Rooster in 2020.
Drawing on his culinary background, he served as the restaurant's head chef. During the documentary, David reflects on those years, saying he felt his work often went unrecognised despite the responsibilities he carried.
The programme also revisits the legal dispute that attracted wider public attention. In 2022, Bad Rooster and Soulaire Allerai filed a defamation lawsuit against two sisters who had publicly described the organisation as a cult and alleged that the restaurant helped finance it.
The documentary notes that these claims were disputed through the legal action, while also highlighting that former members have shared differing accounts of their experiences within the organisation over the years.
David also speaks candidly about his personal life during that period. He and his wife, Jemma, who was also a member, reportedly shared living space with other members, separated only by a curtain.
He recalled that even wanting to spend private time together as a married couple was, in his view, discouraged. Looking back, he said those moments gradually forced him to reassess the future he had imagined for himself. Reaching his late thirties without a home of his own or much personal privacy became, as he describes it, a wake-up call that was impossible to ignore.
Eventually, David and Jemma chose to leave the organisation together. The couple returned to Michigan, where they reunited with Rachel and Meghan. The documentary presents this reunion as one of the most emotional moments in David's story, showing a family attempting to rebuild relationships after years apart.
It is a reminder that reconnecting with loved ones can sometimes take longer than binge-watching an entire crime series, but many would argue it is considerably more rewarding.
Today, David AKA Soulmar Allerai appears to be living a far more private life. Following the public attention surrounding the lawsuit and renewed scrutiny generated by the documentary, he has largely stepped away from public view.
He and Jemma are said to be concentrating on their marriage and creating a fresh chapter away from the spotlight. During his interview, David reflects that he believes he lost many important years while remaining with Soulful Journey, though he now seems focused on moving forward rather than dwelling solely on the past.
Viewers have had mixed reactions to David's story. Some sympathise with the difficult choices he described and see his decision to leave as an important turning point.
Others have praised the documentary for giving former members an opportunity to explain their experiences in their own words, while some continue to debate the wider issues surrounding Soulful Journey and the claims explored throughout the programme.
As with many documentaries covering controversial organisations, audiences have come away with different conclusions, but many agree David's personal journey is among its most compelling elements.
What do you make of David AKA Soulmar Allerai's story after watching the documentary? Do you think rebuilding life after spending years in a close-knit organisation is the hardest part of the journey, or is reconnecting with family an even bigger challenge?