'Smallville' Star Tom Welling Responds To Co-Star's Sex Cult Prison Sentence

It's not a huge surprise that the cast of the hit CW show Smallville rarely discuss their old co-star Allison Mack in public, given everything that went down.

For those who don't know, Mack - who played Clark Kent's best friend Chloe Sullivan in the DC prequel series - was sentenced to three years in prison in June last year. The actor pleaded guilty to the charges against her after she played a role in guiding new women to the NXIVM sex cult.

While Mack serves out her sentence, a number of Smallville alum are currently working on an animated sequel to the show. Tom Welling, who played Clark Kent, has been developing the project with his co-star Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor) for some time now.

When asked about the progress of the animated project during a panel at Fan Expo Vancouver over the weekend, Welling made a bit of a dig at his former co-star's current situation. The actor listed a number of actors who are set to return, as well as those he hopes to get on board, before adding that "it might be tough to get Allison".

Before being sentenced last year, Mack penned an open letter expressing regret at her involvement with NXIVM. "I threw myself into the teachings of Keith Raniere with everything I had," she wrote. "I believed, whole-heartedly, that his mentorship was leading me to a better, more enlightened version of myself. I devoted my loyalty, my resources, and, ultimately, my life to him. This was the biggest mistake and regret of my life. I am sorry to those of you that I brought into NXIVM.

"I am sorry I ever exposed you to the nefarious and emotionally abusive schemes of a twisted man. I am sorry that I encouraged you to use your resources to participate in something that was ultimately so ugly. I do not take lightly the responsibility I have in the lives of those I love and I feel a heavy weight of guilt for having misused your trust, leading you down a negative path."

Meanwhile, Welling and Rosenbaum continue to work on bringing their Smallville revival together. Exact details on what the project will entail remain scarce, but we know the pair want to use as many of the original cast as possible to create an authentic experience. Obviously just don't bank on Mack being there.