Shivangi Sinha
Details about Lawrence Ray’s actions and crimes came to light following his arrest in February 2020. One of the key testimonies that played a significant role in his conviction was from Claudia Drury, a close friend of one of Ray’s daughters, Talia Ray, and her college peer at Sarah Lawrence. Claudia recounted the extensive abuse she endured at Ray’s hands. Hulu’s ‘Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence’ features interviews with other survivors and students who encountered Ray on campus. Though Claudia herself wasn’t interviewed, her experiences are central to the narrative, which also forms the basis of Lifetime’s ‘Devil On Campus: The Larry Ray Story.’
Claudia Drury First Met Lawrence Ray as Her Friend’s Father
Claudia Delafield Drury was raised in Pasadena, California, in a creatively rich environment. Her father, Tom Drury, was a novelist, and her mother, Christian Drury, was a painter. Surrounded by art and literature, Claudia developed her own passion for writing poetry and stories. In 2009, she enrolled at Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, New York, to study liberal arts and sciences. Reflecting on that time, she later admitted she wasn’t emotionally prepared to live independently and struggled with separation anxiety. It was after her sophomore year, while living with friends in on-campus housing, that she first encountered Lawrence Ray.
Another resident in the building, and Claudia’s friend, Talia Ray, informed her roommates that her father, Ray, would be moving in with them. While the students found it unusual, he soon integrated himself by cooking meals and engaging them in long conversations. Claudia began having extended talks with him and gradually grew accustomed to his odd behavior, such as sharing a room with another student, Isabella Pollok. Claudia later said she lost her sense of autonomy and handed over complete control of her life to Ray. She wasn’t alone. By 2011, she had moved with Ray and others into a cramped one-bedroom condo on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. There, Ray imposed his twisted lessons on morality and began accusing Claudia and others of damaging or stealing household items like pots, pans, or the vacuum cleaner.
By 2013, Claudia and the group relocated to a property in Pinehurst, North Carolina, where Ray’s control intensified. The environment became increasingly abusive and was marked by food deprivation, strict sleeping schedules, and interrogation sessions filled with accusations and physical violence. Claudia later said she no longer knew what was normal. In 2014, Ray told her she owed him for the alleged damage she had caused, and that the only way to repay the debt was through sex work. She revealed that she was coerced into prostitution, with all of her earnings taken by Ray and his close associate, Pollok.
Claudia Drury Was Manipulated into Falsely Confessing to Poisoning People
Claudia Drury’s friends were shocked when a website surfaced bearing her name, featuring a video of her confessing to poisoning Lawrence, Talia, Isabella and others. She later revealed that she had been led to believe she had committed the act and lived with intense guilt despite having no memory of it. Over time, she realized she had been manipulated into making a false confession. The video was then used as a tool to threaten her, forcing her to continue in sex work and hand over the earnings to Ray. These videos only became public after Claudia confided in a client and passively disclosed her situation.
For nearly four years, Claudia was forced to work out of various hotels and constantly moved from place to place. She gave him millions of dollars during the time that she was in contact with him. She said Ray would frequently show up to collect the money she earned. One particularly violent incident occurred in October 2018 at a hotel in Midtown Manhattan, where she was severely beaten and suffocated with a plastic bag. She recalled that Ray threatened to kill her during the attack. It was around that time she began to question his control and started distancing herself emotionally. However, she was only able to fully break contact after his arrest in February 2020.
Claudia Drury is Most Likely Working in the Publishing Industry Today
In 2022, Claudia Drury took the stand during Lawrence Ray’s high-profile trial, where he faced charges including sex trafficking, extortion, racketeering conspiracy, and violent crime. Her emotional testimony was a turning point in the case, detailing the years of manipulation, abuse, and exploitation she endured. She spoke openly about how those experiences derailed her life and left her unable to hold a steady job, reconnect with her family, or live the kind of life others her age were enjoying. Her words helped secure Ray’s conviction and eventual life sentence, offering justice not only for herself but also for others who had suffered under his control.
Claudia is not a public figure and has largely maintained her privacy since the trial. However, it appears she is currently based in New York City and working within the publishing industry. In 2011, she likely held a position as an editorial intern at Grove/Atlantic, Inc., and possibly completed a brief internship in media publicity at A Public Space, a literary magazine. While the road to recovery is ongoing, her courage in speaking out has already made a lasting impact. As she rebuilds her life on her own terms, there is hope that she will continue finding purpose, peace, and the creative voice that once defined her.
Read More: Where is Talia Ray Now? Update on Lawrence Ray’s Daughter
