Chutzpah, escape, reinvention: Julia Haart's secret lives

Julia Haart began her life as a Jewish secular refugee, fleeing the Soviet Union to Austin, Texas. By the time she was 11 she was living in an Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Monsey, New York.

On the outside, Julia seemed like she fitted in. She went to a prestigious religious college, got married, had children and worked as a teacher while her husband studied religious texts. But Julia was deeply unhappy and begun a double life selling insurance to create an escape fund. Eventually Julia left the community and with only her love of fashion to guide her, started her own shoe brand. In just a few years she became the creative director of a famous lingerie company and then the star of her own reality television series, My Unorthodox Life.

If you're affected by any of the issues raised in the programme, you can find information about support available at bbc.co.uk/actionline or befrienders.org

Presented by Asya Fouks
Produced by Sarah Kendal

(Photo: Julia Haart. Credit: Getty Images)