The extraordinary allegations surrounding the collapse of the proposed American Heartland Theme Park have taken a significant new turn.
More than a year after former Pizza Hut mogul Gene Bicknell accused his former business partners of impersonating God to convince him to finance the massive Oklahoma development, one of those men has now admitted that he authored and sent the religious messages at the center of the lawsuit.
Richard M. Silanskas Jr., a former executive producer at Branson’s Mansion Theatre, acknowledged during a June deposition that he sent Bicknell messages presented as communications from God and a supposed nun named “Sister Catherine.”
According to KFOR, Bicknell’s attorneys revealed the admission in a recent court filing.
“Silanskas admitted that he was an author and sender of the ‘Todays Word’ messages—and the ‘Sister Catherine’ messages,” the attorneys wrote. “And he admitted that he lied under oath when he was deposed previously.”
However, Silanskas offered a dramatically different explanation for why he created the messages.
Concept art for the American Heartland Theme Park – Photo Credit: American Heartland Theme Park
While admitting that he authored communications presented as messages from God, Silanskas claimed Bicknell initially instructed him to create and send them. According to Silanskas, Bicknell eventually began treating the messages as genuine divine communications, while Silanskas continued producing them because he feared the businessman.
“I shouldn’t have done it,” Silanskas testified. “But the reality is, he demanded it, and then would threaten me.”
Silanskas’ account is disputed by Bicknell’s attorneys, and his credibility is likely to be a major issue. As part of the same deposition, Silanskas acknowledged that he previously lied under oath about his role in creating the messages.
From Allegation to Admission
The bizarre messages have been a central component of litigation surrounding American Heartland since Bicknell filed a federal lawsuit in 2025.
Bicknell accused Silanskas, Larry Wilhite, and theme park designer Stephen Hedrick of participating in a scheme that ultimately cost him more than $60 million.
The lawsuit alleged Silanskas and Wilhite used a “predatory conspiracy of psychological manipulation” to convince the elderly and deeply religious businessman that God was directing him to finance American Heartland and eventually grant them two-thirds ownership of the planned $2 billion venture.
Concept art for the American Heartland Theme Park – Photo Credit: American Heartland Theme Park
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Silanskas’ admission does not establish the entirety of Bicknell’s allegations, which remain disputed. It does, however, confirm that at least some of the supposedly divine communications cited in the lawsuit were actually written by Silanskas.
The unresolved question is why.
Bicknell maintains that the messages were part of an elaborate effort to manipulate him. Silanskas now claims Bicknell originally commissioned the messages himself before eventually coming to believe they were genuine.
Attorneys for Wilhite say their client had no knowledge that Silanskas was behind the messages and was “very surprised” by the admission. Hedrick’s attorney similarly maintains that the former Disney theme park designer had nothing to do with either the “Today’s Word” or “Sister Catherine” communications.
American Heartland’s Collapse
American Heartland was announced with considerable fanfare in 2023 as a 1,000-acre destination near Vinita, Oklahoma. Plans called for a 125-acre Americana-themed amusement park comparable in size to Disney’s Magic Kingdom, along with an RV resort, hotel, and indoor water park.
Developers predicted the project could attract millions of visitors and create approximately 4,000 jobs.
Concept art for the American Heartland Theme Park – Photo Credit: American Heartland Theme Park
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Those grand ambitions quickly unraveled.
Construction stalled, contractors filed millions of dollars in liens over unpaid work, and the planned 2026 opening never materialized. What began as one of the most ambitious new theme park proposals in the country eventually became the subject of a sprawling legal battle.
The allegation that Bicknell was manipulated through fake messages from God was already among the strangest elements of American Heartland’s collapse. Silanskas’ testimony has now confirmed that he authored those messages, while opening an entirely new dispute over whether Bicknell was their unsuspecting target or, as Silanskas claims, originally asked for them to be created.
Why do you think Silanskas impersonated God? Sound off and let us know!
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