In the '70s he founded a group called The Apollo Stars which performed concerts that promoted Scientology. Along with Tm Cruise, John Travolta is probably one of the most famous celebrity Scientologists. "I have never ever heard of aliens in Scientology, and I've been a Scientologist all my life," he said bluntly. Leah Remini isn't the only celeb who got outta there. She eventually severed ties, telling USA Today, "They were taking my soul, my money, my everything. Lisa Marie's mom (and Elvis' widow) Priscilla, is still associated with Scientology. In response to Jane Does claim that the church is nothing more than a cult built on mind control, Scientologys lawyers told Us Weekly, The church will vigorously defend itself against these unfounded allegations.. (Katselas, a well-known acting coach, was punished for not being loyal enough to the new Miscavige regime and way of doing things, Ortega writes.) Image via AP. However, Alley has also come under fire for allegedly spreading misinformation regarding psychiatric drugs, which is a topic that Scientology is passionate about. Scientologist Athlete - scientology | Ask MetaFilter There are many to whom America and the world listens Scientologys blustery founder wrote in a newsletter announcing the plan. Contact the author at andy@gawker.com. And another Scientologist told me that he was delegated to create a black PR packageall the damaging material that they could use against Travolta, which came from his auditing sessions. Perhaps that damaging material contains information regarding the widespread rumor that Travolta is gay. Image via Wikipedia. One of the biggest stars associated with Scientology, Cruise is a close friend of leader David Miscavige, according to multiple reports. "I was born into Scientology," Ribisi said in a June 2014 episode of the radio podcast, "WTF with Marc Maron." There are plenty of actors who I hear about being Scientologists but rarely an athlete. [Wiki] [IMDb] [source], Judy Norton-Taylor [Wiki] [IMDb] [source]. Part of the a360media Entertainment Group. In a 2012 interview with Vulturethe musician (born Bek David Campbell) said, "It's just something that I've been around. Though Travolta is a longtime Scientologist and has recruited several famous members to the organization, ex-Scientology executive Marty Rathbun described him as "Scientology's captive" in HBO's documentary Going Clear. And the way I personally view it is as a pragmatic philosophy, meaning that it's not necessarily a set of beliefs that you go around and try to invest belief into, and hope, it's really something that's sort of day-to-day and practical. According to longtime Scientology chronicler Tony Ortega, ardone once embarked on an email campaign to slander Milton Katselas, another high-ranking Scientologist, at the behest of megalomaniacal church leader David Miscavige. Archer remarried in 1979 and had a second son five years later. That Hollywood is overrun with adherents to the religion of Xenu is generally taken for granted as fact. But more than 60 years after the creation of Project Celebrity, is the religion faring well amongst the famous? He was once in a relationship with fellow Scientologist Laura Prepon, who was also his brothers co-star in That 70s Show. However, he is now married to actress Yolanda Pecoraro, and their daughter, Chiara, was born in April 2021. Advertisement Hollywood celebrities are not typically associated with their religious affiliations, but big names like Tom Cruise and John Travolta have become well-known as Scientologists. Over the years, Alley has defended the religion on many occasions. In fact, Conaway told Inside Editionin 2008 that Travolta was who introduced him to Scientology. Years before, though, Moss explained that she considers Scientology a "self-applied" practice, which has helped her feel "centered" during periods of her life. Through the years, the Church of Scientology has recruited countless celebrities to become members. Below, youll find a list of every known celebrity who claims membership with the church, as well as lists of those who have dabbled in a few courses but never enlisted and of those who were once members but have since renounced their affiliation. Composer Mark Isham who plays the trumpet and the synthesizer has scored dozens of films from the '80s to present day, from the Oscar-winning documentary The Times of Harvey Milk (1984) to the best picture Oscar winner Crash (2004). Actress Catherine Bell poses for photos during the 38th Anniversary Gala held at the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre International, during August 2007, in Los Angeles. Jada Pinkett Smith: In 2008, Jada Pinkett Smith and her husband founded a now-defunct school that used L. Ron Hubbards Study Technology and ideas from Scientology ethics, Scientology expert Tony Ortega writes. She's not technically a musician, but Nancy Cartwright the voice of Bart Simpson nevertheless scored a radio hit in 1990 with the Michael Jackson-written song "Do the Bartman." In 2007, the voice actress was awarded the status of Patron Laureate because her donations to the religion had totaled more than $10 million. During their stay in the US, the young men of the academy's football team should promote their sports career and be placed in Clearwater in a supposed Scientology host The voice actress also drew fire in 2009 for using the Bart voice in a robocall promoting an appearance on behalf of the church. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking news? Archer, an Academy Award nominee for her role in Fatal Attraction, is a vastly connected member of the church. Leah Remini. Prominent Scientologist Tom Cruise joined the Church of Scientology not long after his father died in 1984. He is identified as a Scientologist in Lawrence Wrights The Apostate, the New Yorker article that became the book that became Going Clear, HBOs Scientology documentary. According a Facebook post by guitarist Al Di Meola, Clarke later rejoined "to get on Chick's good side," and a 2012 press release lists Clarke as a member. Hip-hop's alpha beatboxer, Doug E. Fresh (born Douglas E. Davis), is a member of the Church of Scientology. It was for this reason that Prepons fans were so surprised when the famous Scientologist took on the role of a lesbian inmate in Orange Is the New Black. Prepon has defended Scientology, saying that it is a misconception that the religion discriminates against the LGBTQ+ community. According to Fantastic Voyage co-star Raquel Welch, Boyd was also gay and closeted. "I last really studied [Scientology], oh, it's almost 30 years agoIn my early years of stand-up, it was very helpful," Seinfeld told Parade in 2008. In addition to his role in That 70s Show, Masterson is also known for playing Jameson Rooster Bennett in The Ranch from 2016 to2018. That's what Scientology is. These famous figures are no longer affiliated with the Scientology organization, but they have admittedly dabbled in or been full-fledged members in the past. Im no kind of Scientologist, but Ive been around it enough to know its a very intelligent thing.. For the first four months of my preclear, I didn't say a word to my wife or kids. She mentions Scientology, but denies being a Scientologist. Eddie Deezen: Like Jeff Conaway, Grease actor Deezen began to pursue Scientology after meeting Travolta. It helps you to improve your life. When asked by Time Magazine in March 2015 if there were misconceptions about her religion Scientology, Lewis said, "I only ever say, when I'm asked about this-my freedom." However, Van Morrison denied those allegations, saying,"There have been many lies put out about me and this finally states my position. Actress Leah Remini reveals in an exclusive interview with ABC News 20/20 how Tom Cruise was one of the factors that led her to break from the Church of Scientology. The King of Queens alum went on to host and executive produce an A&E series, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, which won an Emmy Award in 2017. NBA player Gilbert Arenas is probably most famous for a 2010 incident where he and a teammate pulled unloaded guns on each other in the locker room. Project Celebrity: 31 of the Most Famous Scientologists Kirstie Alley is listed by Ranker as a celebrity follower of Scientology. Like them, she was raised as a Scientologist. Search, watch, and cook every single Tasty recipe and video ever - all in one place! Alley joined Scientology in 1979, despite being raised as a Methodist. All Rights Reserved. David Carradine: A student of Scientologist acting coach Milton Katselas, Carradine told the New York Times Magazine in 2007, I went down and took a couple of classes. I was raised Catholic and Jewish. Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard developed the organization's "Project Celebrity" in 1955 to recruit famous figures including Ed Sullivan, Bing Crosby and Ernest Hemingway to join the religious group. Taryn, Benjamin and Cathy have all [Scientology] no longer part of my life., Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Women In Film, "Scientology helps me in acting to focus on communication," the actress once told the New York Daily News. Athletes Elizabeth Moss, known as Peggy Olson on AMC's "Mad Men" praised Scientology in a 2013 interview with ABC News' Peter Travers. Founder L. Ron Hubbard received special thanks in the liner notes of Van Morrison's1983 albumInarticulate Speech of the Heart. Lauren has been covering gossip for over a decade and she never tires of the latest stories. Two years later, she drew fire for using the Bart voice in a Scientology-promoting robocall, which is just as unsettling as it sounds. In Oct. 2016, Pea toldThe Guardianthat Scientology (he joined in 2000) program Study Tech "made me a better actor because I felt like it helped my understanding of scripts.. At the time, she said it's her "duty to clear the planet," by helping people get rid of negative thoughts and emotions. Like his brother and sister, Danny and Alanna, Christopher Masterson is a Scientologist, and he was brought up in this religion from birth. In 2012, the "Loser" singer acknowledged outright his affiliation with the church, telling Vulture, "It's just something that I've been around." And so as long as nothing is inhibiting that? After the couple divorced in 1990, Cruise walked down the aisle twice more, withNicole Kidman in 1990 and Katie Holmes in 2006. In the late sixties, when he was living in New York, he studied briefly at a Scientology center and emerged with a certificate that declared him 'Grade IV Release. The actor claims that Scientology has given him confidence and certainty, so he can work towards his goals and communicate well with anyone. She left the organization in 2013 and subsequently launched a campaign to expose its alleged wrongdoings. The Church of Scientology has become one of the most ridiculed religions since its launch in 1952. Ive always been very open-minded, even since I was a child. Copyright 2023 PopCulture.com. People in the United Stateshave freedoms and opportunities that arent easily accessible for people in many other countries, and the idea of, Read More 10 Celebrities Who Have Badmouthed AmericaContinue, 20 Celebrities Who Completely Own Their Bad Teeth, 7 Rock and Rollers who Went from Overweight to Completely Toned, 20 Celebrities You Forgot Posed for Playboy, 20 of Our Favorite Celebrities from Connecticut, 20 of Our Favorite Celebrities from Compton, 10 Celebrities Who Have Badmouthed America, The 20 Best Celebrity Mental Health Advocates, 20 Female Celebrities Who Had Children in Their 40s, 20 Child Celebrities Who Tragically Died too Young. Brodie is a little less heavy on the Thetan-speak than some of the more vocal celebrity Scientologists we see popping up today, but he was definitely hooked on L.Ron's gospel: "Early last season my arm was bothering me. The unincorporated community of Willowbrook borders Compton on the north, Read More 20 of Our Favorite Celebrities from ComptonContinue, In the eyes of some, America is the greatest country in the world. I've gone a long way since then-I'm just a step short of 'clear.' And so I grew up not having to go and pray to anyone," Masterson said. Scientology Celebrities: 25 Musicians Part of the Religion Tom Cruise is one of the Church of Scientologys most well-known members and outspoken advocates. They were originally created as a money-making religion by L. Ron Hubbard and this is still the way that they operate. Something for everyone interested in hair, makeup, style, and body positivity. Will Smith: Rumors about Smiths connections with the church are rampant, and the New York Daily News reported in 2008 that he was actively recruiting for the church on the set of Hancock. One of them was in communication, and I learned some things about communication that really got my act going.. Travolta produced and starred in the film, "Battlefield Earth," which is based on a sci-fi novel by Scientology founder by L. Ron Hubbard. "Forty years for me, I've been part -- and I've loved every minute of it, and my family has done so well with it," said Travolta. Both his second and third wives joined the religion following their marriage to Cruise. Scientology is a religion that was invented in the early 1950s by American author L. Ron Hubbard. In his personal life, Fresh has six sons, two of whom are in the hip-hop group Square off that Fresh manages. Getty Images. "The auditing has stripped away all of this charge, false ideas, decisions and mis-emotions that were affecting me.". Beck is a second-generation Scientologists as both his parents are involved in the organization. NOBODY! Jenna Elfman is best known for playing Dharma in Dharma and Greg and June in Fear the Walking Dead. The actress has been a Scientologist for three decades. Ever since I broke it in 1963, it hadn't been completely right. Lewis, a musician and award-winning actress in Cape Fear (1991) is a longtime member of the church and vocal supporter of Cruise's outburst criticizing pharmaceutical companies. Love is the widow of Kurt Cobain, who died by suicide 10 years earlier in 1994. The smiling, shrink-hating, spy-hiring, motorcycle-riding, and couch-jumping mascot of Scientology, Cruise has been the churchs biggest star since joining at the behest of then-wife Mimi Rogers in 1990. The Church of Scientology has long denied allegations of any wrongdoing under its roof, most recently in June 2019 when an anonymous woman filed a lawsuit for kidnapping, stalking, human trafficking, false imprisonment, libel, slander, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Remini Calls Out Trump Administration "I've been a Scientologist since 1999 and I've never come across any piece of information that remotely is negative or derogatory in any way towards the LGBT community," "Orange Is the New Black" actress Laura Prepon said in a June 2014 interview with Fusion's Alicia Menendez. It's kind of odd. Leah Remini was another A-list Scientologist, joining at the age of 9 with her family. The former couple had a daughter together, Suri, before divorcing in 2012. Bell was raised as a Roman Catholic and attended an all-girls Catholic school. Celebrities Who Worship at the Altar of Scientology We simply beg to differ. Tom Constanten played keyboards with the Grateful Dead form 1968-1970, a period which found him involved in Scientology. It was through Hayes that Doug E. Fresh found the religion. Jazz fusion legend Chick Corea is a longtime Scientologist, thanking founder L. Ron Hubbard in the notes to many of his later albums. The end is nigh for the Clippers Kawhi & PG era | Keep it a Buck(et), Who asked for a Charles Barkley & Gayle King CNN show? The rapper claims that he was fascinated by this religion from the start and says it took him to look at things rather than to judge. However, after her split with Cruise, Rogers, Suplee is married to Juliette Lewis's sister, Brandy Lewis, and was one of several people involved in. ET. Image via Church of Scientology. Isaac Hayes onstage at a 2005 Celebrity Centre gala. Hubbard wrote a newsletter announcing the plan and included a list of 63 names of well-known people as "game" for Scientology auditors, asking them to target the personalities and bring them into the church. "The basic thing that I think Scientology helps people with is to rehabilitate their own spirit, their own nature, their own personality that was sort of buried or lost somewhere along the way," Kirstie Alley told ABC News in 1998. Kirstie Alley won accolades for her breakout role as Rebecca Howe on the sitcom Cheers. In 1995, she told a reporter for People she is "a strong advocate for their ethics. People in my family do it. The 2015 Grammy album of the year winner was born into Scientology. WebConclusion. Alexander Tamargo // Getty Images. Mimi Rogers: Rogers, Tom Cruises first wife, introduced Cruise to the church in 1990. ", The Men at Work actor and DJ was raised a Scientologist with his brother, actor Christopher Masterson. American blues-rock multi-instrumentalist Edgar Winter is a member of the Church of Scientology. In a 2014 interview with comedian Marc Maron, he ignored the funny man's question about "aliens" in the religion. Alanna Masterson is best known for playing Tara Chambler in the series The Walking Dead. The actress gave birth to a daughter, Marlowe, in 2015, although she is no longer with her daughters father. US residents can opt out of "sales" of personal data. Scientology. Celebrities Who've Been Affiliated With Scientology Pinkett Smith, as part of a larger Twitter thread, tweeted, "I have studied Dianetics, and appreciate the merits of Study Tech.. but I am not a Scientologist.". Alley is at one of the highest-ranking levels in Scientology, OT Level VII. Katie Holmes: Holmes, of course, is another of Tom Cruises ex-Scientologist exes. The religion was founded by American author L. Ron Hubbard. All rights reserved. When she complained about the break-up, a friend reported her to the church, and she was allegedly forced to clean toilets with a toothbrush as punishment. ", In 2021, however, she realized she had a change of heart, telling People magazine that she hadnt practiced Scientology in close to five years., Im no longer practicing Scientology, she said. She added, "At the end of the day, I'm into protecting my freedom of choice, freedom of voice, freedom of religion, freedom of expression. Van Morrison: An auditor told Morrison biographer Steve Turner that the singer once had a basic involvement with Scientology, according to the Rolling Stone. In their personal lives, celebrities come from all walks of life and have varied personal beliefs. At the same time he addressed three other young athletes from Hesse. Clearly, Scientologists are not Christian. Swayze and Whitaker are among many of the Hollywood elites turned Scientology recruits by Travolta. L. Ron Hubbard began Scientologys Project Celebrity in 1955, offering a list of 63 high-profile targets and a small plaque as a reward to anyone who successfully brought the likes of Bob Hope and Ernest Hemingway into the church. She didnt become a Scientologist until adulthood and has been open about achieving the state of Clear. In 1982, Corea contributed to Space Jazz: The Soundtrack of the Book Battlefield Earth, the companion album to Hubbard's 1982 book Battlefield Earth. Reporting on what you care about. She later detailed her experiences in a book,Troublemaker, and an acclaimed A&E series,Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath. Elfman also claims her religion has helped to keep her happy and energized. We may earn a commission from links on this page. Scientologists Yes! In recent months, Haggis has been accused by multiple women of sexual assault, an "attack" tactic he and Remini, among others, believe to be orchestrated by the church following his public exit. He would eventually end his relationship with the church. Soul and funk legend Isaac Hayes was a longtime Scientologist, which allegedly got him into a hot spot when South Park mercilessly mocked Scientology in a 2005 episode. "If I had to sum it all up, like, the goal of Scientology is giving the person back to themselves, like your own power of choice. But Susan could tell that something was going on. She still wishes Brad and Jen were still together. John Travolta and Kelly Preston. "F those people! Archer, an Academy Award nominee for her role in Fatal Attraction, is a vastly connected member of the church. She and husband, Emmy-winning producer Terry Jastrow, practice the religion, while her son Tommy Davis is the Church of Scientology's former spokesperson and executive leader. Grant Cardone: Cardone, an author and motivational speaker who hosted the short-lived Kitchen Nightmares-style reality show Turnaround King, is an OT VIIIScientologys highest auditing level and enthusiastic L. Ron Hubbard disciple.
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