5 Celebrities that are Stern Followers of Scientology

Founded by American author L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology is one of the most ridiculed religions of all time. The people who follow it (scientologists) strictly believe that the Earth is inhabited by aliens called “Thetans”. According to scientology, these ‘aliens’ supposedly walk on Earth disguised as humans. They also believe that it’s possible to clear the body of a Thetan by an ‘auditing’ process. It all sounds crazy but what’s even crazier is, some celebrities are adept followers of Scientology. Let’s take a look at some of these celebrities and see why they believe in such a strange thing, called Scientology.

Michael Pena

He is best known for his roles in both the sequels of the Ant-Man and Narcos: Mexico. Pena believes joining Scientology is behind his success in being an actor. He joined the church in 2000, when he entered the detox program ‘Purification Rundown’ for his alcoholism. Later, he joined another program called ‘Study Tech’, which encouraged him to become a better reader. The main aim of this program is to increase literacy in the church. Talking about the effect of Study Tech on his life, Pena said,

“Study Tech made me a better actor because I felt like it helped my understanding of scripts… I’m not going to read some tabloid story about any of my friends. Especially when I know it’s misinformed.”

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise is one of the most prominent members of the Church and believes that it was Scientology that freed him from dyslexia. He even campaigned for Scientology to be recognized as a religion in Europe. He also criticized actress Brooke Shields for using antidepressants when she was struggling with postpartum depression. Given his firm belief, Leah Remini, a former church member, once said,

“He is second to David Miscavige—the savior of the free world.”

It is strongly believed that Cruise’s religion caused the breakdown of his most recent marriage to actress Katie Holmes. His ex-wife, Nicole Kidman, left the church as their marriage ended.

John Travolta

John Travolta has been a follower of the Church of Scientology since 1975 and is one of their most high-profile members. Alongside his wife, Kelly Preston, he credits the church for standing beside them when they lost their son after he suffered a seizure at age 16. He believes that the church offered them significant support and never left their side. Mike Rinder, former Scientology spokesperson, has alleged in an interview that the church has a lot more control over the lives of Travolta and his family than the public knows about. He revealed,

“Kelly is a much more dedicated Scientologist than John. Scientology dictates every choice in life and informs every decision a Scientologist makes.

Elizabeth Moss

Known for her part in The Handmaid’s Tale, actress Elizabeth Moss grew up in the Church of Scientology. One fan managed to tempt Moss into a rare debate after commenting on her social media post. She replied by saying that Scientology does not believe that all outside sources of news are wrong or evil. She further stated that Scientology believes in religious freedom and providing equal rights for every race.

In 2017, when Moss received her Emmy for Best Actress. During her acceptance speech, she startled the audience by frequent use of F-bombs. Tiziano Lugli, Former Scientologist, analyzed her speech and explained that scientologists are urged to communicate with average people, and to match the tone, they all use “f-, f-, f- when talking.

Kirstie Alley

Kirstie Alley joined Scientology in 1979, while struggling with her cocaine addiction. She went through the Scientology-affiliated drug treatment program known as ‘Narconon’ and has since ended her dependency. Following the Las Vegas Strip shooting in 2017, she wrote a series of tweets blaming the actions of the shooter, Stephen Paddock, on psychiatric medications—an assumption, as her statements came before the coroner’s report. The members of the church strongly believe that drugs severely affect a person’s mental and physical state, as well as their spiritual being. Alley has defended the church against those who condemn its practices, claiming that most of the criticisms are not true. For instance, in an interview she said,

“I think all religions sound bizarre to people who are not the practitioners of them.”

You can get all the information about Scientology here.