Do you guys remember when Will and Jada Pinkett Smith had a private school in Calabasas from 2008-2013 which didn’t explicitly state it was a Scientology school but which used unproven Scientology teaching methods and had a majority of staff which were Scientologists? In fact they fired the former head of the school and replaced her with a Scientologist after she started questioning the curriculum. Will and Jada have also said many times that they treat their children like adults (this was when they were younger) and that they have given them a lot of autonomy from an early age. More recently Will has hinted that he regrets using that style of parenting, which of course is a key principle of Scientology and which often borders on neglect. Well Leah Remini just revealed that Will was never a Scientologist but that Jada was and that she’s still “in” the cult. Leah shared this during an interview with The Daily Beast. She previously told a story in her 2015 memoir about a bizarre adult “hide and seek” game she had at Tom Cruise’s house with Will and Jada. Well now we have confirmation that Jada at least is a Scientologist. People have always wondered about Will too, but Leah seemed not to be sure about whether Will was ever in Scientology, but she definitely knew about Jada.
“I know Jada’s in. I know Jada’s in. She’s been in Scientology a long time,” Remini tells The Daily Beast. “I never saw Will [Smith] there, but I saw Jada at the Celebrity Centre. They opened up a Scientology school, and have since closed it. But Jada, I had seen her at the Scientology Celebrity Centre all the time.” (Pinkett Smith did not return multiple requests for comment…)
And while a former high-ranking Scientologist, Mike Rinder (who co-presents the A&E series with Remini), insisted to me a couple of years back that Will Smith was never a Scientologist, Remini claims that Pinkett Smith not only was a Scientologist, but still is.
“I had hoped that she had left [Scientology], but this was the tell-tale sign that she was still in,” said Remini, nodding to the Cruise hide-and-seek anecdote she shared in her book. “She was on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live a few weeks ago promoting her film [Girls Trip], and Andy [Cohen] said to her, ‘Have you read Leah Remini’s book?’ and he was like, ‘What was that whole thing about playing tag?’ and she said, ‘Oh, she lied.’ He goes, ‘Isn’t that weird, to play tag?’ and she goes, ‘No, the kids were there.’ That was untrue. Bullshit. There were no kids there. I was like, okay, alright, you’re gonna do that? More power to ya.”
I love how Leah just called out Jada’s claim that kids were at the hide and seek game. I believe Leah, however I hope she’s wrong about Jada. I would rather that Jada be quietly detached from that cult. (Really that she publicly denounce them but you know that’s not going to happen.) I want Jada to have distanced herself enough from it so that she’s no longer giving them her money or time. Jada may be too intimidated to make a break from Scientology, as she knows the dirt they have in her and the dirty tricks they pull to keep people from leaving. I hope she’s out in her own way. This story from Leah does explain so much about the Smiths though, and about their lack of focus on traditional education for their kids. I’ll leave it at that.
Jada tweeted either last night or this morning about the claims and says she’s isn’t a Scientologist. I just finished reading the tweets. She doesn’t deny going to the centre though
this is something they have been doing for quite some time: giving an “acceptable truth” which means plain just lie. Jason lee also denied to be Scientologist, actually he said he was leaving the cult, but the truth is he’s still very much in. I think this is the new approach, after the backlash and spotlight with Leah’s show and the documentaries denouncing their dirty ways, for many Scientologist celebrities who appear to have been given the permission to deny their involvement with the cult, if that’s what takes the heat off them and their careers. But in truth they keep being attached to the cult. And the money keeps flowing. I think Leah herself said it that there’s something Scientologists use and is called like acceptable truth or something like that, which basically means they’re allowed to lie publicly. I expect many others, who might think their careers might be suffering from their link with the cult, or simply those who doesn’t want to discuss their ties with the cult, will be given similar answers. “I’m not a Scientologist” I just use some of their techniques and courses. It works for me” that’s basically their to-go automatic answer which should shout down any criticism.
Exactly! Since Scientologists are now given permission to lie about being Scientologists proves even more they are a cult and not a church as they claim. They should be taxed by the government like any other business but currently has church status so they are enjoying all their profits tax free. Hit them where it hurts…in the pocket and bring down this cult!
I believe it. Remember when Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes, David and Victoria Beckham and Will and Jada Pinkett Smith made all of these high profile appearances together for a few weeks? I think the Scienos got the Smiths but not the Beckhams. Will and Jada seem stupid enough to fall for all of that clap trap.
What seems stupid about Will and Jada, outside of their parenting style?
Stupid may be too harsh of a term but I don’t think their brains are nearly as large as their combined egos.
Being weird is far more acceptable in the US. Celebrities or not.
That’s my (completely unproven) theory as to why the Smiths fells for it but the Beckhams didn’t.
I also hope this isn’t true, but you know, us black woman will get thrown under the bus, when Moss got a pass yesterday.
(if it is true then she does need to be…criticized, I just found the defending of Moss yesterday gross and hypocritical)
@MommyMaura On board with you. Elizabeth Moss is being praised for her good work in a show that portrays a society controled by a cult while she is in a cult that acts just like that to people and get a pass from society.
Im not watching anything with Elizabeth Moss. Or anyone from that cult.
As for Jada i think she is part of it, but that’s her problem. On a superficial note, Jada does not age and neither does her mum.
Same. I actually cancelled my Hulu subscription over a handmaids tale… It’s their most popular series right now and it seems better to cancel over it. Moss says the right things. She’s sweet enough and yes, talented. She’s also benefiting from a horrible cult. No excuses…
For some reason Moss always gets a pass around here even though she has been deep into the cult for years. If Jada is in it, she deserves shade along with Moss and every there poor sap who got hooked. The way they raise kids is borderline abusive.
no pass from me. not a Moss fan even if the show is good.
No Scientologist gets a pass from me. If I recall correctly, most posters were not giving Moss a pass yesterday. I will go back and re-read.
I didn’t mean commenters, everyone was basically like, “not today!” with that BS.
I think people give Moss more of a pass because she was raised in the cult – she didn’t choose it. It’s all she’s ever known. Also, if she left she would likely be cut off by her entire family and most of her friends. Leah Remini managed to convince her whole family to leave, but that is rare. Choosing something freely as an adult is different to being raised in a religion and a belief system. Miss could be completely brainwashed after a lifetime of indoctrination. It’s also possible that she’s not that into it but stays quiet so as not to rock the boat and lose her family and friends. Then again she could be a wilfully blind cultist a-hole too. The point is that it’s not quite the same thing.
Moss gets no pass from me. Neither does Jada. Nope nope nope
I’m convinced what Leah Remini’s come out with about growing up in CO$ with your whole family entrenched makes it that much harder to get out – you’d lose your own family.
So genuine question: does this mean everyone here will boycott Jada like they are boycotting Moss?
eh..I just won’t comment on any of her posts anymore if this turns out true. Just like I won’t click on any of Moss after finding out.
We know for a fact moss is a member, I’m not sure that Jada is or not. I hope not.
I just thought it was gross what was going on with Moss.
We watch a lot of British TV, and movies. So yes, we, at our house, do our best to make any small stand when we find out things like this.
Which started as painful- I really liked Will. And Tom Cruise- I loved his movies. But it’s that moment of “nope, Will is in it” that reminded me of the pain and suffering of those in scientology. So it serves as a reminder that I get a choice, others do not.
It’s a small thing, I acknowledge that. But it something I can do, every time, and when asked, I can reply “He’s a scientologist and it’s a cult that abuses people”. Maybe it gets to someone else, and so on.
so yes, we do avoid once we find out, in my house.
@ ArchieGoodwin–No, I don’t think it’s a “small thing” at all. It takes a real commitment, particularly knowing how deep the Scio-Hollywood connection is–Co$ permeates a lot of corners of the entertainment industry.
And I’m coming clean: I won’t boycott Beck.
Sorry guys, I’m just not strong enough. *insert blue-faced, sweaty emoji here*
Our viewing selection has dwindled over the years in this house due to the insight gained about many of the celebrities, whether they be scientologist, misogynist, rapist, child abuser, or just your run-of-the mill pig. It was upsetting at first, but honestly, the less media we watch, the happier we are. We’ve read more than ever, and have even started investing in board games and puzzles again. Woot! It’s like I can feel my brain cells regenerating!! 🙂
@ Kitten, Good question. I don’t know that I’m going to boycott Jada or Moss. What I did say yesterday on the comments was that I wasn’t going to give Moss a pass. I won’t give Jada one either.
I don’t know that I’m “all in” on boycotting either one of them. I detest the organization they belong to (and yes I definitely believe Jada is a Scientologist), but I don’t know that I won’t ever see a movie with Jada or Moss.
What I am saying is that I don’t want to read an article which fawns over Moss or Jada. I don’t want to hear how great Moss or her show is. If someone wants to watch it, that’s their choice. But I don’t want to read about how lovely she is as the article about her yesterday tried to accomplish.
@jugil1 – thank you for what I think is an entirely reasonable and, let’s face it, most realistic approach. This boycotting business is very complex.
While I agree completely with the idea of not giving any known Scibot a pass (and most certainly not a fawning and ‘oh well but never mind’ pass), I equally will not deprive myself of other actors’ excellence because of a known Scibot presence in a tv show/movie/theatre production.
In Cruise terms, this would be ‘Magnolia’ – imo, him at his absolute best – but it also features the staggeringly talented Philip Seymour Hoffman, also at his absolute best. Why should I deprive myself of the latter because of the scibottery (but, in the case of Magnolia, also the brilliance) of the former.
As I said, it’s very complex.
Archie, I’m with you. I will not use my hard-earned money to support that cult, nor will I spend it on anything or anyone that has anything to do with Woody Allen or Roman Polanski. That meant cutting out a LOT of actors as well (who signed that petition), but…. that’s how it goes. My pittance may not count for a lot in the scheme of things, but it will add up with others, like you and your family. As in anything, (make/take a) stand with your convictions.
@ Skylark- TC was so freaking good in Magnolia. I honestly never cared for him as an actor until I saw him in that movie.
It’s easier for me to boycott Cruise than it is for me to boycott Beck. Is convenient boycotting acceptable? 😉
ITA that nobody should be fawning over these people.
I don’t boycott any of them. Call me hypocritical. I despise Scientology and never get anyone being dumb enough to stay sucked in. I have asked the question of ex-Scientologists on Tony Ortega’s site before. They were very open about why and how.
. But I have watched many shows with Scientologists just because I like the shows. I don’t watch Tom Cruise movies anymore as he is out of his mind with power, except for Mission Impossible. I love those movies when they come out. And somehow I can put my dislike for what Tom has become to enjoy MI movies.
So I wouldn’t boycott Jada either. I do wonder if she is still in it, though.
I love Amazon’s Sneaky Pete with Giovanni Ribisi. He’s so talented. He was raised in Scientology. His sister is married to Beck. Giovanni’s mother is big in the organization and is a talent manager, put her two kids in show business. Giovanni’s daughter got out a few years ago, but at least then said she hasn’t been declared an SP and still is in touch with her family. She actually didn’t admit who she was in the radio interview but then it was figured out later on by Tony Ortega. She had to get out. She was severely depressed. https://tonyortega.org/2016/04/06/lucia-ribisi-ditches-scientology-and-says-of-famous-dad-giovanni-hes-questioned-it/
But I listen to Beck’s music, and he’s a Scientologist, another one born into it.
It’s just my personal decision. Did everyone stop watching Mad Men because Moss was in the show? No.
I do believe Jason Lee is out of it.
I boycott the lot of them, including Beck. Maybe especially Beck as it kind of hurt to find out he was a scientologist. A lot of things were easier before the internet, including ignoring the personal life of people whose work I admire. With someone like Beck I’m sad about that. But as someone said yesterday about Elizabeth Moss, these are not powerless people, they do not need to stay in that cult or defend it. I am interested to find out if Jada has been quietly distancing herself from Scientology.
For what it’s worth, I read the twitter comments on a post by the ACLU commending Moss for wearing the ribbon and being an advocate and the commenters were NOT having it. It was actually pretty wonderful to see so many people calling them out. It feels like the more we celebrate COS members for being advocates/allies we’re excusing their participation in a truly horrific cult that we know beyond reasonable doubt has caused immeasurable harms to countless people. It normalizes and legitimizes COS when members are celebrated in mainstream media, and that cannot happen. There are so many amazing people out there that are TRUE allies and advocates, let’s highlight them instead.
Gotta love that woman photo bombing Tom Cruise.
I always assumed both Jada and Will were Scibots. Quite surprised to hear that Will isn’t…
Will must have been on board to some extant. I assume that it was his income that financed the Scientology school. He’s also given many interviews that make it sound like he follows Scientology’s tenets.
That said, I’m hoping that they both quietly drifted away from it.
Remember Will Smith made the scientology-based movie with Jaden -After Earth and it BOMBED? I am not buying Will was never in it. He may not be in it now…but he was drinkin the kool-aid.
Why would you chill at a scientology unless a member? Great smoothie bar or something?
Kind of surprised, despite the way they raised their kids in a COS style. She seems strong willed and fierce, not someone I would think could be coerced.
Yeah, Jada’s totally lying. No way you go and endure the hard sell on the regular if you’re not a member. I believe Leah.
Jada is trying to discredit Leah. That’s a pretty strong sign that she’s still a closeted Co$. Will is openly regretting the Co$ style education/parenting of his kids. That’s a good sign that he’s not really in himself but has gone along with Jada.
Besides the school Will and Jada supported that was quite obviously Co$ – their kids were in a co-op type sort of home schooling arrangement for a while that was very clearly run by Co$ principles. That’s why those kids are so poorly educated. Home schooling with rich parents can ordinarily get you a really good education. Look at how Michael Jackson did it for his kids. Or the Jolie-Pitt kids. The Smith kids were victims of Co$ educational principles.
Leah has nothing to gain at this point–and nothing to really lose either as she’s out of the cult. I think she’s 100% credible in her assessment of Jada.
Does Scientology even allow long term”dabbling”? I guess if you’re a celebrity the rules are different. How will they feel about her denying them?
Tom Cruise’s overly-grinning face and limp left hand indicate he’s far more interested in the camera than Katie. It’s almost like she’s a prop or something.
Was the hide and seek game so the gentlemen could have some quick and dirty alone time?? LOL
I know I read somewhere a long time ago that Tom was into games and role-play. This kinda fits. Interesting…
When they founded that school it was a total giveaway that they were Scientologists.
Why is this questionable cult allowed to still operate? Why has it not been shut down and all its members rounded up and arrested?
I do not understand how in 2017 Scientology (which is really just an elaborate Ponzi scheme and hoax extraordinaire not to mention criminal and depraved) is still functioning and operational.
I will never understand how this cult/ponzi scheme organization hasn’t had their tax-exempt status stripped away. It makes me sick. They aren’t as powerful as they once were, so why hasn’t IRS gone back after them?
I loathe smug self-righteousness. And no, there is no Sci affiliation. Just an alternate view.
Smug self-righteousness because people refuse to support a destructive cult?
Seriously.
How is it self righteous to not want to support a cult that literally gets its lifeblood from the horrific abuses it perpetrates on its members?
I thought it was well known Jada was into Scientology. I guess any celeb who is should run for cover since Leah is holding no punches. First gig she’s had where she actually gets acclaim. She’s like Ray Liotta’s character in Good Fellas. I’m glad she got out, but…..
Why not? The “church” has declared war on Leah, and she’s telling no lies. She knows she bares responsibility to speak the truth, because she was once such a big promoter. She’s atoning.
Exactly! Someone with enough notoriety needs to speak out. She has the leverage so she’s helping expose them for what they are.
If Jada is a Scientologist doesn’t it piss them off that she denies it? They don’t seem like the type of organization that welcomes people who deny them publicly.
They’re probably so desperate right now since “enrollment is down” & they need to keep their celeb cred, they’ll take what they can get. Her checks cash the same whether she admits or denies affiliation.
She’s wealthy. If they can get those checks, that’s what they care about.
they encourage lying. and they probably see it useful to have members who deny being members but at the same time don’t say anything negative about them
At the risk of being purely superficial, I really don’t like Jada’s cheek implants. She looked so much better before.
They’re ghastly. Like silicone chicken cutlets under her skin.
I agree. Jada was pretty before. Why? The first time I saw her with them, I thought what the F?
You can’t get your formative years of education back. What a failure to their kids
I think the author of yesterday’s article on Moss was the only one defending Moss. Every other comment I read was giving her no passes.
Yeah that’s what I thought too. I really didn’t see many people defending her, the vast majority of commenters weren’t having it.
That was who I was referring to. Not the comments.
hey, though.
People do what they can. It is unreasonable to expect everyone to follow every cause we ourselves deem worthy and responsible to take a stand against. For every cause I stand for, there are others I cannot, due to time, not knowing they are there, or other reasons.
For example- I greatly admire Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher for speaking up so vocally about human trafficking. It is something I am aware of, but I cannot myself advocate for it, because reading the stories is a trigger. I just cannot. It pains me to say I cannot read those articles, I don’t know statistics, all the while knowing as I sit here someone is being abused, raped, tortured.
But if I went through life trying to be everything to everyone, I’d be nothing to anyone. So we have to do what we can, and count on others to pick up where we cannot.
just my thoughts. We ALL play a part. No shaming for anyone who doesn’t do what we do, because we can’t know what they do, that we don’t.
I agree with that completely. I def. don’t do enough and we can always do more. I was not trying to shame anyone. I was just very upset about the Moss situation, especially since yesterday. I wrote a lengthy respectful response and for whatever reason, I was banned and my comment didn’t make it through.
I don’t know why because everyone was essentially saying the same thing. Maybe it was because I addressed the author directly? I wasn’t rude or anything. I just didn’t like the hypocrisy and after countless times trying to respond I gave up.
So when I saw this thread I decided to add my thoughts on both situations.
(I apologize for my bad English.)
You’re English is lovely.
Was there ever any doubt?
I believe Leah 100%!!!!!
Me too! And it explains sooo much about their kids.
I thought the comment about Will regretting the way they raised their children was interesting. Now honestly, I don’t know the family, nor do I know what goes on in their home, but we have many friends who, while not scientologists, do seem to have a hands-off, few/no limits or rules with their children and it’s easy to see the repercussions at a relatively early age. Creativity is off the charts, but the idea of authority is totally lost on the kids. It makes me wonder how they would fare if they lived in the real world without money and connections.
I don’t watch anything with Elizabeth Moss. I also don’t watch Tom Cruise… the other day a friend asked me about some new Tom Cruise movie and I said it clear – I even turn off TV when an old TC movie is on, I will never pay to go and see his movie in cinema. The same goes for Jada. And Travolta… I do watch Scientology and the aftermath and it breaks my heart every time. I believe them 100% … so many stories so many people have already come forward, and I hope that Leah will be the end for that cult. That said … I also don’t watch movies from Woddy Allen or Roman Polanski… because I am crazy like that … sorry for bad grammar, English is not my first language
Honestly I loved A Few Good Men and would watch it every chance it was on but not after I read Going Clear. I’m disgusted by the abuses this cult heaps on people and they way they attack anyone who dares defy their “directives”. David Miscaviage and TC have matching motorcycles….gross. Every picture of DM looks like he’s getting ready to unhinge his jaw and swallow my soul. No thank you.
@Sofia – I agree completely! About all of them.
Hunter – Children vary in their resilience and so some can survive basically raising themselves. It doesn’t stifle creativity to realize you are not the center of the universe, and some structure can be very liberating.
But the reluctance of parents to just be parents baffles me. Helping your child learn what you know about how life works seems rather basic, and not doing that seems lazy. Cats don’t let their kittens wander aimlessly, they teach them cat manners and how to do cat things. And they adjust the lessons to the age of the kitten – being careful not to make physical contact when boxing with the tinies, waiting a while before allowing wrestling and then holding back to avoid crushing the kitten’s enthusiasm. I’ve seen this repeatedly with foster cat parents in my own home. How did humans get so off track?
can I just say I love you used cats?
now I can picture all these momma cats teaching their kittens to be mannerly, wipes their paws and cleans their whisks.
We got out kitty at 2 months, I had to teach her to use her little box, how to play with toys, how to eat from bowls (she was on a farm, a free for all before we got her)>
I’m a Momma Cat!
That is cute Archie the Momma Cat. I love my furry babies even the guinea pig is growing on me. lol
It is so much easier to have an adult cat around who takes over the teaching job…. 🙂
Even the current Senior Cat, who was sort of a W.C. Fields to the youngster for a while, has been just as cautious as her late kindly foster dad about avoiding real contact until the kid is older and bigger. She would get annoyed enough to swat at the little pest in the early days, but always above the head. Never a mark on the kid. Senior Cat liked to curse a lot, though. Can’t blame her. I hissed at the kitten myself once.
The kitten remains totally unafraid and watches everything Senior Cat does for pointers, however. The older is supposed to teach the younger. Why would any human think their kids have to reinvent all the wheels? It goes against Nature.
More power to Leah in doing what she’s doing. Good stuff. Keep calling them out.
What I find baffling is that in all this scientology bashing people never bring up that EVERY “church” started of as a cult.
Many posters here believe in a mystical “God” but seem to feel no obvious dissonance in attacking people who do basically the same…
And please do not start about this whole “but real christians/muslims/whatever are not like this”
Yes they are… there is a big unproven believe system behind EVERY single church!
I 100% agree with you! I think Scientology is ridiculous and stupid but I also think the same of the other religions.