Us Magazine inexplicably chose to put Scientology celebrities as it’s cover story this week and relegated the much more deserving Chadwick Boseman to a secondary feature. The story they’re running with is that the big-name Scientology celebrities are being reined in by the “church” now that there are fissures in the foundation with new bombshell allegations from Leah Remini and proud cult member Danny Masterson being arrested for rape. The question is, what’s going on? According to Us, leader David Misgavige is closing ranks on his big three – Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Kirstie Alley – to bring the others back home.
The Church of Scientology is under fire now more than ever, but don’t count on hearing from longtime celebrity members such as Tom Cruise, Kirstie Alley or John Travolta anytime soon.
The A-listers put their trust in the organization’s leader, David Miscavige, years ago — and there could be serious consequences if they tried to back out now.
“David’s word is all powerful,” the source tells Us. “And the risk of speaking out is too great.”
Really? That was the shocking story that relegated the passing of Chadwick Boseman to an also ran? So we *still* don’t know what’s going on in the whacked-out cult, but we have theories. Kaiser thinks this is about John Travolta having a wakeup call after Kelly Preston passed and he’s looking to get out. I could definitely buy in to this theory. It seems that of the three, he’s always been the most eager to leave and is also the easiest to bring back.
But I wonder if something even larger going on? As I said above, I think the cracks in the “religion” are getting larger and for the first time, we are seeing that CoS is unable to protect its members. Leah exposed Tom’s ‘nice guy’ personality as a sham on the heels of Thandie Newton doing the same. I don’t think that’s a coincidence, I truly think there’s more to Leah’s reason why she left it out of her first expose. And Masterson actually getting charged – high profile Scientologists have always evaded actual charges, with the accusations against them eventually being written off as rumors – see the afore mentioned John T and his treatment of masseurs. CB sent me this story about a series for Australian television called Scientology Black Ops that got scrapped, likely due to Tom C and Tommy Davies pressuring James Packer to kill it. But The Underground Bunker saw the episode and were able to transcribe it before everything was scrubbed from the internet and now we can all read it for ourselves. I think CoS is losing its power. I don’t know how, but I think what’s flowing out is greater than what’s flowing in and they can’t figure out how.
I don’t doubt that freakish, wife-hiding elf who runs the place is spinning out and trying to bring the big boys home to roost as an example to all those below them. But I really don’t know if it will work this time. The one that needs to leave is Cruise. I don’t think any of us care at this point what Kirstie does. And John might leave, but I’ll bet he’ll swear silence and keep that promise if he does. But if Tom leaves, even if he doesn’t say anything, it will be proof that Miscavige has lost control and I imagine the whole place will crumble. I’m not holding my breath, but it’s sure nice to fantasize about.
Photo credit: Us Magazine and Getty Images
They have way too much dirt on John for him to leave. Beyond what we know, I’m sure they managed to stifle some legal cases and they hold that over his head to keep him compliant. Even if he did stop attending or believing, I think he would probably continue to pay money just to keep him out of the headlines. It’s way too salacious.
While I agree on the dirt, I don’t think he has anymore f#$ks to give. TC is never leaving. Kirstie seems pretty comfortable. John seems only to have stayed this long because of Kelley. He made a PRETTY big point to thank all the doctors and medical staff that attended to Kelley. What do they really have on him at this point that we don’t already know about? I hope, if it’s his desire, that he makes it out.
I read after the death of his son, he was eager to leave and then all the masseuse stories popped up and Kelly, who’s hardcore, convinced him to stay. Now that Kelly is gone, he can really break free.
I do feel sorry for him. He’s not power hungry like Tommy. I think Tommy is complicit in a lot of ways.
@CoKatie, I hope so too, but I imagine even with Kelly gone, he wants to protect his kids. COS would have no problem ripping him apart and devastating his kids to accomplish their own goals.
IDK anymore, things are quite different in the world of Scientology just recently. The community of ex-Scientologists (including former auditors who worked with John) and COS watchers over on Tony Ortega’s website at least think it’s plausible he could want out now and now might be the perfect time where somebody could get him free of their hold (his good friend Lisa Marie Presley has been mentioned at the one who might do this. She’s left the church and was on the low-key warpath to take Miscavige down).
I think it’s very possible and the “dirt” won’t matter. Because John’s been a Scientologist so longer he has an equal amount of dirt on them as well, they’ve been involved in a lot of less than legal incidents and practices. And they’re really under some seriously heat right now with being named in the Danny Masterson rapes lawsuits.
Like you said who gives AF about Kirstie Alley anymore? Like if she leaves and they expose all the dirt they have on her then…? She doesn’t do movies or tv anymore? Same with John Travolta. Do either of them even work anymore? Unless they threaten worse than exposing secrets and threaten actual harm which, yeah, that would be daunting to leave in that case. I imagine it would be extremely difficult for them to even have conversations with outside lawyers/PR people to figure out a plan since they are so tightly controlled.
JT might not have worked as much in the past few years b/c of his wife’s cancer diagnosis, but yes…up until that he was working quite a bit…it’s just that it isn’t that amazing or award worthy, so it doesn’t keep people’s attention.
If they have evidence of actual criminal offences, the threat of jail time might be enough to keep people in line.
I think it’s this, plus the potential for public humiliation from all the taped auditing schemes they do to get people to talk about their deepest, darkest secrets. Plus, hidden cameras. Everywhere.
Kristie will never leave, she’s apparently quite delusional about it (you can read her Tweets and see) and a die-hard. It’s all she has nowadays.
But John has almost left once before, back after his son died. Scientology had to send a team of handlers to stay with him 24/7 for the entire year afterward to make sure he stayed loyal, indoctrinated, and saw them as the only possible option to heal. Instead of real help.
If those 3 are the “big 3” the cult is in trouble. Not that they aren’t living legends in their own right (John and Tom in particular), but they aren’t exactly the face of new Hollywood. That tells me their influence is declining and they are having trouble attracting new big name members, which will be an issue for them.
Tom Cruise still makes absolute boatloads of money in overseas box offices for powerful people outside of CO$ too.
I was always under the impression Kelly was more into it than John, and there were rumblings of him wanting out after their son passed away. I always feel kind of bad for him (they’ve clearly blackmailed him into staying) but then remember the allegations against him.
I have to think it has very little pull in Hollywood anymore. At one point its stars were huge in the business, and I bet that attracted people, but now? Kirstie hasn’t done anything but bitch at people and publicly battle her weight for like decades now, Tom is basically seen as a nut who makes a good MI movie now and then, and no one else in it is really flourishing. Elisabeth Moss is the only one with a currently hot career.
I sense that Kelly sort of moved away from the religion toward the end of her life because she openly confirmed Jett was autistic. She didn’t do that before. She blamed it on Kawasaki syndrome for the longest time. I read the $cis don’t acknowledge autism so that’s why she put out the Kawasaki theory. However, in the last few years she finally acknowledged the truth. She also didn’t die in some $ci compound so there’s that too.
They did not blackmail John into staying. They sent a team of Scientology officials to be with him 24/7 for the entire year after Jet’s death so that he’d be completely dependent upon them. And it worked.
As far as who they have now who’s young. They actually have a flock of decent younger talents- Moss, Laura Prepon and her husband Ben Foster (he’s not an “official” Scientologist but his entire life is surrounded by Scientology, he goes to all the events & he married one, so he basically is), Erika Christensen is talented, the younger Masterson duo of Alanna and Jordan, Riley Keough’s still in AFAIK (that could change with her brother’s tragic death & her mom being “out” though), there are some miscellaneous talents like Lyndsey Bartilson, Chris Masterson, Bijou Phillips, Juliet Lewis, Jason Dohring, Michael Pena, Ethan Suplee, Marisol Nichols who all get solid work. Recently they’ve been pushing Bella Cruise and Ella Travolta more towards the public so they might join the “next gen” showbusiness kids soon.
There’s also Danny Masterson but he appears to be occupied for the time being, although he still plays a role linking a key friend group in Scientology together off-screens.
TL/DR- star wannabes keep coming to the church because they still have decent connections behind the scenes and Scientology kids get into acting a lot anyways, so they’ll always be some around in Hollywood.
1. John looks better without his wig. He does.
2. Kirstie hasn’t been relevant since about 1995. That’s sad that she’s considered one of the big celebs in this cult.
It must make it difficult for her to leave as well if the cult and its members still treat her like the big star she used to be.
Yep years of headpieces for a man so damn handsome he didn’t need em.
When you leave quietly using whatever excuse you need, never say a word against Scientology you remain safe. Travolta’s defection would not surprise me. His wife needed medical care, against Sci rules and she was treated. Kirstie is unhinged, she’ll remain. Cruise is close to Miscaviage, he too will remain.
Lisa Marie left and she never said anything. I think it’s true the rich can leave on their own. There were reports that Tommy Davis and his wife left.
I’m not sure LIsa Marie has left. Leah Remini said she reached out to her and her ex after the death of her son and she didn’t get any response from either of them. She may have left and isn’t reaching out to people who are vocal because she has family she doesn’t want to be cut off from.
I feel like Tom is so propped up and worshipped, it would be hard for him to leave. hard for him to do the internal work about just how very wrong he was, and just how much he fucked up, including poisoning his kids against their mom, and abandoning the kid that scientology didn’t get its claws into.
I think his head would explode.
In scientology, he is always right, and good, and powerful and adored.
I think for any of us humans, that would be hard to break from.
He would have to mentally start from scratch and figure out who is really is.
It would be daunting.
But I always feel like Travolta’s blackmail material is all the evidence that he is a gay man, and I feel like, with his wife gone (RIP), and it basically being an open secret, maybe he will some day be ready to say- screw it- I am who I am.
I read a lovely story about a 90 year old man who came out.
Never too late.
Does Kirstie Alley count as a celebrity still?
Tom Cruise is a true believer – he will never leave. His involvement goes way beyond “being blackmailed” (including many documented cases of slave labour in his home). If anything, he wants to be #1 not #2. They treat him like Jesus and he wants to be God…or Xenu in this case.
Has anyone watched the Path on Hulu? I always picture David Misgraves as Hugh Dancy’s character, Cal. Love, love, love Hugh Dancy, BTW.
Will + Hannibal forever!
Yes!!!!!!
A friend of a friend did some work for some builder. Office space was for these freaks. Said some crazy shit was there. An empty office built for L Ron Hubbard for when he comes back. No one could go in. Just a office set up with a desk and chair, roped off so no one could go in. Main developer and all the workers had to sign NDAs too.
There’s a whole mansion set up for Hubbard’s return
If Kelly delayed getting treatment because of her beliefs, that might be enough for John to leave. I have no idea if she did or not but I have heard stories of other people who tried to use faith in place of doctors and it never ends well.
Leah Remini and Mike Rinder have a new podcast Scientology: Fair Game. Just discovered it yesterday and am listening to all of the episodes so far right now.
Thanks for the recommendation. Downloading now.
It’s a fantastic podcast. They interview Paulette Cooper who Scientology tried to set up for a felony charge. Tony Ortega wrote an excellent book about it called The Unbreakable Miss Lovely. I highly recommend it.
I think old establishments, pre social media, are disintegrating. Because unless they’ve evolved, unless they’ve reorganized missions and agendas to include a certain level of being forthright, benevolent and involved, their time has passed. And we all know how pathetic it looks when old constitutions struggle with gnarled grips.
You’re a narcissist treated like a God in that cult. Why would they ever leave. And Kelly was a true believer she probably believed she could manifest the cancer out of her through her super powers. John seems so passive he wouldn’t challenge her. Until it was too late and at that stage they were just giving her palliative care. Scio is cagey, they never say you can’t get medical attention. But it’s well known you should be able to cure yourself, or you have too many thetans in you or something that you failed in doing right. And I assume John’s kids are deep into it also. Leah talks about this, the only way to leave is if everyone leaves at once. That is the only way they can’t hurt you.
John and Kelly’s youngest is a minor, so he could leave now with that kid. His daughter, Ella is an adult, but hopefully would leave with her dad. I don’t understand Travolta, no one at this stage would care if he was gay or bisexual. He’s past the hot A-lister stage and is doing character roles.
I’m on team John and I hope he leaves. He looks great in the photo w/ ruffled shirt and shaved head!
Still shaking my head over how a science fiction writer gave rise to this organization?!?
The fifties were crazier than most people think.
I could see tom leaving if he gets tired of the elfs shit
Tom could burn everything to the ground, so even though I’m sure there is tons of dirt on him, the elf couldn’t risk it
Movie Tom would leave and take all the victims with him. Unfortunately, real life Tom is a coward and a user.
You captured him perfectly with this.
Miscavige and TC are besties. Miscavige has him wrapped around his little finger. Cruise will never leave.
Kirstie is really only a celeb in the context of Co$. I can’t see her breaking away.
JT I could see making a break. Hopefully he will be able to get his family on board to leave with him. Everyone talks about blackmail, but the real lever is disconnection.
Tom won’t ever leave. He’s treated like the Messiah, thinks that he has superpowers and is surrounded by Sea Org slaves that do his bidding 24/7. This man chose Scientology over his first two wives, poisoned his children against their Mother and completely abandoned his child due to his devotion. Kirstie has nowhere to go. She’s drinking Scientology and Trump koolaid, is a rabid anti-vaxxer, conspiracy theory spouting, has been. She literally comes across as completely unhinged. Travolta seems the most likely to exit. By all accounts Kelly was the diehard believer and he stayed for her. Unlike Tom Cruise, I think that John Travolta would choose his children over his “religion”.
I agree with you.
Tony Ortega’s website covering Scient. has laid out how Tom Cruise has purchased units on multiple floors of a luxury building in Clearwater, Florida which is a big HQ city for the “faith”. In addition to housing Tom there are units purchased for Tom’s sisters and their families who are die hards. Tom’s grown up kids Conor and Isabella are heavily in the cult. He ain’t ever leaving.
Travolta is the only one I could see bailing out, but then again his daughter Ella Bleu Travolta is very into the cult.
One of the many interesting parts of Leah Remini’s book Troublemaker was that Cruise disliked Travolta and Alley and wanted nothing to do with them.
Yes, they didn’t make the cut for his inner circle and didn’t get to play hide and seek with Will and Jada Pinkett Smith or watch him scream at his assistant about cookie dough. Troublemaker is a great book.
I lived in and around Clearwater for a few years. The locals HATE the Scientologists. They’ve invaded everything from the police department to the city council to push their agenda. When I’m in town, I deliberately go downtown and into a local Starbucks. The Fort Harrison Hotel is across the road and they have cameras everywhere. I flip off the Fort Harrison as I walk by. My friends are terrified I’ll get attacked. Don’t care. I’m sure my face is on a list somewhere. I’ve been doing it for YEARS. 🙂
Scientology needs to die. I’m hoping John will “blow” and raze them to the ground.
Kirstie Alley’s hair-part is so wide in this image, it’s like her entitlement streak erupted out of the top of her head.
I think everything that happened between Katie and Tom really kicked off Scientology’s down fall. Their relationship was so public and it brought too much attention to the weirder sides of Scientology. So, by the time she left him, people understood why she left the way she did. It had become mainstream that Scientology wasn’t just a silly cult, but genuinely dangerous. It’s been crumbling ever since. There was no way for them to really repair that.
I agree, that was a major turning point, plus Lawrence Wright’s book Going Clear and related documentaries.
I recently read Leah Remini’s book Troublemaker and I must say I really side eye Katie Holmes. There are scenes in that book of Tom verbally abusing his Sea Org unpaid labor retinue, screaming and calling them degraded beings, as Katie stands by. And Katie herself snitched on Leah to higher ups and wrote ‘knowledge reports’ to get her punished. It’s interesting that other Hollywood actresses (Penelope Cruz, Sofia Vergara) ran like hell from it all, but Katie instantly was having his baby and committing to the whole scene. She wasn’t that young and given the family guidance from her lawyer father that eventually led to her leaving, she had resources and advice. I couldn’t help but think that only when Katie realized the cult was going to affect her kid adversely she left, what about all the Sea Org and other kids and people that were serving Kate and Tom for years and being abused? She seemed fine with that for years.
I’ve always side-eyed Holmes for this. I’m glad her child is safe, but that safety was bought was some serious shit she agreed not to expose in exchange for custody. People continue to suffer when she could play a part in bringing them down.
I really doubt she was complicit if she were she would’ve stuck around I do find it funny people trash her but not Nicole Kidman who was with him a lot longer and left her kids behind.
I doubt Katie got with him knowing this if she did she wouldn’t have left in the first place. If you think she’s soulless enough to marry him for $$$ she’s soulless enough to stay like every other golddigger. Maybe she wasn’t as terrible as people here think she is.
Tom won’t leave. His entire identity is wrapped ip in Scientology. He lost two wives because of it. And willingly abandoned his child for it. I feel that of anyone he is the LEAST likely to leave.
He lost three wives actually—Tony Ortega’s site has the whole juicy story on how Scientology convinced Tom to dump his first wife, Mimi Rogers, who is credited for introducing Tom to Scientology in the first place. They wanted her out of the picture because she was the wrong kind of Scientologist (her father was part of an offshoot independent group not under David Miscavige’s control).
And reportedly Penelope Cruz and esp Sofia Vergara left him because of it! He is totally into the gorgeous Latina ladies.
IMO, John Travolta has had a lot of loss in his life.
When he was young, his girlfriend passed from cancer, his disabled son died young, now he has lost his wife to cancer also.
If John Travolta wants to leave CoS and take his children out also I say Good for Him!
His youngest child is under 10, I think. Get out and away.
Travolta is a multi-millionaire whose children will be financially set. Why stay?
What can CoS possibly have on Travolta or Cruise? Have they murdered anyone? No.
If the item they are being blackmailed to stay, is their sexuality…Does anyone truly care anymore?
These are men in their late 50’s-early 60’s…They are not box office Superstars anymore.
And Cruise and Travolta are both wealthy enough to move/live anyplace they care to, never work another day.
I do think Cruise is a complete control freak and will not leave because he is treated like a gd King by CoS. He gets off on the power they give him.
I still have hopes that John can get away.
I’m so glad y’all covered this. It’s very interesting.