Scientology is a religion that was founded by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard in the early 1950s. It is based on Hubbard’s book “Dianetics,” which he claimed could help individuals achieve greater spiritual awareness and remove mental barriers that were holding them back in life. According to the Church of Scientology, the religion seeks to help individuals understand their true spiritual nature and reach a state of spiritual enlightenment through a series of teachings and practices. However, Scientology has been the subject of controversy and criticism over the years, with some former members alleging that the organization engages in abusive and controlling behavior towards its members, among other issues.
The term “Scientology” is derived from the Latin word “scio,” which means “knowing,” and the Greek word “logos,” which means “study of.” According to L. Ron Hubbard, the name reflects the religion’s focus on the study and exploration of spiritual and metaphysical knowledge. Hubbard believed that his teachings and practices were based on scientific principles and methods. He claimed that Scientology provided a means of exploring and understanding the spiritual and metaphysical aspects of human existence that were not accessible through traditional scientific methods. Hubbard argued that by applying scientific principles such as observation, experimentation, and analysis, individuals could achieve greater self-awareness and spiritual enlightenment.
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Thousands of people around the world practice and believe in Scientology. Celebrities are people too, which means they can believe in and practice it, but that doesn’t mean the general public agrees with their beliefs. Many celebrities have tarnished their reputations by joining Scientology because of the religion’s negative associations. They stand by their beliefs, even if a few of them keep their beliefs under the radar and don’t speak openly about them, while other celebrities left the practice before their reputation suffered any longer.
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Riley Keough
Keough practiced Scientology since childhood. As Elvis Presley’s granddaughter, she and many other members of the Presley family believe in Scientology. She didn’t have a choice from birth, as she was born straight into the religion. But she spent the rest of her life fighting for the cause, even after her mother left. We can’t pick our family, which is why Keough is a great example of someone whose reputation was not only tarnished by Scientology but by her differing beliefs from her mother as she grew older (Seventeen).
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Danny & Christopher Masterson
In childhood, these two brother celebrities began their Scientology practice. While Christopher more or less drifted into his own beliefs, Christopher became more serious about his teachings during his teenage years. Laura Prepon, who dated one of the brothers in the early 2000s also dabbled in Scientology practices. The Mastersons had their influence. During an interview with People magazine, Danny said, “In Scientology, there’s no belief system or anyone who’s worshiped or whatnot; it’s all sort of like college of the mind. And so I grew up not having to go and pray to anyone. I grew up just sort of like, ‘Oh if you’re thirsty, drink water.’” In 2017, Masterson’s reputation dwindled after he was accused of sexual assault, which became not only a sexual assault trial but a trial on Scientology (Cheat Sheet).
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Michelle Stafford
The Young and Restless star Michelle Stafford practices Scientology after she left General Hospital in 2019. The General Hospital show’s storyline eerily resembled that of Scientology, and it made watchers of the show wonder if there was something more going on. Before her contract finished, she left the soap opera due to discomfort. People believed she was involved with the Church. According to Show Bizz 411, “the soap cult is very similar to Scientology: members are being roped in to pay big fees for “classes,” they have a charismatic leader who’s insinuating himself into various characters’ lives…For several years they featured a clinic for the criminally insane called Miscavige, obviously named for David Miscavige, the real-life Napoleonic leader of Scientology.” Stafford was seen less and less on the show, as her reputation was hitting a wall after viewers believed she was involved with the Church (ShowBiz411).
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Elisabeth Moss
Elizabeth Moss, a celebrity from Mad Men and A Handmaid’s Tale, doesn’t speak too openly about her involvement with Scientology. She tends to downplay her involvement with the religion. But it turns out, Moss is a second generation Scientologist. And it’s played a big role in her success. In an interview, she said “It’s not a closed-off religion. It’s a place that is very open to, like, welcoming somebody who wants to learn more about it. I think that’s the thing that is probably the most misunderstood.” She doesn’t want people’s opinions of her to change if they knew too much about her personal life. She goes on to say, “Obviously, something like religious freedom and resistance against a theocracy is very important to me. I would just encourage people to find out for themselves. I’ve certainly been guilty of reading an article or watching something and taking that as gospel.” She encourages people to figure out their own beliefs for themselves, which is good advice (Hollywood Reporter).
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Greta Van Susteren
Greta Van Susteren is an American commentator, journalist, and former television news anchor. She has worked for several major news networks, including CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC. In addition to her journalism career, Van Susteren is also a lawyer and has written several books. Susteren is a strong advocate of Scientology. In an interview in 1995, she said, “I am a strong advocate of their ethics.” She’s also a major donor to the Church of Scientology. Van Susteren does not typically speak openly about her involvement in Scientology in interviews (CBS News).
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Leah Remini
As a former Scientologist, Leah Remini left the practice before her reputation could suffer any longer. She’s one of the most outspoken people about the institution and even created an Emmy-winning docuseries about her escape from Scientology. She even refers to it as a cult and hopes the organization loses its tax-exempt status. In an interview, she said, “We’re going down another avenue that we feel will bring real justice to victims of Scientology but also prevent it from happening in the future — particularly with children. They need a voice that their Scientology parents aren’t providing. I’m not dumb enough to give Scientology a heads up on what we’re planning exactly.” We’ll have to watch her docuseries to find out (Hollywood Reporter).
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Marissa & Giovanni Ribisi
As we’ve seen before, certain celebrities were born into Scientology. Marissa and Giovanni Ribisi have been members since they were children. In an interview, he said, “It’s a personal thing, it’s something that works for me, and I think it’s that simple.” He doesn’t seem to mind the backlash that comes with being a Scientology practitioner. Giovanni doesn’t force his daughter, Lucia, to involve herself in religion, and she said, “I’m so lucky because my family is supportive of me even though I’m not in the church. So, I’ve grown away from it.” This has not tarnished their family relationship (CBS News).
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Ethan Suplee
Ethan Suplee, from My Name is Earl, is a Scientologist who’s not afraid to stick to his beliefs. Suplee practiced Scientology for over two decades. In a “random quarantine thoughts” Instagram post, he said, “I stare at that solo palm tree in the deep background every day as I exercise. I think so highly of it, out there on its own, and I imagine its willpower and determination are second to none. I look forward to asking for help with all those things I have not yet mastered (everything). It can be humbling to do so, but the smartest bravest people I know rely on others and aren’t afraid to ask for help.” It looks like his Scientology practices are trying to help people around the world, even if many people don’t believe in the matter and he’s lost fans along the way (Instagram).
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Doug E. Fresh
Doug E. Fresh, also known as the “Human Beatbox,” is an American rapper, record producer, and pioneer of the beatboxing technique. He is best known for his hit songs “The Show” and “La Di Da Di,” which helped establish him as a prominent figure in the hip-hop community during the 1980s. He has been recognized for his contributions to the music industry, including being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The American rapper performed for a large Scientology audience in 2004. He also performed two tracks on the Scientology music album labeled The Joy of Creating, where several other celebrities joined the songs. Some lyrics of his include, “Scientology is not written with disrespect toward God. It doesn’t worship something evil.” Many fans report they’re locked in on the song, especially those who follow Scientology (Billboard).
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Jason Dohring
Jason Dohring was a star on Veronica Mars and believes his involvement with Scientology helped in his Hollywood success. Dohring’s father introduced him to Scientology. His father gave a lot of money to the Church. Some fans believe his parents brainwashed him at birth. Though, he argues against that and doesn’t mind his practice may tarnish his reputation. During an interview with BuddyTV, he said, “The misconceptions that occur with people who haven’t ever read a book about [Scientology] or don’t know what it’s about. They’re just taking someone else’s false opinion of what it is. Just for me, it saved my acting career. I became a professional through Scientology… I understand acting better because Scientology is the study of life.” And this study of life aided in his success (TV Over Mind).
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Jason Lee
Jason Lee is an American actor, photographer, and former professional skateboarder. He rose to fame in the late 1990s and early 2000s for his roles in films such as Mallrats, Chasing Amy, and Almost Famous. Lee also had a successful television career, starring in the comedy series My Name Is Earl for which he received a Golden Globe nomination. In addition to his acting work, Lee is also an accomplished photographer and has published several books of his photography. Even though the My Name Is Earl star doesn’t practice Scientology anymore, he was a die-hard practitioner in the ’90s. But that doesn’t mean it was always easy, and his ex-wife Carmen Llywelyn claimed that religion was a major cause of their split. In an interview, Lee said, “Being that we don’t practice Scientology and that we aren’t particularly interested in opening religious centers in general, we have no plans to open a Scientology center.” He left the Church after suffering various outcomes from the experience (Buzzfeed).
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Alanna Masterson
Known for her role in The Walking Dead, Alanna has been a Scientologist since birth. She was born into the Scientologist family with Danny and Christopher Masterson, her siblings. At the age of 15, she completed her first course in Scientology, and every year since she continues to learn about the Church and takes more classes. Because their father has cut his ties with the church, they’re all estranged from him, completely ruining their relationship with one another (Yahoo).
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Bijou Phillips
Like her husband Danny Masterson, Bijou Phillips practices Scientology, but she’s less obvious with her practices. She likes to keep it under wraps. After she met Masterson, it didn’t take long for them to figure out their similarities with Scientology. Phillips once explained to Masterson that her “grandparents didn’t take any pills and they were fine,” which is a common, shared belief among Scientologists. She had a tough upbringing and struggled with drugs as a teenager. Scientology helped her with that. Phillips also supports her husband despite the alleged sexual assault allegations (Nicki Swift).
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Tom Cruise
Perhaps one of the most surprising, and famous members of the Church of Scientology is Tom Cruise. His last two wives divorced him, supposedly because they disagree with the Church. People consider Cruise a Golden God by the Scientology Church. He’s very vocal about his involvement, despite ruining past relationships. In a 2004 Scientology recruitment video, Cruise says, “That’s what drives me: is that I know we have an opportunity to help, for the first time, effectively change people’s lives. And I am dedicated to that. I am absolutely, uncompromisingly dedicated to that.” Though controversial, Cruise preaches his involvement and stands by the Church (Vox).
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Chick Corea
Before Corea’s death, he was one of the leading Scientologists. He even met his spouse Gayle Moran through Scientology and used the practices to further advanced his musical career. He even gained the most number of followers, also called OT, anyone could gain in Scientology, making him slightly famous in the field. According to the church, those with a certain OT “can handle things without having to use a body or physical means,” though Corea did not reach that stage of enlightenment (Distractify).
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John Travolta
John Travolta is one of the most famous actors on this list. Born into a Roman Catholic family, his career skyrocketed in the 70s and 80s. In 1975, Travolta converted to Scientology. This happened after his involvement on the set The Devil’s Rain. To this day, he’s vocal about his support and involvement with the Church. When speaking in an interview about Scientology, the celebrity said, “This is what I’ve discovered. When you’re unabashed about what you do, you don’t get attacked. I felt like it saved my life. Why would I want to hide that? You know, why would I inhibit what made me feel better about living? And why would I want to inhibit the tools that that subject matter gave me to live a better life?” It sounds like a decent way to live your life, not caring what other people think and firmly standing by what you believe in (Cheat Sheet).
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Christopher Reeve
The Superman actor isn’t a hero off-stage. When he was younger, he took several Scientology courses, initially believing in the church and everything it preaches. But it stopped there after one class devalued his faith in the process of Scientology. Because of this, he decided to fabricate a lie and tell a fake story about a past life and got away with it. Ever since then, the star decided to stay far away from the church, unlike some other celebrities he’s worked with (Buzzfeed).
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Kirstie Alley
Alley converted to Scientology after her parents raised her as a Methodist. She says the Church helped her with her cocaine addiction with its drug rehab program. She never backed down from defending Scientology. The star died in 2022, but in her memoir The Art of Men, she spoke about the Church. She said, “Scientology has been cloaked in mystery fabricated by the press, mostly,” the “Look Who’s Talking,” It’s analytical and easy to understand. It does not include aliens, although I’d love to meet a few and believe we are not alone in the vastness of the universe.” She didn’t want to convert anyone, just talk about why she believed and stands by it (LA Times).
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Nancy Cartwright
The voice of Bart Simpson practices Scientology. Cartwright donated over $10 million to the Church of Scientology. She joined in 1991, and because, “I had been carrying that loss of family around a long time, and I wanted to fix it. Scientology was practical and had a spiritual edge.” She also credits a lot of her success and fortune to the practice of Scientology. In an interview, she said “my abilities expanded so far and above what I originally dreamed for myself that I’ve amazed even myself at my enormous increase of abilities. I’ve got two beautiful children, an incredibly supportive husband, and staff working with me for the same future dreams and goals, and all of this is because I became a Scientologist.” Despite the negative connotations of Scientology, Cartwright stands by her beliefs (Eighties Kids).
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Juliette Lewis
Lewis defends her involvement in Scientology, stating the media makes it to be a bigger deal than it is. Everyone has a right to believe in what they want to believe in. Many believe Scientology has a lot of misconceptions about it. In an interview in 2015, Lewis said, “Whatever people’s misconceptions are of me, I think it’s cute. I roll with it.” Furthermore, in an interview with Time magazine, she said, “I only ever say, when I’m asked about this-my freedom. At the end of the day, I’m into protecting my freedom of choice, freedom of voice, freedom of religion, and freedom of expression. And so as long as nothing is inhibiting that?” In 2021, Lewis now considers herself to be spiritual as opposed to strictly a Scientologist (ABC News).
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Neil Gaiman
Fan’s don’t know if Sandman author Neil Gaiman truly practiced Scientology, but we know he did grow up in a home that practiced Scientology. Reports claim his sister and ex-wife are members of the church, though Gaiman has denied his involvement in various interviews. Gaiman preached ‘I’m a Jewish Scientologist,” and even said, “My parents’ thing was mostly Scientology when I was growing up, that was their thing. They were the first wave [of British Scientology] so that was their thing.” He didn’t want Scientology involved with his reputation because of the negative connotations that come with it (We Got This Covered).
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Michael Peña
Peña has starred in several films, like American Hustle, Fury, and The Martian. He gives credit to Scientology. The religion helped him with his acting to become a more confident reader and actor. He credits one of the Scientology programs, Study Tech, and said it made him a better reader and ultimately “Which made me a better actor because I felt like it helped my understanding of scripts.” He originally joined to help with his drinking habit, stating he continued with the practice and said, “And then there was the next thing and the next thing. For me, it isn’t a religion like a belief; it’s practical things you do.” Peńa has reaped the benefits of practicing Scientology (The Guardian).
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Lynsey Bartilson
She grew up as a dancer and a singer, until eventually starting at Grounded for Life. On the show,
Extra Butter, Please, she worked side by side with Scientologist Luke Baybak, which likely influenced her future and reasoning for staying in Scientology. She’s appeared on many TV shows, most notoriously in Grounded for Life. She’s helped out in organizations like Youth for Human Rights International, thanks to her following of Scientology. Bartilson has a lot of friends in the church and keeps her bubble tiny (Married Biography).
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Marisol Nichols
Ever since 1996, Marisol Nichols from Riverdale has been an active member of the Church of Scientology. After suffering from serious drug addiction, she continued supporting the Church, despite the controversy. When the religious institution suffered serious claims about sexual assault on children, she defended them and said critics “don’t have any idea what [they] are talking about…Where are the police charges? Where’s the evidence?” She preaches that Scientology saved her, and she’s only where she is today because of the institution (Distractify).
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Anne Archer
Anne Archer has been a Scientologist since 1975. Her son, Tommy Davis, was also the Church’s spokesperson and executive leader. She preaches that with the way the world is going, humans need to get used to the idea that “we’re all going to be living together.” In an interview with The Guardian, Archer said, “Scientology has been very meaningful in my life. It’s taught me a lot of good information. A lot of sanities. It’s a lot about responsibility and it’s very smart stuff that has helped me in my life, and Terry as well. My older son has embraced Scientology but my younger son hasn’t, which is fine. There is no conflict. It’s only true if it’s true for you.” She continues to fight for human rights and anti-drug use (The Guardian).
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Jenna Elfman
Elfman is more of a celebrity that practices Scientology under the radar. She’s proud to follow the practice. The users of Reddit caught her off guard in an AMA. They threw a slew of comments at her. One comment even said, “Do you feel any empathy towards the many people’s lives and families that have been destroyed by Scientology? Are you aware of the emotional, psychical, and mental abuse that your cult inflicts on people?” It looks like Elfman will be more careful on Reddit next time she throws out an AMA (Indie Wire).
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Catherine Bell
As Bell grew up, she deviated slightly from all religious beliefs until she got older. Now, she’s a full-on Scientologist. For eight years, she starred in JAG and Army Wives. Once she started practicing Scientology, she said it changed her life. In an interview, she said, “I had a lot of friends and fellow actors who were Scientologists and the more I got to know these people, the more I saw how they were ethical and honest, very successful, that they had great relationships and marriages… So I took a couple of courses and they changed my life, the way I looked at everything from my relationships to the problems I was having with my auditions.” She wants to create the life she wants to live (The Net Line).
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Erika Christensen
When Erika Christensen was a child, her parents raised her in the Church of Scientology. It was successful because her parents gave her the freedom of expression and thought. Christensen stuck to this as she grew older. In an interview, she said, “It’s hard to raise someone as a Scientologist because it’s something that you do, it’s not something that you believe.” Furthermore, she said, “I can justify things in all kinds of different ways, but, like, as a Scientologist. And I definitely cannot speak for every Scientologist about anything because everybody has their own beliefs and comes at it from even other religions and all kinds of stuff. However, I don’t believe this is the first time I have lived on this planet and I think I’ve probably done everything before.” It might sound outlandish to most of us, but as a firm believer in Scientology, Christensen might know something we don’t know (People).