The Church of Scientology has sprouted roots in Hollywood, with stars like Tom Cruise serving as its golden poster boys. However, other celebrities are no longer singing the religion’s praises.
Several stars have cut ties with the church in the past decade, with many describing the beliefs and practices of Scientology as a cult that causes more harm than good. The most recent controversies stemmed from Danny Masterson’s viral rape case.
The list of stars who have abandoned their relationship with the Church of Scientology includes Laura Prepon, Leah Remini, Jason Beghe, and Danny Masterson’s ex-wife, Bijou Phillips.
Laura Prepon Reportedly Found Solace After Leaving Scientology
“Orange Is the New Black” star Laura Prepon was once an advocate for Scientology, but quietly left the church after crediting it for changing her life. She revealed she was no longer associated with Scientology in a 2021 interview, saying:
“I haven’t practiced Scientology in close to five years, and it’s no longer part of my life.”
According to Prepon, she was raised Catholic and Jewish and had always been very open-minded about religion. From praying in churches to meditating in temples and studying Chinese meridian theory, she found more to fill her days and give her solace rather than practicing Scientology, per PEOPLE.
Leah Remini Revealed The Dark Truth About Scientology
Eight years before Prepon’s confession, Scientology had gotten a scathing review from one of its former members, actress Leah Remini. The “Kevin Can Wait” star left the church after spending over three decades as a faithful member in 2013.
She reflected on her decision to leave a year later, telling Buzzfeed her protective instincts as a mother motivated her to leave. Remini explained that she did not want her daughter, Sofia, to experience the alleged trauma she endured at the church.
Remini recalled her childhood at the Church of Scientology, claiming her family moved “from a middle-class lifestyle [in Brooklyn, N.Y.] to living in a roach-infested motel with six other girls off a freeway in Clearwater.” She claimed they were forced to work from a young age, saying:
“There was no saying no. There was no being tired. There was no, ‘I’m a little girl who just lost her father and everything I’ve ever known.’ There was only, ‘Get it done.'”
Jason Beghe Became The Church’s Enemy Following A Social Media Rant
Remini wasn’t the only celebrity to publicly condemn the church, as actor Jason Beghe did so in 2008. He called out the religion in a shocking two-hour-long YouTube video, slamming Scientology as a practice that was “very dangerous for your spiritual, psychological, mental, emotional health and evolution.”
His words caused a stir, with the Church of Scientology firing back by labeling the TV personality “unreliable, dishonest and biased.” Beghe explained in a 2015 interview with Rolling Stone that he had left the church in disgust months earlier before dropping the social media rant.
The “Chicago P.D.” star was forced to publicly announce his separation from the church after seeing his Wikipedia profile, which described him as a Scientology advocate. He doubled down on slamming the church in the documentary, “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief.”
Bijou Phillips Left Scientology To Support Her Ex-Husband
The Hollywood exits from the Church of Scientology continued with one of the religion’s most controversial cases. Danny Masterson was reportedly expelled from the church following his 30-year prison sentence for rape in September 2023.
Masterson was declared a “suppressive person,” which the church defines as someone whose behavior seeks to impede the spiritual progress of those around him. His expulsion required his loved ones to equally cut ties with him.
Although his then-wife Bijou Phillips had filed for divorce just days after his sentencing, aause she did not want to lose contact. The former actress reportedly had nothing to lose since none of her family and close friends were Scientologists
The Church Of Scientology Was Allegedly Involved In Danny Masterson’s Rape Case
One of the biggest controversies surrounding the Church of Scientology occurred during Masterson’s rape case. The disgraced actor, per ABC News, reportedly met his victims through the church and was allegedly protected after he assaulted these women.
These women claimed they were stopped by the organization from reporting Masterson to the police. One of the victims, who grew up in Scientology, alleged that she was shunned and ostracized for going to authorities in 2004, revealing that she lost everything for speaking out.
The church denied all allegations of wrongdoing, arguing that it never harassed any of the victims nor did it have a “policy prohibiting or discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct of anyone, Scientologists or not, to law enforcement.”
Will more celebrities leave the Church of Scientology?
