Scientology and celebrities

A Scientology building on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.

Recruiting Scientologist celebrities and getting them to endorse Scientology to the public at large has always been very important to the Church of Scientology. Scientology has had a written program governing celebrity recruitment since at least 1955, when L. Ron Hubbard created "Project Celebrity", offering rewards to Scientologists who recruited targeted celebrities.[1][2] Early interested parties included former silent-screen star Gloria Swanson and jazz pianist Dave Brubeck.[2][3] A Scientology policy letter of 1976 states that "rehabilitation of celebrities who are just beyond or just approaching their prime" enables the "rapid dissemination" of Scientology.[4][5][6]

Coordinated effort

The Church of Scientology operates special Celebrity Centres. Scientology policy governs the Celebrity Centres (the main one in Los Angeles and others in Paris, Nashville, and elsewhere), stating that "one of the major purposes of the Celebrity Centre and its staff is to expand the number of celebrities in Scientology." (Scientology Flag Order 2310) Another order describes Celebrity Centre's Public Clearing Division and its goal, "broad public into Scientology from celebrity dissemination"; this division has departments for planning celebrity events and routing the general public onto Scientology services as a result of celebrity involvement.[1][7]

As founder L. Ron Hubbard put it:

Celebrities are very Special people and have a very distinct line of dissemination. They have comm[unication] lines that others do not have and many medias [sic] to get their dissemination through (Flag Order 3323, 9 May 1973)[8]

Hugh B. Urban, professor of religious studies in the Department of Comparative Studies at Ohio State University said about Scientology's appeal to celebrities in an interview for Beliefnet.com:

But then I think the reason that celebrities would be interested is because it's a religion that fits pretty well with a celebrity kind of personality. It's very individualistic. It celebrates your individual identity as ultimately divine. It claims to give you ultimate power over your own mind, self, destiny, so I think it fits well with an actor personality. And then the wealth question: These aren't people who need more wealth, but what they do need, or often want at least, is some kind of spiritual validation for their wealth and lifestyle, and Scientology is a religion that says it's OK to be wealthy, it's OK to be famous, in fact, that's a sign of your spiritual development. So it kind of is a spiritual validation for that kind of lifestyle.[9]

Notable Scientologist celebrities

The Church of Scientology has a long history of seeking out artists, musicians, writers and actors, and states that Scientology can help them in their lives and careers.[10] Celebrity Scientologists include, Alanna Masterson,[11] Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Juliette Lewis, Jenna Elfman, Kirstie Alley, Kelly Preston,[12] Elisabeth Moss,[13] Isaac Hayes,[14] Catherine Bell,[15] Nancy Cartwright,[16] Beck,[17] Erika Christensen,[18] Jason Lee,[19] Laura Prepon,[20] Anne Archer,[21] Giovanni Ribisi,[22] Marissa Ribisi, David Campbell,[23] and Chick Corea.[24]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Sappell, Joel; Welkos, Robert W. (June 25, 1990). "The Courting of Celebrities". Los Angeles Times. p. A18:5. Retrieved 2006-06-06.
  2. 1 2 Shaw, William (February 14, 2008). "What do Tom Cruise and John Travolta know about Scientology that we don't?". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
  3. ↑ Cusack, Carole M. "Celebrity, the Popular Media, and Scientology: Making Familiar the Unfamiliar"
  4. ↑ Lewis, James R. (2009). Scientology. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. pp. 394–395. ISBN 978-0-19-533149-3.
  5. ↑ Baker, Russ (April 1997). "Clash of Titans". George.
  6. ↑ L. Ron Hubbard. "HCO Policy Letter 23 May 1976R: Celebrities". Scientology Celebrities & Human Rights. Church of Scientology International.
  7. ↑ Scientology and Celebrities – Premiere Magazine
  8. ↑ Farrow, Boyd (August 1, 2006). "The A-listers' belief system". The New Statesman. Retrieved 2006-08-24.
  9. ↑ http://www.beliefnet.com/story/169/story_16925_1.html
  10. ↑ "Artists Find Inspiration, Education at Church of Scientology & Celebrity Centre Nashville." The Tennessee Tribune, Jan 20 – 26, 2011. Vol. 22, Iss. 3, pg. 14A
  11. ↑ Miller, Julie (29 July 2015). "Walking Dead Star’s Father Accuses Scientology of “Brainwashing” Her in Damning New Interview". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  12. ↑ Goodyear, Dana (January 14, 2008). "Château Scientology". Letter from California. The New Yorker. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
  13. ↑ Silman, Anna (April 7, 2015). "Scientology and Elisabeth Moss: What the "Mad Men" star isn’t talking about in interviews". Salon.com. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  14. ↑ Friedman, Roger (August 11, 2008). "Isaac Hayes' History With Scientology". Fox News. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
  15. ↑ Zokaei, Mayar (Spring 2005). "Bell Hop". NYLA Magazine. Archived from the original on January 6, 2009. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  16. ↑ Sweeney, Claire (January 29, 2009). "Ay caramba! Bart Simpson is spruiking Scientology". The Sunday Times (London). Retrieved August 10, 2015.(registration required)
  17. ↑ Dunphy, Neil (June 12, 2005). "A sort of homecoming". tribune.ie. Sunday Tribune. Archived from the original on September 15, 2010. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Erika Christensen Defends Scientology: We Don't Worship Rabbits". The Huffington Post. January 17, 2013. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  19. ↑ Saul, Heather (June 30, 2015). "Ex-Scientologist Carmen Llywelyn blasts 'cult' and her treatment after divorce with Jason Lee". The Independent. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  20. ↑ Callahan, Michael (December 2007). "A Conversation with Laura Prepon". Women's Health. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  21. ↑ McGrath, Nick (July 11, 2014). "Anne Archer: My family values". The Guardian. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  22. ↑ "Giovanni Ribisi". Now. April 12, 2007. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  23. ↑ Sales, Nancy Jo (January 2008). "The Golden Suicides". Vanity Fair. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  24. ↑ Heckman, Don (August 18, 2001). "Playing in His Key". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 10, 2015.

External links

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