Current and Former Members of the Church of Scientology That Might Surprise You

But one thing everyone knows about the controversial church is that it has been beloved by Hollywood celebrities. So, let’s find out which of these celebrities have left Scientology and who still follows its teachings.

L. Ron Hubbard invented Scientology in the 1950s. Hubbard called his set of ideas Dianetics, and while it was originally a form of therapy, he eventually transitioned and began calling it a religion. Those who follow Hubbard’s teachings are audited by therapists, which they have to pay for, in order to clear their past lives. And the fact that the organization charges members to participate has made people wonder for years whether this really is a religion, a business, or worse, a cult.

According to sources, the church opposes medicinal treatments such as chemotherapy, and many believed it caused Travolta to question its teachings. But on an episode of Hart to Hart in 2021, Travolta claimed the belief system “still works for [him.]”

Though he currently is practicing from prison as Masterson is serving 30-to-life after being found guilty of two counts of forcible rape. During the trial, his victims told the court that Masterson used his connections to Scientology to intimidate them as well as hide his crimes for years. The church claims these testimonials were “uniformly false.”

Today, Remini is one of the most outspoken former members of the Church of Scientology. The star wrote a memoir in 2015 entitled Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology and hosted a docuseries she called Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath detailing the harassment and abuse she experienced as a member.

Moss particulates in and publicly defends the organization to this day, saying, “It’s a place that is very open to, like, welcoming in somebody who wants to learn more about it. I think that’s the thing that is probably the most misunderstood.”

When asked about Scientology, Elfman said, “I use it every single day of my life, and it keeps me energized and vivacious and happy.”

Lisa Marie had explained that she first became involved with the church when she was only nine years old, just after her father died. In a strange turn of events, Lisa Marie told the press that she and her mother left the Church of Scientology in 2014. But in 2017, she denied ever leaving.

She famously said that the church helped her beat her cocaine addiction and allowed her to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming an actress.

But the actress left the church behind almost immediately after divorcing Cruise in 2012, and later claimed that she had been intimidated by the organization.

In 2004, he received the Freedom Medal of Valor award from the church, and some say that other members see him as a “savior figure.”

But others argue that celebrities flock to the church because it can offer the anonymity and help that they so desperately need to live the life of fame. Either way, there’s no doubt that the controversial church has had and still has its fair share of superstar followers.