When I first read of Scientology’s most recent incursion into the black community in the U.S., I laughed, but that quickly turned to horror the more I learned. A small storefront on East 116th Street in Harlem had been closed, but a newer, flashier Scientology organization had been opened at 220 E. 125th Street. The...
Category: Hollywood
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The Massive List of Celebrities That Departed Scientology
Leah Remini recently exited Scientology stage left, and the resultant media attention will be ongoing, given her announced intention to publish a book. Meanwhile an interview with her sister Nicole revealed what happens when a person leaves L. Ron Hubbard’s moneymaking scheme. Do I or others exaggerate about Hubbard’s love of money? I can only...
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Karen Black and Death in Scientology
When I read on Facebook about Karen Black’s death and saw the comments, I thought back to the times I’d spent with Karen and people I’d known when we were both in Scientology. I got back in touch with one commenter, writer/director Michael Rymer, after reading his condolences. Michael sold his first screenplay — Dead...
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Sex, Scientology, and Celebrity Centre
Dumped on the streets of Los Angeles in December of 1973 with nowhere to go by the Scientology Celebrity Centre, after being forced to stay up for three days doing “amends” to the great and powerful Sea Organization because of a kangaroo court known as a Committee of Evidence, I realized I knew no one...
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Dirty, Rotten, Cheating Husbands, Part One: The Women Who Blame Themselves
Cheating is par for the course in Hollywood, right? We’ve come to expect that very few celebrity marriages will last, and that when relationships ultimately go south, infidelity is often the culprit. As a society, we love a good cheating scandal. It allows us to condemn the cheater and praise the victim. Brad Pitt, Tiger...
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Kirstie Alley: Scientology Celebrities’ Conditions of Confusion
Recently, prior to attending a reading by Janet Reitman of her book Inside Scientology, my date and I strolled down Vermont Avenue in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Los Feliz, looking at the packed cafes and coffee shops. In contrast, I noticed one large, well-lit storefront was also vacant, save a couple of employees. “What’s...
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Snapshot from the Emmy Stage: Amy Poehler and the “Pageant” Girls
I’ll admit it: I’m a total sucker for awards shows. That being the case, it’s no surprise that last night found me flopped on the couch in front of my TV, glued to the Emmys (yes, Emmie was watching the Emmys… the silliness isn’t lost on me!). Now, the Emmys aren’t flashy like the MTV...
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From Scientology Apostate to Humanitarian, Oscar Winning Screenwriter Paul Haggis Helps Rebuild Haiti
When Lawrence Wright was writing his lengthy and controversial New Yorker article on the defection of Paul Haggis from Scientology, he called me for a long discussion. I had not spoken to Paul for years because as far as I knew, he was in Scientology and I hadn’t been involved for well over a decade....