Recently in Scientology Category

While headlines about Tom Cruise or John Travolta's involvement in Scientology are nothing new, probably more than a few celeb watchers were surprised by today's news that Oscar-winning director Paul Haggis ( "Crash") is leaving Scientology. Ex-Scientologist Mark Rathbun posted a letter on his blog that is said to be written by Haggis (Rathbun cites confirmation from third parties that the letter is authentic). The letter is directed toward Scientology spokesperson Tommy Davis and explains that the cause of the split between the director and Scientology has to do with Scientology's refusal to protest California's Proposition 8 which banned gay marriage. He also describes a rift that Scientology caused with his wife's family as another reason he longer wishes to be affliated with the religion.

While Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are pretty much always in the media spotlight, Scientology boasts a bevy of celebrity couples. They may not get as much publicity as TomKat, but many are involved in Scientology charities, appear at Scientology functions, and speak openly in the press about how their religion has changed their lives.

Here are seven of the most prominent celebrity Scientologist couples.

1) John Travolta and Kelly Preston

John Travolta, a veteran TV and film actor, and actress Kelly Preston married in a Scientology ceremony in France in September 1991, but they had to have a second ceremony because their wedding was considered invalid in France. The couple parented two children. Ella Bleu, who is 9-years-old, and Jett, who passed away earlier this year.

Last year, rumors began to circulate that Jett Travolta was autistic and that his parents had withheld treatment because Scientology does not believe that autism is a disease. Travolta and Preston have denied these stories. Scientology does not approve of mood-altering drugs, and Preston is an outspoken opponent of the use of Ritalin to treat children diagnosed with ADHD.

2) Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes

These actors are by far the best-known Scientologist couple. Cruise was introduced to Scientology by ex-wife Mimi Rogers and credits the religion for curing his dyslexia. Cruise's second wife, Nicole Kidman, had their Scientology marriage annulled so that she could remarry in the Catholic Church.

In 2005, Cruise criticized actress Brooke Shields for taking antidepressants to deal with post-partum depression. He helped to establish a facility in New York City that used Scientology principles to help 9/11 rescue workers who had been exposed to toxic chemicals.

On Nov. 18, Cruise and Holmes were married in a Scientology ceremony in Italy with David Miscavige, head of the Church of Scientology, as best man. The couple has an infant daughter, Suri.

3) Jenna Elfman and Bodhi Elfman

Jenna and Bodhi, both actors, attend services at the Scientology Center in L.A. Bodhi, nephew of well-known composer Danny Elfman, introduced Jenna to the religion. She converted in 1991, and they were married in 1995.

Jenna allegedly once said that she did not contribute to AIDS charities because "AIDS is a state of mind, not a disease." In 2006, they became tabloid fodder when they approached director John Roecker, who was wearing a "Scientology is Gay" T-shirt. Bystanders said that Jenna asked Roecker repeatedly what crimes he had committed. Confronting people with their behavior is common in the Scientology practice of "auditing.

When I read last week on HuffingtonPost.com that Nancy Cartwright, a.k.a. the voice of Bart Simpson and devoted Scientologist, was making robocalls on behalf of a church event in the voice of everyone's favorite 10 year-old troublemaker, I was curious to see what response Twentieth Century Fox* would have.

Back in the early days of the Internet the company aggressively pursued fan sites that used images, videos, and audio clips, and I was curious to see how they would be dealing with one of their own using the beloved copyrighted character to promote an outside organization's event.

Audio of the call, which was posted on YouTube and featured on PerezHilton.com, TMZ.com, and many other celeb sites, was quickly pulled and replaced with a "This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Twentieth Century Fox" message. Although the recording can still be found on other websites.

Cartwright, who is currently auditing on OT VII, invites fellow Scientologists to the Flag World Tour event at the Hollywood and Highland Center, sprinkling the message with Bartisms and punctuating the message with his famous laugh. Listening to the call is an odd experience as Cartwright's natural voice is so close to that of the Bart character's that it's hard to tell where one starts and the other begins. It's as if Mel Gibson had left you a voice mail promoting traditionalist Catholicism in the voice of Rocky from "Chicken Run." Just not right.

Late last week news broke that someone was trying to extort the Travolta family for $20 million, but no one seemed to know the details. Some thought that the extortion money was to suppress photos taken at the time of Jett Travolta's death (a horrible thought, if I may editorialize, that paparazzi would intrude on such a time in a family's life, even if they are celebrities/public figures).

TMZ's latest report has some additional details that negate the above theory, but the reason for the extortion is still not completely known:

We have now confirmed that the alleged extortion attempt does not involve pictures of Jett as he was dying. As for what the extortion attempt is about....no one will say.

UPDATE: We've confirmed the alleged extortion is over the circumstances surrounding Jett's death, but we have no more specifics. And, we've learned, it was Travolta's reps who contacted cops and lodged the complaint

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This kind of extortion plot and media attention must be a horrible addition to what is already a terrible time for the family. I hope that this is the last we hear of extortion plots against a grieving family, and that they can get back to mourning their son.

As a parent, it's impossible not to feel the anguish that John Travolta and his wife, Kelly Preston, are feeling right now as they mourn the death of their son, Jett. It makes you want to hug your kids a little bit more, keep them close. There are truly no words to describe the sense of loss I am sure they are feeling.

Still, the couple are Scientologists, and all things Scientology seem to ignite controversy, especially on this World Wide Web of ours. It's not my place or purpose right now to pass judgment on the family, on Scientology, or on those who speak out against it. More than anything, I want to express my sorrow and condolences and remember the life lost. Please add your own prayers and words of support to Beliefnet's prayer circle in memory of Jett Travolta. You can find it here.

When it comes to Scientology, we tend to hear a lot from the religion's spokespeople, from bloggers (especially critics), and from the media reporting on the sensational and celebrity angles. It's not often you hear from or about a practicing Scientology layperson, and so I was fascinated to stumble across a blog by just that sort of person.

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