McClatchy-Tribune Information Services — Unrestricted – June 30, 2008
Will Smith, who rose from Philadelphia roots to become perhaps Hollywood’s biggest box-office draw, has again been caught up in Scientology suspicions.
In March, Smith denied a magazine report that the actor and his actress wife, Jada Pinckett Smith, were following close friends Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, into becoming members of the church.
This time, questions, raised by media outlets from Britain’s Guardian to the Los Angeles Times, focus on a new private primary school the Smiths will open in September in suburban Los Angeles.
Several teachers at New Village Academy are Scientology members, and the small school, which will initially have about 40 students, will use some study methods developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, according to the Los Angeles Times.
But the school has no religious affiliation, its director says, and the Smiths are not Scientologists, they say.
“We are a secular school, and just like all nonreligious independent schools, faculty and staff do not promote their own religions at school or pass on the beliefs of their particular faith to children,” director Jacqueline Olivier told the Times.
Also quoted was a Carnegie-Mellon computer science professor, David S. Touretzky, who argues that Hubbard’s study technology is a way Scientology supporters try sneak some of their beliefs into schools.
The religion rumors seem to have started after the star of “Hancock,” which debuts in theaters on Wednesday, defended Cruise in Men’s Vogue in November.
“That’s my man right there,” Smith said in an article titled “Prince Becomes King.”
“We push one another to be better. We both home-school our children, and there’s a comprehension of what each of us goes through that everybody else can’t understand, that’s a really unique position that less than .0001 percent of people on Earth will ever experience.”
If “Hancock” hits the $100 million mark, it will be Smith’s 12th film to make that much — a few achieved only by Cruise and three other men, Tom Hanks, Eddie Murphy and Harrison Ford.
(Coincidentally, the Smiths’ daughter, Willow, has a starring role in “Kit Kittredge: An American Girl,” which also opens Wednesday.)
Then in March, Smith denied a Radar magazine report he and Jada were becoming Scientologists.
“You don’t have to be Jewish to be a friend of Steven Spielberg,” he told the New York Daily News. “You don’t have to be a Muslim to be a friend of Muhammad Ali. And you don’t have to be a Scientologist to be a friend of Tom Cruise.
“I am a Christian. I am a student of all religions. And I respect all people and all paths.”
The questions do seem to linger, though.
In today’s USA Today, for example, Smith said it’s “painful” to see how Cruise is treated by the media. “I’ve met very few people committed to goodness the way Tom is. We disagree on a lot of things. … But even with different faiths and different beliefs, at the end of the day, goodness is goodness.”
New Village Academy, described by its Web site as “the ultimate learning environment to cultivate our students as citizens of the world,” will open Sept. 3 in Calabasas, Calif., north of Malibu.
Its initial enrollment of about 40 students, in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade, could grow to about 100 over time, Olivier told the Times.
Tuition can go as high as $12,500 a year, though many students will get financial aid.
Yoga, karate, robotics and etiquette will be among the subjects taught there.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. To see more of The Philadelphia Inquirer, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.philly.com. Copyright (c) 2008, The Philadelphia Inquirer Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Copyright (C) 2008 The Philadelphia Inquirer
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posted June 30, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Hmm. If the reports about the school are accurate, it seems that Tom Cruise is at least influencing Will Smith somewhat. Which of course does not make him a Scientologist, though if the Smiths were to become members in the future, it would be less surprising.
God bless.
posted June 30, 2008 at 7:33 pm
‘In today’s USA Today, for example, Smith said it’s “painful” to see how Cruise is treated by the media. “I’ve met very few people committed to goodness the way Tom is. We disagree on a lot of things. … But even with different faiths and different beliefs, at the end of the day, goodness is goodness.”‘
And this is advanced as evidence he’s becoming a Scientologist? There are things in the article that bother me, such as the school. But that paragraph is no evidence at all.
posted June 30, 2008 at 7:44 pm
I’m just wondering if the Smiths still have an “open” marriage.
posted June 30, 2008 at 8:15 pm
“…still have an ‘open’ marriage.”
???
Never heard that one.
I can see, though, how you’d raise the issue in light of the article.
NOT.
BTW, do you still beat your wife?
posted June 30, 2008 at 11:19 pm
It is bad enough that we are drawn into the personal faith of politicians. I cannot begin to express how little I care abut the religious affiliation of celebrities.
ecl,
The better question is “Do you feel better now that you have stopped beating your wife, kicking your dog, or feeding the cat to your kids?” I do not direct this to ck, by the way. It is simply one of those questions cheeseball hacks ask famous personages.
posted July 1, 2008 at 12:32 am
Alright we’ve established that I beat my wife, I stopped beating my wife kicking my dog or feeding my cat to my kids. I read in a couple of interviews Will and Jada have an open marriage and now I’m reading another article about his faith so a associated the two by wondering what faith did they follow; didn’t know I would draw such cruel and unusually evil remarks but not at all surprised.
posted July 1, 2008 at 5:41 am
In the infamous words of Charlie Brown “good grief”.What in the my world does it matter if will and jada smith are scientologist. Their religous choice does not effect my relationship with Jesus. Just as it does not effect any one elses. So get real and get off the celebrity passed gas news at 11 bandwagon and get real in your relationship with God. Now if you ever get the chance to meet a “star” you can witness to them. Otherwise, worry about yourself and not others.
posted July 1, 2008 at 8:31 am
In one sense this has as much impact on someone else’s religion as two gays getting married has on someone else’s marriage. None, of course.
But Scientology is a relatively recent money grubbing religion (or whatever) and it’s a shame when famous people help propagate it. But there’ll be famous people trying to keep Republicans in the White House too, so the moral is, ignore famous people.
posted July 1, 2008 at 10:09 am
This from an interview of Will Smith:
“I read somewhere that you said you had an open marriage. If that’s true, can I get Jada’s number?
grillpower, Lancaster, PA
I never said that I had an open marriage. What I said is that our relationship is based on 100% truth. That, no matter what, there’s never going to be something that I would say or do that I wouldn’t tell her first. And then the interviewer said, well, what if you were with Eva Mendes and you wanted to … I said, well, I would say to my wife—if that situation presented itself—I would say, “Honey, I want to sleep with Eva Mendes, is that OK?” And, you know, she’d probably say no. But the point was, how can you expect to be successful in a relationship if you’re not telling your partner the 100% truth? The fact that the interviewer could take that in the direction he took it showed me where he is in his relationship, you know?
http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=1604
hey, cknuck, ever read the one of about bearing false witness against your neighbor?
posted July 1, 2008 at 12:06 pm
“Yoga, karate, robotics and etiquette will be among the subjects taught there.”
Does this mean your Robot with the Kung Fu grip will know exactly where to place the shrimp fork next time you have your guru over for dinner? Wow, I want to go to school there!
I wonder of the paparazzi will be wandering around Clearwater, FL (home of Scientiology) waiting for photo opportunities of Will & family.
posted July 1, 2008 at 1:35 pm
I don’t know Jada and Will Smith, really. He said on website of his new school it is a school to cultivate our students as “citizens of the world”. That sounds as though they will be taught to respect all peoples beliefs about anything. This will leave many people aghast! Who wants their children to learn that people believe differently than a conservative and religious family believes? This is for progressive thinking and worshipping families. In time this will not be peculiar.
posted July 1, 2008 at 6:16 pm
didn’t know I would draw such cruel and unusually evil remarks but not at all surprised.
wow, this is marvelous. You must have studied with Sarah Bernhardt (or her spirit or one of her descendants).
It is simply one of those questions cheeseball hacks ask famous personages.
Agreed and acknowledged, and that was the point, jest. It was a way of pointing out something ridiculously unrelated to the article and, oh, BTW, which does not paint a pretty picture of the people being discussed.
But I guess I’m “not at all surprised”…
posted July 1, 2008 at 6:54 pm
I raised a question related to faith such as Will and Jada has an open marriage, it’s in their vows that they would not forsake all other’s, what faith are they that it is an acceptable practice? The article does not reveal his faith and I am curious I did not know I would run into insults from the Will and Jada police, or in fact need their approval. The article is about Will Smith.
But I guess I’m “not at all surprised”…
posted July 1, 2008 at 7:59 pm
Earlier today, I posted a quote from Smith which exposed the calumny of he and his wife having an open marriage. A simple Google search of “Will Smith Jana open marriage” produced it. Beliefnet chose not to post it. I leave it to others to do their own research and find how cknuck bore false witness against his neighbor.
posted July 1, 2008 at 8:34 pm
The original article was published in several locations in February of 2005, specifically in the New York Post and Britain’s Daily Mail.
So if I have bore false witness then it does come from many sources that are credible. Sometimes we can say things we want to take back but if it is published then it is hard. I just happen to remember the articles and I still wonder what faith Will is and how it drives what he does.
posted July 2, 2008 at 12:09 am
Talk about drama, what a laugh, some people act as if they know Smith personally and can speak personally for his character. I lived in North and West Philly and I happen to know some things about W.S. hometown hero and all. I am just curious as to what faith he is, he does have some strange beliefs and I have heard strange statements of faith from him and along with the open marriage thing it is curious.
posted July 2, 2008 at 3:37 am
sinsonte: Beliefnet chose not to post it.
Actually, spambot decided to put it in its Junk file (along with a few other comments from members) and I didn’t get to this blog until kind of late (or early…it’s 2:30am here). Sorry!
If you have anything held up and you want it looked at ASAP, please email the community mailbox:
community@staff.beliefnet.com
I check this mailbox many times during the day, and if I know something has been held up, I can jump over to the blogs, find it, and release it for you. All I need to know is which blog.
Thanks!
Beliefnet_Tiger
posted July 2, 2008 at 11:06 am
ck,
I hope you realize I was not directing my silly comments to you.
Folks, this is Will Smith. He is a celebrity with no other purpose than to entertain us. I do not choose my movies based on the castmembers’ faith, affiliation, or lack thereof. I really don’t care.
By the way, the July 1, 12:06 pm comment was mine – I forgot to sign in (again!?). It’s not fair to leave these unsigned commnets laying around.
posted July 2, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Who really cares what Will Smith and Wife do on their own time or what their religion is or isn’t? I enjoy his movies, and that’s about it. If he wants to become a Scientologist, so what? If he actually had/has an open marriage, so what? How does that affect me? It doesn’t. I won’t stop going to his movies (or Tom’s ) just because of their religious beliefs.
Folks, take heed to Beliefnet_Tiger’s post. I have written her many times when spambot has yanked my posts. She will put them in their right place as soon as she can. Spambot is random…even though sometimes it is hard to realize that when a couple of times I have had 2 or 3 posts yanked in a day!