Scientology: Stars Who've Been Involved In The Controversial Religion

One of church founder L. Ron Hubbard's strategies for expanding the tenets of Scientology was the recruitment of celebrity members, and through the years, the controversial religion has been very successful in this pursuit. A-list actor Tom Cruise remains the leader of the Scientology's celebrity pack, but the list of famous folks who've strapped on the E-meter runs deep. Whether they've since defected or remained loyal supporters, these are the stars who've definitely been involved in Scientology.

Laura Prepon has generally been quiet about her participation in the Church of Scientology, but in July 2015, she gave a wide-ranging interview to the religion's Celebrity magazine. Prepon told the mag (via Defamer) that she owes part of her success on Orange is the New Black (2013-) to Scientology and its auditing system. According to the church, "auditing is the process of asking specifically worded questions designed to help one find and handle areas of distress."

"I feel a lot of the auditing that I've had helps me to be willing to go there and be free and vulnerable and really jump into these scenes wholeheartedly... It's so gratifying and fulfilling as an artist to be able to really be there in present time, creating, with no vias. Auditing has helped so much in getting me to this place. I have more to go, and can't wait for what's to come."

Rapper Doug E. Fresh believes so strongly in his Scientology that he penned an editorial about the religion for Essence (via The Baltimore Sun) in 2009. "Scientology is not a White religion. It is not just for White people," he said. "The Black community has to check it out and see what's there. I'm not saying it's for everyone, but you have to take a look. You may be amazed at what you get."

Chris Masterson (of Malcolm in the Middle fame), Danny Masterson (of That 70s Show fame), Alanna Masterson (of The Walking Dead fame), and Jordan Masterson (of "formerly dating Dakota Johnson" non-fame) are all members of the Church of Scientology.

Their father, former Scientology clergy member Joe Reaiche, told the Daily Mail that he believes the church is estranging him from his kids with former wife and current Scientologist Carole Masterson. He called the faith "a very deep and sordid abyss" and said it "won't go away until it loses its charity status or its tax-exempt status. Until then what it does to families is absolute evil that's allowed to persist." Reaiche claims a Scientology ethics board accused him of wrongdoing and cut him off from his children. "They're good kids," he said, "but they're mentally dead to me."

After his death, singer Sonny Bono's widow, Mary, revealed to George magazine (via the New York Post) that he'd been roped into Scientology—and was allegedly unable to get out. "Sonny did try to break away at one point, and they made it very difficult for him, extremely difficult," she said, adding that Scientology "minders" showed up at Bono's hotels during a book tour he did in 1991. "I was resentful of that. I did not like the fact that he said, 'Hey, I'm done with it. I'm not a Scientologist.'—And they were saying, 'Hey, you can't do that.'"

Erika Christensen defended Scientology during a 2013 sitdown on Parenthood (2010-15) co-star Joy Bryant's web series. "[People assume] we're some kind of closed group and we're just the Hollywood religion... I would expose to them, like, this is what I do, which is how my parents did it, because my parents are Scientologists," she said. "If I had to sum it up, the goal of Scientology is giving the person back to themselves. Like, your own power of choice."

Former Fox News and MSNBC host Greta Van Susteren has been labeled as a Scientologist for years, despite her adamant stance that she doesn't "discuss religion, sex or money." In a 1995 People interview, Van Susteren did describe Scientology as "an applied religious philosophy" and say, "I'm a strong advocate of their ethics." Granted, that's not an admission of membership, but that hasn't stopped other outlets from attempting to connect Van Susteren and her husband, attorney John Coale, to the church.

Michael Peña told Scientology's Celebrity magazine, "I was living pretty well, having all the amenities that a young Hollywood kid would have. But I wasn't happy. And I remember seeing Jenna Elfman being interviewed... She said something like, 'Scientology enables you to be the real you without all that other stuff.' My roommate was flipping through the channels, so it was like a 6-second deal, but I really cognited on that. I was like, 'Wow! That sounds amazing.'"

My Name is Earl (2005-09) star Jason Lee's Scientology membership goes back to the early 1990s, but in September 2016, he publicly revealed that he was no longer affiliated with the church. Speculation arose when Lee and his wife, Ceren, purchased a plot of land in Denton, Texas, which some believed would be for a Scientology center. He refuted the claims, telling The Dentonite, "Being that we don't practice Scientology, and that we aren't particularly interested in opening religious centers in general, we have no plans to open a Scientology center."

Lee's involvement with Scientology reportedly sprang out of his close association with the Ribisi family, whose members are notables within the church. Lee was supposedly good friends with fellow actor, Giovanni Ribisi. He dated Giovanni's sister, Marissa Ribisi, and their mother, Gay Ribisi, was his manager.

Lee's ex-wife, actress Carmen Llywelyn, reportedly joined Scientology when they married in 1995. She penned a scathing missive about her time in the church for Gawker in June 2015, describing the reasons she left and blaming the church for her failed marriage.

Llywelyn claims that after reading an anti-Scientology book called A Piece of Blue Sky by Jon Atack, she found herself isolated from Lee, as well as from her work. Her talent agency dropped her, allegedly at Scientologist Gay Ribisi's urging. Llywelyn claims she experienced online bullying, in-person bullying, and even stalking after she ditched the church.

She also side-eyed the financial cost of Scientology. "I'm not exactly sure, but I know with all the auditing, books and courses I took, the cost of Scientology added up to more than $50,000. This includes the cost of my lifetime membership to the International Association of Scientologists, which is thousands of dollars and a requirement that must be paid before any services can be started. This amount does not include the donations the church asked us for over the years."

Giovanni Ribisi grew up in Scientology and has defended his controversial beliefs on several occasions. During a 2014 interview on Marc Maron's podcast (via The Underground Bunker), the Sneaky Pete (2015-) actor attempted to equate the church's beliefs about thetans with other religions' concepts of spirituality. He also denied any knowledge of "aliens in Scientology"—presumably a reference to the church's supposed belief that humankind on Earth was seeded by an intergalactic being named Xenu.

In 2017, Ribisi questioned the motivations behind Remini's book and A&E series, reportedly saying, "I can't help but wonder, somebody who's doing a series, a whole season, about that subject, that they're not getting paid. And there's a lot of money behind it. It's turned into such a controversy to where you go out, you make a documentary about it. You know, the person who's doing that is making money off it."

The King of Queens (1998-2007) star Leah Remini has credited Scientology with helping her break into Hollywood, but the actress caused a huge stir when she very publicly left the church in 2013. She released a book called Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology in 2015, in which she described her complicated relationship with the organization. During the press tour for her tome, she pulled no punches.

She told 20/20 (via Us Weekly) that she didn't get along with Cruises' then-wife, Katie Holmes, who she claims filed "knowledge reports" against her. Remini also said she was kicked out of Scientology's Sea Org as a teen for fraternizing with her then-boyfriend. In addition, Remini alleged that she was reprimanded for asking about the whereabouts of Scientology leader David Miscavige's wife, Shelly.

As a guest on The View (via E! News), Remini spoke about her exit from the church: "They do [come after you], but the thing is, you can't be afraid. I'm not afraid. So you can come after me. You can make the public statements that you need to—my story has been told. It's my story and it's something that I wanted to do to let people know, 'It's OK, I'm here, I'm happy. I have my family. I'm moving on with my life.'

Remini has doubled down in her crusade to expose the alleged wrongdoings of the church with her Emmy-winning A&E series, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath. "I want to keep going until we see some justice," she said.

The church has denied all of Remini's claims.

Oscar-winning director Paul Haggis was a member of the Church of Scientology for 35 years, and he became one of its most vocal detractors following his public resignation in 2009 over the church's anti-gay views and support of Proposition 8, which sought to block same-sex marriage. Haggis told The New Yorker that after his resignation, Scientologists would show up at his home and offices to try to persuade him to come back—or to at least shut up. It didn't work.

"I know what they do online," he said. "I've seen them attack others under false names, try to discredit them, ruin their careers. And I've heard about these two people who work in the basement of Special Affairs there, and they're just online all day at their computers, going on to various blogs, commenting on people's lives and things they do."

Haggis was one of the powerhouses behind the 2015 HBO documentary Going Clear, which delved into the alleged darker side of Scientology. In April 2015, Haggis accused Scientology of sending a spy posing as a Time magazine reporter to interview him.

The Church of Scientology has denied those allegations.

John Travolta is an outspoken proponent of Scientology, which he credits with helping him break out in acting via Welcome Back Kotter (1975-79) as well as helping him cope with the tragic death of his son, Jett, in 2009. Travolta also starred in 2000's Battlefield Earth, which was based on a Hubbard novel.

"[Scientology is a target] mostly because it's not understood," he told Good Morning America in 2015. "People really need to take time and read a book...You could read A New Slant on Life. You could read Dianetics... Sometimes when something really works well it becomes a target." He continued, "Forty years...and I've loved every minute of it. My family has done so well with it... It's a beautiful thing for me. I've saved lives with it and saved my own life several times. Through the loss of my son, it helped me every step of the way for two years solid, and here I am talking to you because of it."

Some allege Travolta's ties to Scientology are bound in fear, not faith. In Going Clear (via The Washington Post), former Scientology officials and insiders claim the church's "audits" of Travolta contain secrets that may be used to blackmail him into staying involved with the church. "I know this because I used to do it when I was the head of the office of special affairs," former official Mike Rinder said. "By exposing [these secrets] or threatening to expose them, they will cower the person into silence."

The church of Scientology has denied those claims.

Tom Cruise has become the poster boy for Scientology, and out of all the stars on this list, he's probably the one the world recognizes the most for his involvement with the church. Cruise joined in the early '90s, allegedly through a connection to his first wife, Mimi Rogers, who was said to be active in the church. The Mission: Impossible (1996) star has since starred in a Scientology recruiting video (above), and he attacked Today show anchor Matt Lauer for being "glib" when Lauer asked about his anti-psychiatry stance. The rest of what's been written about Cruise's Scientology involvement can really only be chalked up to second-hand sources and speculation.

As is the case with her ex-husband, Cruise, an absolute slew of rumors about Nicole Kidman's involvement with Scientology have been printed, most notably the accusation that the church interfered with the couple's marriage to the point of causing its divorce. Kidman has remained silent on the issue, and in fact, she's gone as far as to say that she will basically never talk trash about the church out of respect for her children. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Kidman said, "I've chosen not to speak publicly about Scientology. I have two children [adopted with Cruise] who are Scientologists...and I utterly respect their beliefs."

The late Christopher Reeve confessed in his memoir, Nothing is Impossible: Reflections on a New Life that he became involved with Scientology after his curiosity led him to take a "free personality test." Reeve enrolled in church courses, but during those meetings, he conducted his own covert test during an auditing session. Reeve reportedly shared a so-called past life memory that he'd ripped right out of Greek mythology. The auditor bought it, and thus Reeve's had all of the info about Scientology that he needed. "The fact that I got away with a blatant fabrication completely devalued my faith in the process," he wrote.

One of the only times Lisa Marie Presley directly addressed her practice of Scientology was during a 2003 interview with talk show host Larry King. When asked about her introduction to the religion, Presley said it was through a visit to the set of Welcome Back, Kotter when she was 10-years-old. Presley said she and Travolta started talking about the church and "I was in the next day, knew it was good, knew I liked it."

When asked why she thought people had a tendency to "put down Scientology," Presley said she suspected the criticism stemmed from a lack of understanding. "It pretty much helped me figure out who I was. It took me a long time but it's, you know, helped me figure that out," she said.

It was widely reported that Presley later split from the church, an allegation drawn mainly from an interview with USA Weekend (via Dame Magazine) in which doesn't directly name Scientology, but speaks of being "surrounded by people who were not well-intended" and involved in "a big sinister situation, where there was like, kind of intel and covert ops going on, and a whole effort to control me that I didn't know about."

Dharma and Greg (1997-2002) star Jenna Elfman is outspoken about her support for the church. In 2005, she told the Scientology magazine Celebrity (via Today), "I intend to make Scientology as accessible to as many people as I can. And that is my goal...[It is my] duty to clear the planet." (In Scientology, to be "clear" means to achieve a higher state where the mind is no longer reactive.) Elfman added, "The more successful I became, the more suppression I bumped into...especially in the entertainment industry, which really is home to rabid suppression."

Josh Brolin, who worked with Haggis on In the Valley of Elah (2007), told The New Yorker that he visited a Scientology Celebrity Centre "in a moment of real desperation." He claims he was audited and realized quickly that the church wasn't for him, even though it helped his pals Cruise and Travolta. "Each has a good head on his shoulders, they make great business decisions, they seem to have wonderful families. Is that because they were helped by Scientology?" he mused.

Brolin also relayed an experience he allegedly witnessed: actor Marlon Brando had an injured leg, and Travolta offered to help by touching Brando's leg. "I watched this process going on—it was very physical," Brolin claimed. "I was thinking, This is really f**king bizarre! Then, after ten minutes, Brando opens his eyes and says, 'That really helped. I actually feel different!'"

Travolta, through his attorney, said Brolin's story was totally made up.

Actress Juliette Lewis doesn't speak out much about her belief in Scientology, and that's in part because she's convinced the media will twist and turn whatever she says into something inaccurate. She told Time, "The Muslim religion, any religion, you can find trouble in. At the end of the day, I'm into protecting my freedom of choice, freedom of voice, freedom of religion, freedom of expression." She added, "But there are misconceptions that are annoying. I've done media and interviews since I was 19. I don't feel I'm represented very truthfully."

G.I. Jane (1997) star Jason Beghe was an OT 5—the same top-level Scientologist as Cruise, Travolta, and the like—when he left Scientology in 2007 and released a video (via Fox News) detailing why he quit. "The further up the bridge," he warned, "the worse you get."

"Scientology is destructive and a ripoff," he said. "It's very, very dangerous for your spiritual, psychological, mental, emotional health and evolution," he said. "I think it stunts your evolution. If Scientology is real, then something's f**ked up... I don't have an agenda. I'm just trying to help. I have the luxury of having gotten into Scientology and after having been in it, been out. And that's a perspective that people who are still in and not out do not have."

Soap actress Diana Canova spilled the beans about her past involvement with Scientology in a scathing 1993 Premiere magazine exposé. Canova claimed that another member desperately tried to get her to grant him access to actor Freddie Prinze (Canova's ex) after Prinze shot himself. "If I can get in to see Freddie, I can save his life. I'll tell him to get back into his body," the other Scientologist allegedly told her. As if that wasn't enough to raise red flags, Canova said the first time she walked into the Celebrity Centre, she was told, "Just give us all the money in your bank account. You'll get it back tenfold."

It took Canova years to muster the courage to leave Scientology. She was even sued by the church over her remarks to the magazine. "I see some of my friends having to keep their mouths shut for personal reasons, for business reasons. I don't believe that's right," she said. "If it's going to be termed a religion, or a church, then those kinds of fears have no business being there. Nobody should be afraid. And you can quote me on that."

Arrested Development star Jeffrey Tambor addressed his brief, two-year stint with Scientology in his 2017 memoir, Are You Anybody? In his recollections, he wrote of several strange encounters with the church, including an attempt by an alleged conman parishioner to rope him into a Ponzi scheme, as well as a bizarre audition he once intentionally flubbed which could have led him to being cast as the voice of Scientology videos. The Transparent (2014-) actor wrote that what finally motivated him to leave for good was the pressure he received to leave his second wife.

He later told The Hollywood Reporter that he had "no hard feelings" and tried to be "as fair as [he] could" about the church in his book. He also said that he "had a very good time" and "met a lot of very nice people" during his association with the faith.

Jim Carrey has never been a documented member of the Church of Scientology, but his late ex-girlfriend, Cathriona White, reportedly was. Scientology journalist Tony Ortega told Radar Online, "Cathriona was encouraged to explore Scientology by the singer, Beck, also a practicing Scientologist. That is how she was introduced to it, is what her friends told me... She had started in 2011, before she even had met Jim." Ortega noted, "It's fascinating that she was dating Jim, because he has criticized and joked about the Church in the past."

Ortega said White was "only in the beginning stages of Scientology, and had recently completed the Purification Rundown," which allegedly includes long sauna sessions (up to five hours a day) as well as a huge intake of niacin. "She then began the grueling Survival Rundown, which involves physical, vigorous exercise. She could have been told to go touch a window, pick a bottle up off the table, what is the temperature, how much does it weigh. This can go on for hours," he said. White even posted a photo of one of the alleged sauna sessions to Instagram.

When headlines regarding White's apparent suicide began linking her death to her Scientology study, the church released the following statement to People: "Saying that somebody was studying Scientology in the past and connecting that to a suicide is like saying a person who had previously studied the Bible committed suicide. It is sad and reprehensible that a paid anti-Scientologist like Tony Ortega is exploiting this terrible tragedy involving a young woman: it's a sign of outright bigotry."

Grease (1978) star Jeff Conaway credited Scientology with helping him kick drugs and thanked his co-star Travolta for changing his life. "John and I stayed friends but he couldn't watch me going down the tubes... He gave me a whole library of Scientology books and he's given me an auditor who comes almost every day," Conaway told Inside Edition (via The Huffington Post) in 2008. "I've been doing Scientology... My doctor was like, 'Holy cow...whatever you've been doing, keep doing it, because it's really working.'" Conaway died in 2011.

Cheers (1982-93) star Kristie Alley credits Scientology with helping her break her cocaine addiction. "I thought I was going to overdose almost every time," she told Entertainment Tonight. She confessed that Dianetics got her through it. "Somehow I got through [the book], and I thought either [Scientology] is the world's biggest scam, or I thought this is how I am going to get rid of this hideous compulsion."

Singer Beck is married to Marissa Ribisi, who was born into Scientology. The singer told Vulture, "People in my family do it. I've read books, and I've learned about it... I'm not off doing some weirdo stuff." He adds, "When there is a consensus about [anything], I kind of have to take my own council. Whether you characterize a group of people as probable terrorists, however a media can represent a nationality or religion, there's always more to it. Within that culture there's warlike people, there's beatific, peace-loving people, there's people just trying to make a buck, there's people selfless, greedy..."

Singer and beloved South Park (1997-) chef Isaac Hayes quit the Comedy Central series in 2006 after the Scientology-themed "Trapped in the Closet" episode aired, but many close to Hayes, who passed away in 2008, don't quite believe it was his choice.

In September 2016, Hayes' son, Isaac Hayes III, told The Hollywood Reporter that his dad "did not quit South Park; someone quit South Park for him. What happened was that in January 2006 my dad had a stroke and lost the ability to speak. He really didn't have that much comprehension, and he had to relearn to play the piano and a lot of different things. He was in no position to resign under his own knowledge. At the time, everybody around my father was involved in Scientology—his assistants, the core group of people. So someone quit South Park on Isaac Hayes' behalf. We don't know who." He added, "My father was not that big of a hypocrite to be part of a show that would constantly poke fun at African-American people, Jewish people, gay people—and only quit when it comes to Scientology. He wouldn't be that hypocritical."

In 2007, South Park co-creator Matt Stone told Rolling Stone, "There are reports that Isaac had a stroke and Scientology quit the show for him, and I believe it... It was a brutal, up-close, personal thing with Isaac. If you look at the timeline, something doesn't add up."

The Young and the Restless (1973-) star Michael Fairman left the Church of Scientology in 2011—though depending on who you ask, he was either excommunicated or resigned. Fairman published his "Suppressive Persons" document online, which partially read (via The Village Voice), "Michael Fairman has been pretending to be a Scientologist while covertly attempting to divert unsuspecting Scientologists in good standing off the Bridge to Total Freedom. He is not a Scientologist and has also participated in squirrel activities with a squirrel individual... Investigation into Fairman's background shows a long unchanging pattern of out-ethics and of squirreling the most basic Scientology principles."

Fairman responded in a blog: "If I had the slightest sliver of doubt regarding my conclusions (which I do not) about what the current Church of Scientology has become, that doubt would have been dispelled Sunday—spying on me; officials show up at my door without warning, and albeit in a civil tone, threatening and intimidating me with a lawsuit and expulsion, warnings of consequences to my friends and family—if I did not come back to the 'path from which I have strayed.'"

Nancy Cartwright, who voices Bart Simpson, angered Simpsons (1989-) fans and 20th Century Fox execs when she recorded a voicemail message to promote Scientology in 2009 using the Bart Simpson voice. The recording was quickly pulled when Fox filed a copyright complaint. Cartwright previously told The Telegraph, "Before Scientology I had one dream of making a living, from doing voice-overs for animation. After I became a Scientologist my abilities expanded so far and above what I originally dreamed that I've amazed even myself."

Grease (1978) star Eddie Deezen told Vice, "Knowing John Travolta, meeting him, seeing what an extraordinary guy he was, just such a nice person, such a kind human being, did make me think, but it was probably my first impulse of curiosity concerning Scientology... I'm not going to tell you everything, it's something you would have to try for yourself and see if it works for you. I'm never the kind to place my beliefs on someone else."

When asked if the church gets a bad rap, he explained, "Yes and no... It helped me a lot. It just gave me some tools to make my life better. Humankind is in a terrible state: Suffering, misery, poverty, cruelty, hate, these are all such common things. I believe there is a greater side to people, I do not believe it 'has to always be this way.'"

Will Smith has been subject to Scientology rumors for years. He's buddies with Cruise; his 2013 film After Earth reportedly included Scientology themes, and he attempted to open a school reportedly based on Scientologist teaching methods. He's repeatedly denied the claims, and so do prominent Scientology insiders and experts.

"I was introduced to [Scientology] through Tom, and I'm a student of world religion," Smith told Access Hollywood in 2007. "I was raised in a Baptist household and went to a Catholic school, but the ideas of the Bible are 98 percent the same ideas as Scientology; 98 percent the same ideas as Buddhism or Hinduism."

Like her husband, Jada Pinkett Smith has been linked to Scientology for years, most notably by Remini, who told the Daily Beast, "I know Jada's in. I know Jada's in. She's been in Scientology a long time," adding, "I had seen her at the Scientology Celebrity Centre all the time."

Pinkett Smith refuted the claims in a Twitter thread that echoed her husband's sentiments about being a student of world religion. "I recently lit Shabbat candles with Rabbi Bentley at Temple Sinai...but I am not Jewish," she said. "I have prayed in mosques all over the world...but I am not a Muslim. I have read the Bhagavad Gita... but I am not a Hindu. I have chanted and meditated in some of the most magnificent temples on earth... but I am not a Buddhist. I have studied Dianetics, and appreciate the merits of Study Tech... but I am not a Scientologist."

The Girls Trip (2017) star's final words on the matter were, "I practice human kindness, and I believe that we each have the right to determine what we are and what we are not," followed by, "NO ONE ELSE can hold that power."

Before her 2014 death at just 25 years old, music legend Bob Geldof's troubled daughter, Peaches Geldof, revealed in 2009 that she'd been a Scientologist for two years. "I am a Scientologist," she told ITV2 (via Radar Online). "It's something that I agree with... Like I was confused about what path to go through, and I felt like I needed a spiritual path. And I was thinking about it a lot and looking at different things. I always kind of felt that I was lacking something when I didn't have a faith... In the end, all it's about is making yourself a better person... It's just working through stages and working with other people to become a calm person and it's really helped me in that way. I have good friends who are Scientologists."

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld told Access Hollywood (via Today) in 2007, "I did some Scientology courses about 30 years ago. The only thing that bothers me about people knowing that is that it is not my complete wacko résumé. It's just one aspect!" He added, "I am very interested in self-help things. When I was a young man in my 20s I would explore like meditation, and I studied Aikido and karate and yoga and I would just take little things from each of these things." As for why he quit Scientology, Seinfeld said, "I don't know...I was kind of flitting from thing to thing. I was interested in exploring."

Elisabeth Moss doesn't speak about Scientology much, but when she does, she has only positive things to say. In 2012, she told The Telegraph that her attraction to the religion had to do with the fact that "It's self-applied. It involves reading—you have to make a choice." Moss also said that as with people who practice yoga, Kaballah, or Buddhism, her Scientology beliefs help her "feel centred."

In 2013, she told ABC News, "[With Scientology] there is so much focus on the, I guess, empowerment and, sort of, respecting yourself, and yourself as an individual."

The Handmaid's Tale (2017) star referenced Scientology again in 2017 in a since-hidden comment thread on her Instagram. According to HuffPost, that exchange included Moss defending the church against accusations of "information censorship." She allegedly wrote, in part, "That's actually not true at all about Scientology. Religious freedom and tolerance and understanding the truth and equal rights for every race, religion and creed are extremely important to me. The most important things to me probably."

Seventies rocker Edgar Winter got his start with Scientology when he agreed to record Mission Earth, the 1986 sci-fi concept album composed of words and music written by L. Ron Hubbard. Since then, Winter's most high-profile affiliation with the church was when he presided over the opening of its "Winter Wonderland" event in 1995 at its Clearwater, Fla. headquarters.

Winter also spoke briefly about his involvement with the church in a 2012 interview with The St. Augustine Record. "I still go occasionally," he said. "I recommend the books, and I do go to the Celebrity Center when I have time. But I'm not actively doing anything to promote [the church]. I think religion is a personal thing."