Star of A&E’s Scientology and the Aftermath Leah Remini has put several of the highest-ranking celebrity members of the Church of Scientology on blast via Twitter by calling them out by name in reference to a tweet by another celebrity regarding LGBTQ rights.
Actress Ellen Page tweeted in reference to actor Chris Pratt’s involvement with a church organization that allegedly, according to Page, is “famously anti LGBTQ.” Her post came after Pratt’s appearance on Stephen Colbert’s late-night talk show where he spoke of his spirituality. Pratt is a member of Hillsong Church and has been very open about his faith. Other celebrities who have attended services are Pratt’s fiancee Katherine Schwarzenegger, Justin Bieber, Hailey Baldwin, Bono, Vanessa Hudgens, and Nick Jonas, reported People Magazine .
Page then doubled down on her feelings toward Hillsong Church’s alleged policies, tweeting on February 9, “[i]f you are a famous actor and you belong to an organization that hates a certain group of people, don’t be surprised if someone simply wonders why it’s not addressed. Being anti-LGBTQ is wrong, there aren’t two sides. The damage it causes is severe. Full stop. Sending love to all.”
Pratt responded with a comment on his Instagram story.
“It has recently been suggested that I belong to a church which ‘hates a certain group of people’ and is ‘infamously anti-LGBTQ.’ Nothing could be further from the truth. I go to a church that opens their doors to absolutely everyone.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjDom-Elk0s/
Remini responded to Page’s tweet, taking up her cause regarding the exposure of Scientology’s practices by alleging the church’s homophobia with a clap-back at some of the biggest celebs who are practicing Scientologists, including the highest-ranking of them all, Tom Cruise.
Remini never stated in her tweet that any of the celebrities mentioned were homophobic. It was rather, a call to arms that they speak up about the alleged teachings of the church regarding homosexuality.
Agreed. What does Greta Van Susteren, Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Kelly Preston, Laura Prepon, Jenna Elfman, Beck, Ann Archer, Kirstie Alley, Giovani Ribisi, Elizabeth Moss, Michael Pena, Nancy Cartwright… have to say about these teachings https://t.co/sCfGxS7GKY
— Leah Remini (@LeahRemini) February 9, 2019
The Advocate published an excerpt from the book Perfectly Clear in October 2018, where former Scientologist Michelle LeClair alleged she experienced homophobia from the Church of Scientology when she began her relationship with a woman named Charley, who eventually became her wife.
Mike Rinder, who hosts A&E’s Scientology and the Aftermath with Remini, also spoke about alleged homophobia in the church in a 2015 blog post . He alleged that L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, believed that homosexuality could be “handled in auditing.” According to the official Scientology website , the reason for auditing is to “helping the individual rid himself of any spiritual disabilities and increase individual abilities.”
Remini did not post any follow-up statements after her response to Page’s tweet.
There will be no new episode of Scientology and the Aftermath that will air February 12 in the show’s regularly scheduled time slot on A&E.
Yep. The victims were told the Masterson episode would air on Feb 18. Now A&E lies to the Daily Beast saying it never set that date. And the episode is now in limbo… https://t.co/wNjMNUOvey
— Tony Ortega (@TonyOrtega94) February 12, 2019
The show’s February 18 episode, which was to look deeper into the allegations against actor Danny Masterson, a practicing Scientologist who was accused of sexual abuse, has reportedly been pulled from the show’s air schedule tweeted Tony Ortega, who runs the website Underground Bunker .