The Church of Scientology has lots of Hollywood connections, from Tom Cruise to John Travolta. The organization is extremely controversial, with former members like Leah Remini speaking out against them, and many people don’t want to support stars who are also Scientologists. So, is there any truth to the rumors that Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith are secretly Scientologists?
Smiths Accused Of Running ‘Essentially A Scientology School’
The Hollywood It couple has always denied any allegations that they are involved with the Church of Scientology, but the rumors have persisted. Recently, a report from the Daily Beast is claiming the couple’s now-defunct school was “essentially a Scientology school.”
The Smiths originally opened the New Village Leadership Academy in 2005 as a home school for their children and a few others. In 2008, they moved the school to a building in Calabasas, California to accommodate the growing class size.
Former Head Of School Details Scientologist Elements, From Books To Teacher Courses
The Daily Beast’s report includes quotes from co-founder and former head of school Jacqueline Olivier, who claims that, while she was not explicitly instructed to teach Scientology to the students, many of the teachers were part of the organization.
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“[The Smiths] never mentioned Scientology,” Olivier explained. “But I remember they sent me the L. Ron Hubbard books, and I didn’t put it together. It just seemed like a great opportunity.” She also said that she was told to take “study technology” classes that were based on a teaching method created by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.
“There were pictures of L. Ron Hubbard on the walls. And in the study technology book, there was a picture of [Hubbard] and a whole mini-biography of his life, and that was the first thing [kids] had to word clear—before anything. I mean, it was total Scientology. There’s no question,” she explained.
Pinkett Smith Denies Scientology Connection
Pinkett Smith even defended the school against the Scientology rumors in a 2009 interview, saying, “All I can say is it is not a Scientology school. Now, if you don’t trust me, and you are questioning my integrity, that’s a whole different matter. That is straight evil to think that I would bring families into that educational institution and then try to get them to convert into some religion.”
The New Leadership Academy eventually shut its doors in 2013, but rumors about the Smiths and the Church of Scientology still remain. The couple has not publicly commented on this latest article about their school, but many believe this means the Smiths are more closely linked to the controversial religion than they are willing to admit.