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The Cult of Personality - Vol. 1



If celebrities are turning to strange religions, I feel like somebody ought to start keeping score. It might be useful to put together a “who belongs to what” type of guide to navigate the increasingly bizarre antics and agendas that are paraded before the media. I plan on doing more research into this, but here are some notables off the top of my head (combined with items from this list):

Scientology

  1. Tom Cruise
  2. Katie Holmes
  3. John Travolta
  4. Lee Anne Devette (Tom Cruise’s sister and publicist)
  5. Isaac Hayes
  6. Juliette Lewis
  7. Jenna Elfman
  8. Kelly Preston
  9. Kirstie Alley
  10. Lisa Marie Presley

Kabbalah (that is, the celebritized version, note the “real” one)

  1. Madonna
  2. Britney Spears
  3. Paris Hilton
  4. Wynona Ryder
  5. Barbra Streisand
  6. Nicolas Cage
  7. Roseanne Barr
  8. Demi Moore
  9. Ashton Kutcher
  10. Lindsay Lohan

Buddhist

  1. Tina Turner (Tibetan Buddhist)
  2. Steven Seagal (Tibetan - was proclaimed a “tulku” a reincarnated lama and sacred vessel)
  3. Richard Gere (Tibetan)
  4. Adam Yauch (Tibetan)
  5. Orland Bloom (Soka Gakkai)
  6. Kate Bosworth (Soka Gakkai)

“Traditional” Catholic

  1. Mel Gibson

Jehovah’s Witness

  1. Prince
  2. Michael Jackson

Santeria

  1. Jennifer Lopez

This article helped me fill out this list a bit more. There’s also the Celebrity Atheist/Agnostic page which is worth looking at. Still waiting for some big stars to announce Gnostic or Pagan leanings. There must be some Wiccan or Thelemite movie stars too floating around out there - but I haven’t heard of any. I’d also like to see if there are any people on the Muslim, or Hindu side of the game. Zoroastrianism would also be a blast. And so would Falun Gong, or Falun Dafa, whichever is the appropriate term.

That’s something to start with anyway. I’d love to make this into a regular feature, and keep updating this as more people join these various camps. Scientology and “Kabbalah” seem to be the two main contenders at the moment - with various Buddhist sects following behind. I’m not real current with celebrity comings and goings, so I’m sure other people will be able to add a lot of valuable information to this.

Oh, also check out Rolling Stone’s piece of Tom Cruise’s Scientology hoo-ha. In it, he calls Scientology “the shit, man” and proclaims:

“Some people, well, if they don’t like Scientology, well, then, fuck you.” He rises from the table. “Really.” He points an angry finger at the imaginary enemy. “Fuck you.” His face reddens. “Period.”

Fuck you too, Tom.





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12 Reader Responses

  1. albion Says:
    June 15th, 2005 at 3:43 pm

    i believe keb mo (musician) was sokka gakkai, not sure whether he still is.

  2. J. Puma Says:
    June 15th, 2005 at 3:52 pm

    there’s a lot more in scientology than most people realize. here’s a .txt list that’s a bit hard to navigate, but scroll down for the full list. checkitout:

    http://home.snafu.de/tilman/faq-you/celeb.txt

    here’s something on scientology in hollywood:

    http://www.scientollywood.org/

  3. Haeresis Says:
    June 15th, 2005 at 4:02 pm

    I’m pretty sure Uma Thurman is Buddhist (her dad’s a monk, or was)

    I’d put Mel down as “Church of one” because he more or less built the damn thing himself, and his sect is not recognized by the Vatican)

    Greta Van Susteran, Juliette Lewis are supposedly Scientologists, and I think Proscilla is as well?

  4. Occult Investigator Says:
    June 15th, 2005 at 4:06 pm

    WHOA… neil gaiman is a scientologist? that list is INSANE. i wonder how much of it is accurate…

    i think i should relabel gibson as “traditionalist catholic” and there are lots of other people in that movement. check out this site for more

    http://www.traditio.com/

  5. Occult Investigator Says:
    June 15th, 2005 at 4:11 pm

    its also weird that nicole kidman was in one of the batman movies, and so is katie holmes. the scientology bug also seems to have spread through that 70’s show to at least include laura prepon

    and then theres beck too, although this seems disputed:

    http://lermanet.com/beck/

    and here’s a piece about one of the writers for the muppet babies and D&D cartoons being a scientologist and including their ideas in episodes. its nothing insane, but still interesting, as i watched both those shows

    http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Realm/4173/scott.html

  6. Haeresis Says:
    June 15th, 2005 at 4:15 pm

    Tori Amos claims to be Gnostic leaning. Freddie Mercury from Queen was a Zoroastrian, but any new ones would be suspect because they don’t allow converts in orthodoxy. There are celebrity Thelemites- the bands Coil and ?? (it’ll come to me) are thelemic, and don’t forget Led Zeppelin (who were denied initiation but who are/were undeniably so alkl the same) In fact, I can think of a dozen thelemic music groups, although most suck. Genesis P-Orrige is a thelemite.

    Jayne Mansfield and Sammy Davis Jr were Thelemites before goiung of with LaVey.

  7. Haeresis Says:
    June 15th, 2005 at 4:32 pm

    I don’t buy Gamain as a Scientologist, either.- he’s Jewish So is Leonard. I’m wary of these lists sometimes (like getting put down as a Wiccan for saying “thank goddess,” and so on) Nicole Kidman’s a Methodist, btw.

  8. Occult Investigator Says:
    June 15th, 2005 at 5:10 pm

    yeah i mean, if you read gaiman’s work, i would say he’s more like “us” than anything else

  9. The Accidental Boyfriend Says:
    June 15th, 2005 at 5:16 pm

    Steven Segal is a tulku?

    Wow… if that doesn’t rock your faith, I don’t know what will.

  10. james Says:
    June 15th, 2005 at 5:58 pm

    Giovanni Ribisi and the dude who plays Hyde on “That ’70’s Show”: Scientologists

  11. Haeresis Says:
    June 15th, 2005 at 6:29 pm

    Yeah, exactly. I doubt a scientologist would decorate with so many damned poppies, either.

  12. silverspringwoman Says:
    June 15th, 2005 at 10:44 pm

    Sully Erna of Godsmack is a publically claimed Wiccan.



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