Cult News

Did Isaac Hayes actually quit South Park, or did the star that does voiceover for the character “chef” have someone at Scientology doing voiceover for him.

“Isaac Hayes did not quit ‘South Park.’ My sources say that someone quit it for him, says Roger Friedman of Fox News. According to Friedman “Hayes is in no position to have quit anything. Contrary to news reports, the great writer, singer and musician suffered a stroke on Jan. 17.”

The voice of “chef” has not been heard from live in some time and his resignation from South Park was done through a prepared statement.

But who prepared it?

In his last interview on the subject of South Park’s send up of Scientology and Tom Cruise titled “Trapped in the Closet” Hayes indicated no intention of leaving the show and said that he understood what the co-creators of the hit Comedy Central show were doing and laughed about it.

Somehow since, even though the show represents a significant income, Hayes has supposedly changed his mind.

The 63-year-old Isaac Hayes, is no longer the sensational singer and songwriter that won an Oscar for the movie theme “Shaft,” so can he really afford this?

Or did his beloved Church of Scientology become the star’s surrogate to make this business decision for him?

Scientology has certainly been sparring with South Park and seemingly and Hayes resignation statement offered another punch. The controversial church, which has been called a “cult,” apparently used its star power to put pressure on Comedy Central and its owner Viacom.

However, it looks like all the church accomplished was a media bonanza for Matt Stone and Trey Parker.

Friedman reports “The Comedy Central Web site has four clips from the 21-minute show. And it also says that ‘Trapped in the Closet’ will air this Wednesday at 10 p.m.”

This may be one of the most humiliating public defeats of Scientology on record. After all the effort seemingly spent to end up only delaying the repeat of their ridicule by one week.

Perhaps the biggest loser is Isaac Hayes who has lost his gig at South Park just as he is expecting a child with his new wife.

It appears Hayes may have gotten the “shaft” from Scientology.

Ad space has been bought to protest the “advice on mental health” doled out by Tom Cruise and Scientology (see the ad copy here). This seems timely given Scientology’s nationwide battle against the mental-health industry.

The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), which is closely tied to Scientology, has been the force behind more than two dozen bills in Arizona in recent years, including measures to restrict prescriptions of Ritalin.

Arizona legislators met John Travolta and other Scientology celebs in an effort to influence thier votes. Scientology ran a similar campaign in Florida that ultimately failed.

Of course the highest profile celeb in Scientology is Tom Cruise. And the star and his church routinely recommend that everyone should refuse and/or abstain from any drugs prescribed by psychiatrists. And also reject any suggested care or counseling offered by mental health professionals.

This belief apparently led to tragedy when a Scientologist’s 28-year-old son stabbed his mother to death. The young man Jeremy Perkins is deeply disturbed and now is being held within the Rochester Psychiatric Center. He was found not responsible for the murder of his mother due to mental defect.

Perkins was the schizophrenic son of Elli Perkins a senior auditor (counselor) at the Buffalo Scientology branch in New York.

Consistent with his mother’s beliefs Jeremy Perkins never received treatment from mental health professionals, but instead was cared for according to Scientology’s guidelines and practices. He received vitamins.

Scientology’s solution for mental health failed Jeremy Perkins and the young man’s family, deeply involved in the church, has reportedly cut him off since his incarceration.

Without a psychiatric diagnosis of mental defect Perkins might now be on death row.

This seemingly needless death of a 54-year-old mother of two has prompted Scientology critics to run protests in newspapers regarding the church’s ongoing war against psychiatry and/or any mental health professionals and the treatment and/or counseling they can provide.

The protests are being run in The Buffalo Beast (a weekly paper in Buffalo, NY, where Elli lived), the Spectrum (student newspaper of SUNY Buffalo (Scientology has an office on its campus in a non-university-owned building), and the Jackson Hole Daily, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

The text of the protest cites actor Tom Cruise by name, due to his hi-profile support and continuing promotion of Scientology. And specifically because of his repeated opposition to mental health professionals and related medications that they can provide.

Cruise once told Today Show host Matt Lauer, “I know that psychiatry is a pseudo-science.”

Later the American Psychiatric Association (APA) called the star’s comments “irresponsible” pointing out that “rigorous, published, peer-reviewed research clearly demonstrates that treatment (of mental illness) works.”

But it’s too late for Elli Perkins, who appears to be a Scientology causality.

A Web site “Perkins Tragedy.org” details the case includes an archive of related articles and court files.

The Church of Scientology’s number one missionary is Tom Cruise, and now it appears he may be using both his wife and their unborn child in an attempt to draw in some very special new celebrities.

Katie Holmes, perhaps Scientology’s version of the “Virgin Mary,” is approaching the birth day of her firstborn and she has managed to get Victoria Beckham involved in the blessed event.

Ms. Beckham the wife of soccer superstar David Beckham has become Katie’s “birthing partner” reports Entertainment Wise.com.

Scientology’s “Top Gun” has seemingly been taking aim at the Beckhams for some time apparently hoping to bag the two for his church. Victoria, the former “Posh Spice,” has already reportedly been seen reading Scientology literature.

Now according to news reports she is seeing the future Mrs. Cruise “twice a week…to discuss any worries Katie may have and…breathing techniques.” Could it be that Holmes, a new convert to Scientology, is hoping to breathe a little religion into their relationship?

Is “TomKat” working like a tag team to get Great Britain’s top celebrity couple into the controversial organization, often called a “cult”?

“Victoria has become a mother hen to Katie and was thrilled when she asked her to be her birthing partner. Victoria remembers how scary it was when she had her first child. She can’t imagine how difficult it will be for Katie to give birth [Scientology style] quietly and without any pain killers” a source told the press.

Well, maybe all that pain will be worth it if Scientology’s top star can recruit the most popular British celebs outside the royal family.

It would be a bigger catch than hooking the couple of Australian billionaire’s heirs the movie star has been recently cruising around with, at least in terms of generating increased public interest in the church that Rolling Stone reported may be shrinking.

Beck’s soccer superstar status spans the globe and curious fans might just stop in to see what Scientology is all about if their idol was involved.

Pregnancy as a tool for proselytizing?

It might just turn out to be another “mission impossible,” but it seems that Tom Cruise never stops trying.

John Travolta has been cast to play Edna Turnblad for the new film version of Hairspray, which is based upon the hit Broadway musical. This latest incarnation of the John Waters creation is scheduled for release in Britain during 2007 reports the London Evening Standard.

Hairspray has an interesting history. Following in the footsteps of the Broadway smash hit The Producers by Mel Brooks, it was first a “cult movie,” then successfully adapted for Broadway and now it’s being made again into a movie.

Travolta is certainly an interesting and sure to be controversial choice for the role of Ms. Edna, a part made popular by two gay actors. First, actor Glen Milstead known to his fans as “Divine” played Edna Turnblad. He became a “cult film” star through recurring roles in movies beginning with the “cult classic” Pink Flamingos made by gay director John Waters. Divine died shortly after the release of the original Hairspray in 1988.The second Ms. Edna was Harvey Fierstein, an outspoken gay activist, that won the Tony for his much praised Broadway performance.

Janet Reitman wrote a 13,000-word article for the February 23rd  issue of Rolling Stone magazine titled “Inside Scientology.” It may well be the most comprehensive and meticulous journalistic work about the controversial church written since 1991, when Rich Behar completed the cover story “Scientology: The Cult of Greed” for Time Magazine.

Though not as tough as the Time piece Reitman’s effort may pack enough punch, according to Fox News entertainment reporter Roger Friendman, to “drive a permanent wedge between Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner.”

However, there isn’t anything really that new in Rolling Stone. Essentially it’s a rehash of Scientology’s turbulent history and the often-troubled life of its founder L. Ron Hubbard.

Included are some compelling personal stories of kids that have suffered through and left Scientology, rejecting their family religion.

An obligatory paean if of course is included regarding Hubbard’s absurd “space opera” about an “evil galactic warlord named Xenu,” which Scientologists accept as religious truth.

Somewhat amusing was Mike Rinder, Scientology’s “Number Two,” getting red faced and going into a “tirade” over Reitman’s questions concerning the unusual belief. “I’m not explaining it to you, and I could not explain it to you…you don’t have a hope of understanding it,” he said. 

The comedy show South Park apparently did understand “Xenu,” as a joke.

Rolling Stone did clarify that though Scientology “claims 10 million members” and has holdings valued “in the billions of dollars” it may actually only have “a core practicing membership…between 100,000 and 200,000.”

Nothing new here, but worth including. Some “journalists” never bother to qualify the claims of Scientology.

In fact according to one set of figures Reitman cited “Scientology is shrinking.”

Maybe that’s why Tom Cruise is always frantically proselytizing and Scientology’s “volunteer ministers” keep showing up at disasters around the world in those bright yellow jackets?

Rolling Stone did the requisite debunking of L. Ron Hubbard’s grandiose official biography. Scientology’s “genius” flunked out of college and was no war hero. He also wasn’t a very loyal friend to his benefactor Whiteside Parsons. After moving in with the wealthy scientist and “helping him with a variety of black-magic and sex rituals” as his “apprentice” Hubbard took up with the man’s mistress, who later became one of his wives.

Perhaps the most interesting facts reported by Reitman were about Scientology’s savior’s death.

According to a coroner’s report Rolling Stone cited Hubbard expired “in a state of decrepitude: unshaven, with long, thinning whitish-red hair and unkempt fingernails and toenails.” And within his “system was the anti-anxiety drug hydroxyzine (Vistaril).”

Sounds a bit like the last days of strange reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes. Now what would Tom Cruise say about that?

Scientology’s “Top Gun” criticized Brooke Shields for psychiatric drug use, would he criticize the savior of Scientology for the same supposed “sin”?

Hubbard didn’t like homosexuals, which may explain why some Scientologists are purportedly “trapped in the closet.” And if they ever “come out” he advised that “such people should be taken from the society as rapidly as possible” because “no social order will survive which does not remove these people from its midst” quoted Rolling Stone.

The founder of Scientology would be an anachronism in today’s Hollywood given the Oscar nominations for a “gay cowboy movie” and another film based upon the work of the effete author Truman Capote.

Don’t expect Tom Cruise or John Travolta to hand out an Oscar to somone associated with one of those two films.

The only really startling thing about Janet Reitman’s piece for Rolling Stone is how commonplace Scientology revelations have now become.

Once it was daring for a reporter to expose the dark side of the controversial church, now it’s expected and everyone seems to know about “Xenu.”

Another interesting development is that Scientology doesn’t sue like it used to. South Park literally dared the formerly litigious church, but it demurred. And it probably won’t sue Rolling Stone either.

It seems that Scientology has learned that suing its critics only affords them more attention, engenders bad press and further criticism.

Maybe the cebrity handlers at the church could help Tom Cruise calm down, isn’t there a course they can sell him for that?

It has been observed that Scientology’s most important celebrities seem to almost always have Scientologists nearby in what can be seen as constant surveillance or special handling.

The list of heavy hitters worthy of such an effort has included the very rich Lisa Marie Presley, John Travolta, Tom Cruise, billionaire heir James Packer and most recently Katie Holmes.

A reportedly “creepy” example of this surfaced recently “down under” while Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes visited to attend the funeral of the late Kerry Packer, Australia’s richest man. The couple were constantly shadowed by a “mystery” pair seen at every function that the two attended reported the Sydney Morning Herald.

Scientology’s “Top Gun” has himself seemingly been stalking Australian billionaires lately, apparently hoping to land one for his controversial church. This has included heirs to both the Packer and Murdoch fortunes, the two richest families in the country.

But Cruise and Holmes appeared to be getting stalked themselves by another couple.

The female component of this probable Scientology surveillance team was likely Ms. Holmes apparent full-time handler Jessica Rodriquez, now supposedly Katie’s “best friend.” 

The former teen idol, whose career has gone from acting to becoming a suitable mate and child bearer for the “world’s biggest movie star,” may have become the Scientology version of the “Virgin Mary.”

The man shadowing Mr. Cruise remains a complete mystery, but the press described him as both “weird” and “creepy.”

“Every move Tom made, this guy did the same thing…When Tom stripped down to his shorts, so did he,” reported the Sydney Morning Herald.

And the “mystery couple” was busy reporting information to someone.

They “carried their Blackberries everywhere, watching Tom and Katie while incessantly tapping out messages to persons unknown” reported the press.

So it seems Scientology headquarters may never be more than a text tap away when you are as important an asset as Tom Cruise.

This foursome is indeed a bit “weird” and “creepy.”

It seems like Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca is becoming one of Scientology’s special friends.

Not long ago Baca appointed Scientology’s apparent President for life Heber Jentzch to a slot on his “Executive Clergy Advisory Council.”

Then Baca “spearheaded” the “6th Annual Multi-Faith Prayer Breakfast,” which included Jentzch along with Scientologist and sitcom star Jenna Elfman. The former “Dharma” gave a speech pitching a Scientology-linked program called “Criminon.”

Now Baca has shown up at a special fundraiser for another Scinetology-linked project called “Youth for Human Rights International” run by Scientologist Mary Shuttleworth according to a recent press release.

The Sheriff brought his wife to the elegant “gourmet dinner for a select one hundred and twenty guests” at Scientologist and actress Anne Archer’s Brentwood mansion.

The event raised $50,000, more than $400.00 per plate.

Has the Sherif become Scientology’s latest “soup du jour”?

It appears that Tom Cruise continues to have significant influence over the heir to the largest fortune in Australia, which may eventually mean big bucks for Scientology.

“If there is one person whom media scion James Packer knows he can rely on in a crisis, it’s Hollywood star Tom Cruise” gushed the Sydney Morning Herald.

And Packer’s life has been one crisis after another in recent years including an emabarrassing business failure, divorce and now his father’s death, which may make him an easy mark for Scientology.

Cruise, who befriended Packer while filming The Last Samurai in New Zealand, flew down to attend the elder Packer’s funeral with pregnant girlfriend Katie Holmes aboard his private jet.

Reportedly “the friends were believed to have spent [time] in seclusion” after the funeral.

So what is Scientology’s “Top Gun” up to with the heir to Australia’s biggest fortune?

In the past Cruise apparently persuaded Packer to attend Scientology courses and not long therefter the tycoon’s son took on a Scientologist as his live-in personal assistant and tutor.

Sounds a bit like Katie Holmes and here newfound “best friend” who is also a Scientologist and probably the “mystery woman” that accompanied TomKat on their trip “down under.” 

“Mr. Packer has found the man who will help coach and support him through the next phase of his life” predicted the Sydney Morning Herald.

And almost any coaching Cruise provides typically includes Scientology.

Will Packer become prey for his proselytizing friend?

James Packer has previously denied press speculation that he has become a Scientologist, but with his old buddy Tom Cruise hanging around this may easily change.

Scientology is not really known historically for its charity work.

The organization that was founded by pulp Sci-fi writer L. Ron Hubbard seems more adept at collecting fees for “religious services” through a price list of “suggested donations” rather than doling out funds or food to the needy.

But lately the controversial church, which has been called a “cult,” seems intent upon burnishing its image. So Scientology is engaged in what at times appears to be both a frantic and frenetic public relations blitz, through its so-called “volunteer ministers.”

In one hi-profile heavily reported disaster after another its ubiquitous volunteers show up to help out. Almost always wearing their bright yellow tops or jackets, which are so easily visible and readily photographed.

What do these volunteers actually do though to help?

Do they come with meaningful material assistance or does each new disaster simply provide another platform for self-serving promotion?

Scientology reportedly collects hundreds of millions of tax-exempt dollars from its faithful annually, but it can’t seem to scrape together a few million to buy food, medicines or other forms of conventional emergency relief.

Instead Scientology volunteers, who often pay their own expenses, hand out things frequently paid for by others. They also do something called “touch assists.” This means the Scientologists literally touch people, which supposedly can alleviate trauma or helps someone to “cope” with something confronting them.

However, these assists though very touching have no scientifically measurable effect and have more in common with the claims of magic than medicine.

A “team of Scientology Volunteer Ministers” recently turned up in South Africa and “set up operations to assist the firefighters and other emergency personnel by distributing food and supplies and providing Scientology Assists” reported the organization’s official Web site.

CultNews has reported before about Scientology’s special interest in assisting firefighters and rescue workers in New York. Tom Cruise even showed up and said he wanted to help too.

Of course whenever Tom Cruise offers charitable “help” it almost always seems to be linked somehow to Scientology.

Perhaps if the controversial church wants the public to perceive it as a kind and benevolent organization it should spend a few million dollars on some food and/or medicine. After all, that’s what other churches do all the time.

In this way Scientology might be taken seriously as a “church” rather than a business. That is, by providing more substance and less spin.

A source has told the press the “relationship” between Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes is basically over” and added, “They both agreed that the marriage wouldn’t work and they wanted to end it before they learned to hate each other” reports the Boston Herald.

Have the days of the duo known as “TomKat” ended?

Supposedly a source says Holmes now has her own bedroom within Cruise’s Beverly Hills mansion and legal papers are already being drawn up to spell out the terms of their split and custody of Katie’s unborn child.

“The story is 100% false” proclaimed Cruise’s official spokesperson.

But in Hollywood such denials are often only the preview for marital and partnership breakdowns. And this relationship has been rather strange and/or strained from the beginning.

Has Katie Holmes conservative Catholic family finally weighed in?

Persistent rumors have circulated that the Holmes household is not happy that daughter Katie is planning to give birth as an unwed mother. Her father also reportedly is none too thrilled with Tom Cruise’s Sci-fi religion.

But despite the bad news circulating about him Scientology’s “Top Gun” was out partying.

Cruise was spotted at a LA concert venue and some of those attending said that the star was acting strangely.

Instead of his celebrated couch jumping this time it was balcony dangling and cable climbing reports Jeanette Walls for MSNBC.

One glib spectator summarized the scene saying the star “went nuts.”

Ever the crusading missionary Cruise also reportedly worked the crowd preaching for his church.

“Not true,” said the superstar’s probably overworked spokesperson once again.

So is Tom cruising into a nervous breakdown over another failed romance?

Despite a new spokesperson that replaced his sister, the middle aged man often called the “world’s biggest movie star,” continues to prove he can’t maintain that past perceived persona as a Hollywood good guy.

Whatever the truth is about “TomKat” its doubtful that the public image of Tom Cruise will ever be restored.

Increasingly, the superstar just seems to be getting stranger and stranger.

Did that make 27-year-old Katie Holmes head for the proverbial Hollywood Hills baby and all?