It’s pretty well-documented that the controversial Church of Scientology targets incredibly influential celebrity figures for recruitment. They’ve promised everything from spiritual enlightenment to super powers , but some celebs just weren’t takers.
Radar reports that Jenna Miscavige Hill , the defected niece of Scientology boss David Miscavige , revealed more about the church’s practice of recruiting celebrities in a Q&A which expands on her memoir, Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape, published earlier this year.
She said that one of the high-profile celebrities they tried to recruit was Brad Pitt, and that they nearly succeeded in getting him. At the time he was dating actress and Scientologist Juliette Lewis, and even went through the Purification Rundown drug detox, which is considered one of the first steps toward membership.
Pitt stopped there, and later confessed that his brief dalliance with Scientology led him down a path to depression .
The other big-name star Scientology tried to court was U2 frontman Bono. He is, of course, a devout Christian, so they probably didn’t get far with him, though Hill said that he was audited.
But it’s all part of a strategy, she says, and not just because of money:
“There’s a celebrity strategy and they’re targeted for their influence, not their money,” she said. “They know people are obsessed with celebrities so will get more interested in Scientology.”
So also said that celebrities are easy to reel in because they’re often “egocentric” and “insecure.”
“I think that celebrities are more inclined to be egocentric and Scientology caters for that – you’re your own God. They’re probably being told that all the time,” she said.
So there you have it. Brad Pitt and Bono were [ – – – ] that close to being Scientologists.
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