If you’re a fan of Joaquin Phoenix you probably know that his childhood was a bit strange. His parents, John and Arlyn “Heart” Bottom, became entangled with a serious cult in the mid-'70s. Joaquin grew up in the Children of God cult that has since been exposed for its predatory practices and abhorrent actions.
Thankfully, Joaquin’s parents saw the cult for what it was before things got seriously dark for the family. They left the Children of God cult in 1977 after the parents noticed abusive new rules being enforced in the group. We’re curious what Joaquin’s thoughts are about the cult to this day and if he’s fallen victim to another today.
Talk about Hollywood royalty…There’s just no way one could talk about culty celebs without talking about Oprah Winfrey. Oprah is so established in the media, that you could argue that she’s in her own cult…the cult of Oprah! There is no shortage of rumors and speculation that Oprah is up to some funny business.
There’s just no way someone so famous isn’t part of some clandestine organization that’s pulling strings behind the scenes. It’s been alleged that Oprah has been a prominent member of the Church of Scientology for decades, but no one’s seemed to peg her for sure. Although she recently came under scrutiny when an advertisement for the Church of Scientology aired during an interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
There’s absolutely no doubt that Winona Ryder is consistently left-of-center. She’s an icon when it comes to seriously strange roles. Ryder conjures her outsider capabilities from her own childhood. Her parents had a pseudo-hippie approach to her childhood that kept her away from the normal life of a child in the ‘70s and ‘80s.
Winona’s parents were what she calls “Beatnik” which basically reads Hippie. Her parents raised Ryder in the Rainbow Commune, which was a 300-acre expanse of redwood forest with other artists…sounds a little too Midsommar if you ask us! Winona remembers her childhood fondly, but it makes us wonder if she still has an affinity for some cult-like situations.
This celebrity entry should come as no surprise. Tom Cruise basically put Scientology on the map in mainstream media. Although facing decades of scrutiny, Cruise has never denounced the cult. Tom Cruise joined the Cult of Scientology while he was married to his first wife Mimi Rogers in 1986.
He publicly announced his affiliation with the cult in a 1992 interview with Barbara Walters. He’s reportedly close friends with the Church of Scientology’s chairman, David Miscavige. People are now suspecting that he’s distancing himself from the organization…probably because his career is suffering.
Oh, Mr. Smith…you’ll go down in history, but it’s not for winning your Oscar in 2022. Although that infamous slap scene may be the most interesting moment in Oscar history! Will Smith has been raising a few eyebrows recently with his “unconventional” relationship with his wife Jada Pinkett Smith.
Beyond his unorthodox relationship rules, Will may have another question mark on his reputation. Recently, people have been speculating that he has close ties with the Church of Scientology. In 2017, an ex-member of the Church of Scientology, Leah Remini outed Jada Smith as a long-time member of the cult, and even alleged that the couple opened a Scientology school for children!
When it comes to Hollywood and Scientology, John Travolta is one of the cult’s OG members. He’s been a prominent member of the Church of Scientology since 1975. Travolta was reportedly given the cult’s book Dianetics while he was on set filming The Devil’s Rain in Durango, Mexico.
Travolta was actually born on the same day the Church of Scientology was founded. Maybe he’s some sort of prophesied chosen one for the Scientologists? Who knows? He’s so involved in the organization that he even loaded up his private Boeing 707 with Scientologist volunteers and sent them to Haiti during the 2010 Haiti Earthquake Crisis.
Next up on the list of elite Hollywood weirdos is none other than Tom Hanks! Rumors of Tom Hanks is up to something suspicious have been around for decades…but what possibly could Forest Gump be getting up to? Well, speculators had serious concerns about Hanks when he was stranded in Australia after catching Covid-19.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that 2020 was rife with conspiracy gone too far! At the time, Hanks fell victim to Qanon conspiracy theories that accused him as a predator on the run! The rumors were that Hanks is in an elite predator ring hinged on stealing children of America and consuming their blood… Yes, people actually believed this lunacy.
Jared Leto may be one of the creepiest people in all of Hollywood. Frequently embracing his off-beat persona, the celebrity spares no effort in trying to be the weirdest version of himself. He’s even gone so far as to creep out other celebrities who’ve had to work with him. He amped it up in 2019 when he started his own cult.
Yes, as if the rumors of his oddness weren’t enough…he went and started his own cult. In 2019 Leto’s band, Thirty Second to Mars invited die-hard fans (A.K.A. Echelons) to join them for a private music festival in Croatia. During the festival, Leto wore all white robes and lead his followers in yoga and movie screenings…the band tweeted photos of the event saying “Yes, this is a cult.#MarsIsland”
Glenn Close is one of the most awarded actresses in Hollywood, but like many in her circle…her story started in the dark. Her father, William Taliaferro Close joined the family with the Moral Re-Armament when Glenn was only seven years old. The family lived in a communal setting with the cult for over 15 years.
Close has stated in numerous interviews that everything was dictated to her…from the clothes that she wore to the words she was allowed to speak, and nearly all her thoughts were influenced by the organization. She finally broke away from the group when she was 22 years old. She attributes her love for acting to the reason she was able to escape.
While both of the children were raised Scientologist, Willow and Jaden Smith have stumbled upon a rather obscure group that may be a cult! The two Smith kids have posted on their Instagram accounts tagging the controversial cult, the Orgonite Society. Apparently, the Hollywood teen-based cult is bonded over their pursuit for knowledge.
The cult was founded by controversial guru leader, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, known as Osho the Guru of "intimate activities." That’s exactly who you want to teach your kids, right? There seems to be a common theme of crystal pyramids in this kiddie organization. The Orgonite Society allegedly has ties to illicit substance use and bioterrorist activities.
Another victim of the teen Orgonite Society cult is Kylie Jenner. Younger sister to the fabulous Kardashians, Kylie was apparently brought to the Orgonite Society by Jaden and Willow Smith. You can see Kylie in pictures posted by the Smith kids at Orgonite society events…We’re sure Kris will have something to say about this.
A lot of people have blamed Kylie's run-in with the cult as a one-off accident. Since 2014, she hasn’t referenced the organization at all…but with all that fame it makes us wonder if there’s a larger thing going on. She’s enjoyed wild success at such a young age.
Kirstie Alley is another prominent celebrity member of the Church of Scientology. At rock bottom, Kirstie Alley attempted to end her rampant cocaine addiction by putting her trust in the Scientologist-backed rehab program, Narconon. She formally joined the organization in 1979 after she overcame her addiction.
Former Scientologist Leah Remini called out Kirstie’s refusal to comment on the war in Ukraine on Twitter saying, “She has no comment on these crimes against humanity? But she's going to pray? Scientology, her "religion", says Christ is a [predator] and a lie. Scientologists aren't allowed to believe in anything else other than Scientology. So, who is she praying to?”
Founded in 1920, the Self-Realization Fellowship was the first yoga cult to be started in the United States. Its recruitment strategy is very similar to that of Scientology, basing its principles around a spiritual realization conveyed through harmless appearing self-help books.
Elvis apparently fell head-first into the organization, no doubt looking for purpose. His ex-wife, Priscilla, has been on the record saying that he was approached by leaders of the Self-Realization Fellowship after the passing of Yogananda. Elvis began developing a relationship with the leaders of the cult who then drastically influenced his life. He even wanted to start a commune!
Okay, it’s hard to take Michelle Pfeiffer’s time in a cult seriously because her cult of choice literally fell apart because of a chicken pot pie. Who knew that a little bit of down-home southern cooking could topple an entire belief system? Michelle Pfeiffer was part of the controversial diet culture cult, Breatharianism.
Breatharianism was founded upon the spiritual “fact” that the only thing humans need to survive is air. No food or water. The cult went down in flames after the founder was caught buying a can of baked beans and a chicken pot pie. Pfeiffer stated in an interview with Stella Magazine, “I had to pay for all the time I was there, so it was financially very draining. They believed that people in their highest state were breatharian."
Grimes has been the odd one out in Hollywood for close to a decade now. She’s anti-mainstream, purposefully against the norm, and honestly looking for any reason to be weird. One could argue that she’s unapologetically herself and completely committed to her artform…but you can’t deny that it feels like something strange is going on.
Grimes is originally from Vancouver, Canada and if you watch South Park at all you know that Canadians are just weird. She’s been with Elon Musk, the richest and most influential man in the world, since 2018. The problem with Grimes is, that her timeline just doesn’t add up. It feels like there’s something going on behind that weird performance art of hers.
The Arquette family is probably the most famous family of actors in Hollywood. With all that time spent in the industry, it’s no surprise that the family has succumbed to the grips of a cult. David and Patricia Arquette have ties to Skymont Subud.
The cult was founded in the ‘40s and summarizes itself as “an international spiritual philosophy that emphasizes the awakening of one's 'inner self' as part of the process of finding more fulfillment in life."
Shirley MacLaine is an entertainment legend. Born in 1934, the actress, singer, and apparent spiritual guru has won countless awards as well as an AFI Life Achievement Award. Shirley is obviously well-connected in Hollywood, but she shocked fans when she started advocating for new-age religious movements
Shirley is a die-hard member of NXIVM. NXIVM was founded in the ‘90s and marketed as a self-help company helping people expand their possibilities. However, like most MLM’s with ties to the metaphysical, things got a little bizarre when high-ranking members convinced themselves they were Nazis in a past life. Not to mention, the whole movement was toppled when they were found guilty of sex trafficking.
Rose McGowan is another celebrity with close ties to The Children of God cult. Her parents fell for the guise the cult was advertising in the ‘70s. Rose McGowan has nothing good to say about her time in the cult. She said that the organization would treat women as servants to men and that they used children as leverage to keep parents from escaping.
"I remember watching how the [cult’s] men were with the women ... [The women] were basically there to serve the men," Rose says her parents were good people and bought into a lie that was sold to them unfairly. Her father was an artist, and her mother was a very educated woman.
Smallville actress, Allison Mack, might be one of the worst perpetrators on this list. Her Involvement in NXIVM is unparalleled. Her acting career was thankfully brought to a screeching halt after her dastardly deeds were brought to public attention.
NXIVM was known as a multilevel marketing scheme, but it actually got quite culty towards the end of its life. Allison, along with high-ranking members, was convicted of racketeering and racketeering conspiracy. Allison stated that her time with NXIVM was “The biggest mistake and greatest mistake of [her} life.”
Most of us know Andrew Keegan from 10 Things I Hate About You, but these days he’s not so much into acting and really into his own cult. Andrew founded a “spiritual community.” If you ask us..that’s just a fancy way of saying CULT. Why can’t these celebs just stick to what they’re good at?
Since 2014, Andrew has been leading the organization which “passionately seeks to inspire and empower the community to co-create a better world.” The problem with all of these cults is that they rope you in with their esoteric nonsense only to be met with something less than reputable when you’re behind closed doors.
Toni Braxton may be one of the most prolific contralto singers of our generation, but her talent unfortunately comes from a place of pain. The singer reviewed in her memoir, “Unbreak My Heart,” that her family was involved in an extreme religious congregation called the Pillar of Truth church.
“I began connecting religion, God, and church with judgment, anxiety, and guilt.” The singer says she faked speaking in tongues, a practice in many evangelical faiths in which people allegedly speak unknown languages due to God speaking through their bodies. “The times that bound us together became the ties that strangled us. Our family had fallen into religious extremism.”
Two-time Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Neil Young, wasn’t necessarily a part of the Manson Family…but he had very close ties to Charles Manson himself. The singer and songwriter had a close relationship with Manson, a cult leader, and even helped Manson develop his musical skills.
Neil Young believed in Manson enough to try and secure the cult leader a record deal. As we’ve seen, Manson was an intriguing person…almost hypnotic. Apparently, the two even jammed out together and helped each other write new music. Seems like they were close friends, maybe Neil even knew Manson’s sinister intentions and just didn’t tell anyone…
Dennis Wilson, a prominent member of The Beach Boys, spent a lot of time with Charles Manson…like many celebs. Allegedly, in 1968, Wilson picked up to girls who were hitch-hiking. The girls were followers of Charles Manson and actually introduced Wilson to the infamous cult leader.
The same day that Dennis picked up those hitchhikers, Charles Manson came to his home. Their odd relationship apparently continued because Manson had followers staying in Dennis’s home. If you ask us, it’s quite strange that a celebrity would let random people stay in their homes without some sort of tie to the larger picture.
The line between organized religion and a cult is very thin…and largely reliant on public opinion. There are some people who wouldn’t call what Angel Haze was unfortunately a part of a cult. However, ask anyone who’s lived through a cult and they’ll tell you that the Pentecostal Greater Apostolic Faith is a cult.
Angel Haze, a rapper, told The Guardian, “We all lived in the same community, within 10 minutes of each other. You weren’t allowed to talk to anyone outside of that, you weren’t allowed to wear jewelry, listen to music, to eat certain things, to date people … you weren’t allowed to do pretty much anything.” Yep…sounds like a cult.
When John Lennon was enjoying his celebrity status it seemed like new cults were popping up every day. It’s no surprise that the Beetles band member eventually fell for one. John Lennon and Yoko Ono had some out-there world views for the time, but we didn’t know that they were seriously close to Father Yod, the founder of the Source Family cult.
Father Yod owned one of America’s first health food restaurants, and John Lennon was there all of the time. Apparently, the restaurant was the perfect way to hook in new recruits. Ambassadors for the religion would spread the values of the founder, Father Yod, to people eating in the Sunset Strip restaurant.
Hollywood sex symbol, Jayne Mansfield, got entangled with the head of the Church of Satan toward the end of her life. Anton LaVey, the founder of the Church of Satan and Satanism, was sort of a counterculturist at the time of Jayne’s rising fame.
Jayne was Twentieth Century Fox’s answer to Marilyn Monroe. But after she met Anton LaVay a series of suspicious events happened in her life that eventually ended her life in a car crash. Her son was mauled by a lion, her boyfriend was in a string of car accidents…there’s even a documentary about her odd story called Mansfield 66/67.
Val Kilmer is a lifelong member of the completely ridiculous cult called Christian Science. Christian Science is a particularly dangerous organization because it encourages people to avoid their health situations and rely on their prayers for healing.
Members aren’t forbidden from seeking health care; however, they are encouraged to not “claim” their ailments because they believe prayer can change anything. Church of Christ, Scientist members believe that the world as we know it is an illusion that can be altered through the power of prayer and not accepting the world as we see it at that moment…cool.
Texas businessman and son of former president George H. Bush, Neil Bush is a notable member of the controversial new religious movement called the Unification Church. Founded in 1954 the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (Unification Church) had a few controversial views and was labeled as a dangerous cult when it was founded.
The organization believed that the founder, Sun Myung Moon may have been the messiah…okay. Neil Bush joined the cult to promote the build of a $400 million dollar tunnel that failed to come together. In 2012, after Sun Myung Moon’s death, Neil said that even though Moon was controversial his legacy for unification should be remembered.
After leaving the Church of Scientology in 2013, former King of Queens actress Leah Remini has become a primary whistleblower against the Hollywood-based cult. Leah Remini published her claims in a memoir called Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology. The book flew off shelves, as people wanted an inside look into the famous cult.
After the book's success, Leah took it a step further with a docuseries with A&E called Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath. She’s targeting top officials in the cult, and even high-ranking celebrities like Tom Cruise. The abuse and harassment inside of the cult are shocking and need to be talked about.
Besides being generally creepy, Christopher Walken may have some suspicious ties to the “accidental” drowning of rising star Natalie Wood. She was only 43 when she was found floating off of the cost of popular tourist destination Catalina Island on Thanksgiving weekend in 1981. The only two with her at the time were Christopher Walken and her husband.
Natalie Wood’s death has raised eyebrows in Hollywood for decades. The Los Angeles County Coroner said the death was an accident…noting that her blood alcohol content was 0.14%. Here’s the thing, something isn’t adding up and it could have some sinister circumstances.
