What a summer for two of Scientology’s sorta maybe top couples. First Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony split. Now it looks like Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith may be separating according to several sources. This afternoon, “ET,” the Huntley-Brinkley of entertainment, reports the couple’s marriage is still “intact.” Very romantic.
The two couples are certainly linked and not just a little by Scientology. Tom Cruise has spent a lot of time recruiting all of them with varying degrees. But this much is correct: Lopez’s father has been a long time Scientologist. She was definitely more susceptible than Anthony.
In time, JLO and big time Scientologist Leah Remini have become best friends according to sources. Remini even managed to get Lopez onto her troubled afternoon show, “The Talk.” Pinkett got into Scientology when she and Cruise acted in “Collateral” in 2004. Pinkett was the one who got Marc Anthony a full time acting job on her TNT show, “HawthoRNe.” Smith always seemed uncomfortable with Scientology even though at one point he gave a now famous quote about it being “no different than the Bible.”
There’s more: the Smiths operate the New Village Leadership Academy in Calabasas, California (a swanky LA suburb). Even though they deny being Scientologists, the school’s curriculum is based on L. Ron Hubbard‘s nutty Study Tech methods. A couple of years ago, the Smiths fired the principal because she reportedly felt uncomfortable teaching Study Tech. Apparently, even the $200,000 paycheck wasn’t enough for her to overcome misgivings. Even though New Village has been in business for three years as a non profit, and lists $1.6 million in income, the school still hasn’t posted a tax filing or a Form 990.
