Is Kirstie Alley leaving the Church of Scientology? One tabloid article this week claims Alley is leaving the controversial religion.
“Kirstie Alley Flees Scientology!” reads the headline of the latest issue of New Idea. Citing unnamed “sources,” the tabloid suggests that the model and longtime Scientologist has left the church because of its “dirty methods being used to control people.” Alley allegedly “just picked up and left” her home in Clearwater, Florida, where the Church of Scientology is headquartered, “without telling anyone exactly where she was headed.”
“It’s come as a huge shock, given how devoted she has been to the cause after all these years,” says a sources with, according to the tabloid, “close ties to Scientology bosses.” More “insiders” have supposedly told the outlet that Alley has been travelling between her houses in Wichita, Kansas and Maine.
Now “top Scientologists,” apparently, are keeping an eye on Alley’s twitter with “apprehension” over what church secrets she might reveal. “The fear is the church’s hold over her is loosening and she’s considering leaving,” the insider finishes. “If she was to officially ditch the church, losing one of their highest profile members would be hugely damaging to their reputation.”
This story is just plain silly. Gossip Cop should note that the tabloid first suggests that no one knows “exactly where she was headed,” then notes that she’s been at her two houses in Kansas and Ilseboro, Main, thus implying that they know she’s in one of exactly two places.
Alley does own a home in Clearwater, but doesn’t necessarily spend all her time there. As the article itself vaguely alludes to, Alley has reportedly been quarantining in her hometown of Wichita since the beginning of March due to the coronavirus pandemic. It’s not some great mystery – she splits her time between multiple and chose one of them to hunker down in during the pandemic.
Also, let’s think about this “source” with “close ties to Scientology bosses.” Do top members of the Church of Scientology ever talk to the media? Like, about anything? No, they do not. In fact, the organization is known for having a pretty hostile position towards journalists, though to call what New Idea does “journalism” admittedly stretches the definition of that word to its breaking point.
It’s highly unlikely that any higher-up within the mysterious organization would sell out church secrets for a story as small potatoes as this one. It’s far more likely, rather, that the source doesn’t even exist.
As one of Hollywood’s most controversial and shadowy groups, it’s only to be expected that the Church of Scientology would provide fodder for a lot of ridiculous tabloid gossip. In September 2018, Gossip Cop busted a phony story from New Idea alleging that Nicole Kidman was trying to save her son, Connor Cruise, from Scientology. Kidman is currently estranged from the two children she shares with Tom Cruise, who have followed their father in joining Scientology.
Just this January, the tabloid tried to claim that Meghan Markle was using Tom Cruise to plot a “Hollywood comeback,” supposedly planning to make use of his “Scientology connections” to gain a foothold on her return to show business.
The story was incredibly misleading, though, being based entirely on a doctored photo of Markle and Cruise supposedly walking side by side, which they weren’t. Gossip Cop busted this story at the time, and we will continue to bust similar stories from the tabloid.
