Actor John Travolta defended Scientology as the church faces scrutiny with the release of critical documentary “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief.”
"I've been so happy with my (Scientology) experience in the last 40 years that I really don't have anything to say that would shed light on (a documentary) so decidedly negative,”
Travolta told the Tampa Bay Times. "I've been brought through storms that were insurmountable, and (Scientology has) been so beautiful for me, that I can't even imagine attacking it."
Based on a book by Lawrence Wright, “Going Clear” alleges physical abuse and blackmail in Scientology.
During an interview promoting his new movie “The Forger,” Travolta told the Tampa Bay Times that he hasn’t seen “Going Clear” and doesn’t plan to. He characterized the documentary as a showcase for the views of disgruntled ex-members of the church.
Critics claim that
Scientologists have information they are using to blackmail Travolta, The Daily Mail reported. The film, directed by Alex Gibney, details claims of manipulation, beatings, and prison camps. The church has disputed the claims.
The church is thought to have about 50,000 members.
Gibney criticized Travolta and Tom Cruise for turning a blind eye to allegations against the church.
“By now there is a well-documented record of abuses in the Church of Scientology, yet Cruise and
Travolta have never spoken out about them,” Gibney told Variety in January. “By not speaking out, it’s a kind of an endorsement and I think that’s why we’re right and properly critical.”
Travolta addressed that criticism in his recent interview with the Tampa Bay Times: "I haven't experienced anything that the hearsay has (claimed), so why would I communicate something that wasn't true for me? It wouldn't make sense, nor would it for Tom, I imagine."
Twitter users were critical of Travolta’s stance.
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