


































See Also
See Again
Celebrities who have been in cults - Some of these Hollywood stars were raised in cults. Others chose to join a religious group as an adult. Take a look!
© Getty Images
0 / 35 Fotos
Rose McGowan - The 'Charmed' actress was raised in the Children of God sect. The cult reportedly believed in a blend of hippy ideals and religion, according to Suggest.
© Getty Images
1 / 35 Fotos
Rose McGowan - McGowan told People magazine that the cult made her believe that the sexualization of women was normal.
© Getty Images
2 / 35 Fotos
Joaquin Phoenix - 'Gladiator' actor Joaquin Phoenix was also raised in the Children of God cult. Reportedly, he and his family used to travel across South America sharing their beliefs.
© Getty Images
3 / 35 Fotos
Joaquin Phoenix - After leaving the cult, the actor's parents allegedly changed their family name from Bottom to Phoenix.
© Getty Images
4 / 35 Fotos
Glenn Close - Actress Glenn Close and her family joined the Moral Re-Armament cult when she was just seven.
© Getty Images
5 / 35 Fotos
Glenn Close - They left the conservative cult after 15 years living in concentrated communities. According to Ranker, Close has stated that growing up in a cult helped her acting career "as she always had to pretend she believed what the group told her."
© Getty Images
6 / 35 Fotos
Winona Ryder - Winona Ryder and her family joined California's Rainbow Family commune when she was seven.
© Getty Images
7 / 35 Fotos
Winona Ryder - At the time, the hippy commune consisted of seven families who shared a plot of land and had no running water. The family left the Rainbow Family after three years, according to Ranker.
© Getty Images
8 / 35 Fotos
Tom Cruise - Tom Cruise, who joined the church in 1990, is often considered the poster boy for Scientology.
© Getty Images
9 / 35 Fotos
Tom Cruise - He introduced his ex-wives Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes to the religion, but it was reportedly his first wife, Mimi Rogers, who introduced him to church.
© Getty Images
10 / 35 Fotos
Jason Beghe - 'Thelma and Louise' and 'Californication' star Jason Beghe used to be a member of the Church of Scientology.
© Getty Images
11 / 35 Fotos
Jason Beghe - Rolling Stone magazine reports that Beghe was the golden boy in the years before Tom Cruise.
© Getty Images
12 / 35 Fotos
Michelle Pfeiffer - Michelle Pfeiffer was involved with Breatharianism when she first moved to Los Angeles at age 20, according to Ranker.
© Getty Images
13 / 35 Fotos
Michelle Pfeiffer - The cult reportedly believed that one could live without food or water, as sunlight will provide all the nourishment you need, according to Ranker.
© Getty Images
14 / 35 Fotos
David Arquette - Actor and film director David Arquette was born in Skymont Subud, a commune in Virginia. The group did not have running water, electricity, or functioning bathrooms.
© Getty Images
15 / 35 Fotos
David Arquette - David Arquette's sister Patricia Arquette was not born in the commune but spent most of her childhood there. The actress told Oprah that her parents "started it with a bunch of their friends, and they wanted to kind of build this utopian society".
© Getty Images
16 / 35 Fotos
Leah Remini - Comedian and actress Leah Remini was a member of the Church of Scientology for over 30 years before she left in 2013.
© Getty Images
17 / 35 Fotos
Leah Remini - When Remini's mother divorced her husband she sought refuge in Scientology and introduced her daughter to the church, according to The Brofessional.
© Getty Images
18 / 35 Fotos
Jerry Seinfeld - Actor and comedian Jerry Seinfeld admitted he took Scientology courses in his early twenties, according to Time magazine.
© Getty Images
19 / 35 Fotos
Jerry Seinfeld - In 2008, Seinfeld told Parade magazine that the experience was helpful to his career in that it was "extremely intellectual and clinical in its approach to problem-solving".
© Getty Images
20 / 35 Fotos
Lisa Marie Presley - Priscilla Presley, joined the Church of Scientology in 1977 after her ex-husband's death. She raised their daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, in the church, according to Metro.
© Getty Images
21 / 35 Fotos
Lisa Marie Presley - Since quitting Scientology in 2014, Michael Jackson's ex-wife has not spoken much about the institution she grew up. But did bad-mouth it in a song she wrote, according to Suggest.
© Getty Images
22 / 35 Fotos
Greta Van Susteren - Former TV anchor Greta Van Susteren and her lawyer husband John P. Coale are both members of the Church of Scientology.
© Getty Images
23 / 35 Fotos
Greta Van Susteren - Although it is unclear when they joined, the TV personality told People magazine that she's “a strong advocate of their ethics” in 1995.
© Getty Images
24 / 35 Fotos
Paul Haggis - Academy Award-winning director, producer and screenwriter Paul Haggis was involved in Scientology for 34 years, according to Zimbio. He was one of the first actors to call the organization a cult.
© Getty Images
25 / 35 Fotos
Paul Haggis - According to The Guardian, Haggis left the cult due to their ban on same-sex marriage.
© Getty Images
26 / 35 Fotos
Emily Schromm - According to Ranker, Emily Schromm grew up in a Christian cult in Missouri.
© Getty Images
27 / 35 Fotos
Emily Schromm - The nutritionist, personal trainer, and Crossfit aficionado has her own exercise program, clothing line, podcast, and fitness brand under her brand name.
© Getty Images
28 / 35 Fotos
Christopher Owens - The musician and member of the band Girls was born and raised in the Children of God.
© Getty Images
29 / 35 Fotos
Christopher Owens - The artist has spoken out about the death of his big brother due to the cult's disbelief in medicine or health care, and their lack of medical resources. Owens reportedly left the cult at age 16.
© Getty Images
30 / 35 Fotos
Susan Cagle - Singer-songwriter Susan Cagle was part of Children of God and reportedly traveled the world spreading the cult's beliefs.
© Getty Images
31 / 35 Fotos
Susan Cagle - Cagle left her family and the cult in order to pursue a life and career as a musician in New York, where she played on the streets and subways for cash.
© Bruno Press
32 / 35 Fotos
Angel Haze - The rapper rose to fame with her 2013 'Dirty Gold' album. She was part of the Pentecostal Greater Apostolic Faith until the age of 15, according to Color Lines.
© Getty Images
33 / 35 Fotos
Angel Haze - The artist told The Guardian that the organization she grew up in banned music altogether.
© Getty Images
34 / 35 Fotos
Celebrities who have been in cults - Some of these Hollywood stars were raised in cults. Others chose to join a religious group as an adult. Take a look!
© Getty Images
0 / 35 Fotos
Rose McGowan - The 'Charmed' actress was raised in the Children of God sect. The cult reportedly believed in a blend of hippy ideals and religion, according to Suggest.
© Getty Images
1 / 35 Fotos
Rose McGowan - McGowan told People magazine that the cult made her believe that the sexualization of women was normal.
© Getty Images
2 / 35 Fotos
Joaquin Phoenix - 'Gladiator' actor Joaquin Phoenix was also raised in the Children of God cult. Reportedly, he and his family used to travel across South America sharing their beliefs.
© Getty Images
3 / 35 Fotos
Joaquin Phoenix - After leaving the cult, the actor's parents allegedly changed their family name from Bottom to Phoenix.
© Getty Images
4 / 35 Fotos
Glenn Close - Actress Glenn Close and her family joined the Moral Re-Armament cult when she was just seven.
© Getty Images
5 / 35 Fotos
Glenn Close - They left the conservative cult after 15 years living in concentrated communities. According to Ranker, Close has stated that growing up in a cult helped her acting career "as she always had to pretend she believed what the group told her."
© Getty Images
6 / 35 Fotos
Winona Ryder - Winona Ryder and her family joined California's Rainbow Family commune when she was seven.
© Getty Images
7 / 35 Fotos
Winona Ryder - At the time, the hippy commune consisted of seven families who shared a plot of land and had no running water. The family left the Rainbow Family after three years, according to Ranker.
© Getty Images
8 / 35 Fotos
Tom Cruise - Tom Cruise, who joined the church in 1990, is often considered the poster boy for Scientology.
© Getty Images
9 / 35 Fotos
Tom Cruise - He introduced his ex-wives Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes to the religion, but it was reportedly his first wife, Mimi Rogers, who introduced him to church.
© Getty Images
10 / 35 Fotos
Jason Beghe - 'Thelma and Louise' and 'Californication' star Jason Beghe used to be a member of the Church of Scientology.
© Getty Images
11 / 35 Fotos
Jason Beghe - Rolling Stone magazine reports that Beghe was the golden boy in the years before Tom Cruise.
© Getty Images
12 / 35 Fotos
Michelle Pfeiffer - Michelle Pfeiffer was involved with Breatharianism when she first moved to Los Angeles at age 20, according to Ranker.
© Getty Images
13 / 35 Fotos
Michelle Pfeiffer - The cult reportedly believed that one could live without food or water, as sunlight will provide all the nourishment you need, according to Ranker.
© Getty Images
14 / 35 Fotos
David Arquette - Actor and film director David Arquette was born in Skymont Subud, a commune in Virginia. The group did not have running water, electricity, or functioning bathrooms.
© Getty Images
15 / 35 Fotos
David Arquette - David Arquette's sister Patricia Arquette was not born in the commune but spent most of her childhood there. The actress told Oprah that her parents "started it with a bunch of their friends, and they wanted to kind of build this utopian society".
© Getty Images
16 / 35 Fotos
Leah Remini - Comedian and actress Leah Remini was a member of the Church of Scientology for over 30 years before she left in 2013.
© Getty Images
17 / 35 Fotos
Leah Remini - When Remini's mother divorced her husband she sought refuge in Scientology and introduced her daughter to the church, according to The Brofessional.
© Getty Images
18 / 35 Fotos
Jerry Seinfeld - Actor and comedian Jerry Seinfeld admitted he took Scientology courses in his early twenties, according to Time magazine.
© Getty Images
19 / 35 Fotos
Jerry Seinfeld - In 2008, Seinfeld told Parade magazine that the experience was helpful to his career in that it was "extremely intellectual and clinical in its approach to problem-solving".
© Getty Images
20 / 35 Fotos
Lisa Marie Presley - Priscilla Presley, joined the Church of Scientology in 1977 after her ex-husband's death. She raised their daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, in the church, according to Metro.
© Getty Images
21 / 35 Fotos
Lisa Marie Presley - Since quitting Scientology in 2014, Michael Jackson's ex-wife has not spoken much about the institution she grew up. But did bad-mouth it in a song she wrote, according to Suggest.
© Getty Images
22 / 35 Fotos
Greta Van Susteren - Former TV anchor Greta Van Susteren and her lawyer husband John P. Coale are both members of the Church of Scientology.
© Getty Images
23 / 35 Fotos
Greta Van Susteren - Although it is unclear when they joined, the TV personality told People magazine that she's “a strong advocate of their ethics” in 1995.
© Getty Images
24 / 35 Fotos
Paul Haggis - Academy Award-winning director, producer and screenwriter Paul Haggis was involved in Scientology for 34 years, according to Zimbio. He was one of the first actors to call the organization a cult.
© Getty Images
25 / 35 Fotos
Paul Haggis - According to The Guardian, Haggis left the cult due to their ban on same-sex marriage.
© Getty Images
26 / 35 Fotos
Emily Schromm - According to Ranker, Emily Schromm grew up in a Christian cult in Missouri.
© Getty Images
27 / 35 Fotos
Emily Schromm - The nutritionist, personal trainer, and Crossfit aficionado has her own exercise program, clothing line, podcast, and fitness brand under her brand name.
© Getty Images
28 / 35 Fotos
Christopher Owens - The musician and member of the band Girls was born and raised in the Children of God.
© Getty Images
29 / 35 Fotos
Christopher Owens - The artist has spoken out about the death of his big brother due to the cult's disbelief in medicine or health care, and their lack of medical resources. Owens reportedly left the cult at age 16.
© Getty Images
30 / 35 Fotos
Susan Cagle - Singer-songwriter Susan Cagle was part of Children of God and reportedly traveled the world spreading the cult's beliefs.
© Getty Images
31 / 35 Fotos
Susan Cagle - Cagle left her family and the cult in order to pursue a life and career as a musician in New York, where she played on the streets and subways for cash.
© Bruno Press
32 / 35 Fotos
Angel Haze - The rapper rose to fame with her 2013 'Dirty Gold' album. She was part of the Pentecostal Greater Apostolic Faith until the age of 15, according to Color Lines.
© Getty Images
33 / 35 Fotos
Angel Haze - The artist told The Guardian that the organization she grew up in banned music altogether.
© Getty Images
34 / 35 Fotos
Celebrities who have been in cults
These famous faces were, or still are, in cults, sects, or communes
© Getty Images
These Hollywood actors, comedians, singers, lawyers, and TV personalities have been involved in Scientology, Breatharianism, and other religious sects and communes. Click through to find out which celebrities were once in a cult!
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
























MOST READ
- Last Hour
- Last Day
- Last Week
-
1
CELEBRITY Relationships
-
2
HEALTH Human body
-
3
CELEBRITY Arabs
-
4
HEALTH Behavior
Emotional overeating: why it happens, and how to deal with it
-
5
-
6
FOOD Food history
The fanciful and fascinating uses for garlic throughout the ages
-
7
TRAVEL Architecture
-
8
LIFESTYLE Human rights violations
-
9
LIFESTYLE Mythology
-
10
CELEBRITY Dark side of fame