Paul Haggis speaks out against Scientology in massive New Yorker profile
Paul Haggis, the Ontarian writer-director of Million Dollar Baby and Crash (who we’ll always remember as the co-creator of Walker, Texas Ranger), has gone and made himself Scientology’s number one enemy following an article in this week’s New Yorker. Haggis quit the church in 2009 after it supported Proposition 8, the California legislation banning gay marriage, and dished about his exit to the magazine’s Lawrence Wright for a 24,000-word colossus called “The Apostate.”
Haggis calls the church “a cult,” and admits to spending some $400,000 and 34 years learning the tenets of Scientology. He also said he “would gladly take down the church” due to allegations of child labour in relation to the so-called Sea Org group. Haggis’s pal Josh Brolin weighed in too, referring to an incident where John Travolta allegedly used Scientology to heal Marlon Brando’s leg as “really fucking bizarre.” Wright himself is likely next in line for the position of Scientology Enemy Number One: his book on Haggis and the movement, The Heretic of Hollywood, is expected later this year.
• Paul Haggis, Josh Brolin speak out against Church of Scientology [National Post]
• Canadian Oscar winner Haggis opens up about Scientology [Toronto Star]
• The Apostate [New Yorker]
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[caption id="attachment_54996" align="alignleft" width="320" caption="A protestor stands outside the Toronto location of the Church of Scientology (Image: Joe Howell)"][/caption]
Paul Haggis, the Ontarian writer-director of Million Dollar Baby and Crash (who we’ll always remember as the co-creator of Walker, Texas Ranger), has gone and made himself Scientology’s number one enemy following an article in this week’s New Yorker. Haggis quit the church in 2009 after it supported Proposition 8, the California legislation banning gay marriage, and dished about his exit to the magazine’s Lawrence Wright for a 24,000-word colossus called “The Apostate.”
Haggis calls the church “a cult,” and admits to spending some $400,000 and 34 years learning the tenets of Scientology. He also said he “would gladly take down the church” due to allegations of child labour in relation to the so-called Sea Org group. Haggis’s pal Josh Brolin weighed in too, referring to an incident where John Travolta allegedly used Scientology to heal Marlon Brando’s leg as “really fucking bizarre.” Wright himself is likely next in line for the position of Scientology Enemy Number One: his book on Haggis and the movement, The Heretic of Hollywood, is expected later this year.
• Paul Haggis, Josh Brolin speak out against Church of Scientology [National Post]
• Canadian Oscar winner Haggis opens up about Scientology [Toronto Star]
• The Apostate [New Yorker]){kind=link}
Read the New Yorker article late-late last night ‘cuz couldn’t stop reading…well-researched and balanced reporting lets you draw your own conclusions…
The New Yorker turned tabloid now, actually worse. They started spreading outright lies, something that can be often noted when observing anti-scientology rants. One example: The New Yorker press release and Lawrence Wright’s profile on Paul Haggis, “Paul Haggis vs. the Church of Scientology,” released Monday, reported on an alleged federal investigation. The New Yorker was well aware the Church knew nothing of the investigation but had refuted the same claims based on a case already thrown out by a Federal Court Judge. Nonetheless, The New Yorker irresponsibly used the same sources who were discredited in the dismissed case to claim an “investigation” so as to garner headlines for an otherwise stale article containing nothing but rehashed unfounded allegations.
Allan Lengel, a former Washington Post reporter who writes for AOL News on federal law enforcement matters, filed this late today in a breaking story on Wright’s allegations: “The author cites two sources in the FBI who ‘assured me that the case remains open.’ However, a federal law enforcement source told AOL News the investigation has fallen short and no criminal charges are expected to be filed.” Click here for the article: http://www.aolnews.com/2011/02/07/church-of-scientology-faces-controversy-over-latest-abuse-allega/.
Obviously, this contradicts what Wright wrote in The New Yorker. If you published Wright’s account, this contradiction should be made known to your viewers and/or readers.
Xenu is not amused…..
I was less interested in the FBI angle…more interested in L.RON HUBBARD’s myth-making regarding his Military and Medical History since curing himself of unrecorded blindness is a major SELLING-POINT of his BUSINESS I mean, religion.
Louanne is a Scientology Office of Special Affairs internet handler and she has copypasted that same comment on every website that mentions this story.