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I Am (No) Scientologist, Will Smith Says

AOL

Posted: 2008-03-18 12:41:40

Filed Under: Celebrity News, Tom Cruise, Movie News

(March 18) - Just as Will Smith is getting over a scandal involving garbled quotes about Adolf Hitler, the actor now faces another public relations speed bump, this time centering around reports he's joined the Church of Scientology.

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Getty Images; L. Ron Hubbard Library / AP

Scientology, Stars
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Will and Jada Pinkett Smith are opening a private school in Los Angeles this year that will use teaching methods developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard called "study technology." But the school's director insists the facility has no religious affiliation. The couple have long denied being members of the church.

Radar Magazine is reporting that the 'I Am Legend' actor and his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith are being groomed as part of the church's attempts to make inroads among African Americans. The article states that the group, started by writer L. Ron Hubbard, is "opening up a center in Harlem in 2003 and making a strong play" for the "Hollywood supercouple."

Smith, a friend of Scientology's biggest follower Tom Cruise, denies he's a member, telling the New York Daily News, "I am a Christian. I am a student of all religions. And I respect all people and all paths."

"You don't have to be Jewish to be a friend of Steven Spielberg. You don't have to be a Muslim to be a friend of Muhammad Ali. And you don't have to be a Scientologist to be a friend of Tom Cruise," the actor said.

The article also claims Kimora Lee Simmons, ex-wife to rap mogul Russell Simmons, has joined the controversial religion, which has facility in Los Angeles dedicated to its celebrity members.

At a recent Scientology gathering, the group's leader, David Miscavige, “spoke glowingly of Kimora Lee Simmons’ efforts to distribute a personalized edition of Hubbard’s The Way to Happiness, featuring her image on the cover, to school kids in New Jersey. ” Simmons’ publicist flatly denies the allegation.

Miscavige is also quoted in the article as relishing the free publicity for the church during the wedding of its two marquee stars, Cruise and Katie Holmes. He is quoted as calling it "16 daily hours of nonstop ... televised coverage and four full miles of press bringing word of LRH [L. Ron Hubbard] technology to 42 million people a week" during the run-up the couple's 2006 nuptials.

Smith last tussled with press in December after a story published in the Daily Record insinuated that he believed Nazi leader Adolf Hilter was "basically good."

The star called it an "awful and disgusting lie" and lashed out at the reporter, calling him or her an "ignorant person with a pen."

Will and Jada Snapshots

In this image released by Overbrook Entertainment, Orson Salazar with his wife Spanish actress Paz Vega, Samantha Clarke with her husband the actor Jason Clarke, American actor Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith at the Cannes party for the film "Human Contract" during the 61st International film festival in Cannes, southern France, on Saturday, May 17, 2008. The production had Will Smith as the executive producer and was written and directed by Jada Pinkett Smith. (AP Photo/Overbrook Entertainment, Theodore Wood)

Karlene Rowe, VP Budweiser Sports Entertainment and Marketing Tim Schoen, Jada Pinkett Smith and Diane Schoen attend the celebration of Spanish and South American Cinema held at the Bud Light Yacht during the 61st Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2008 in Cannes, France..2008 Cannes Film Festival - Celebration of Spanish and South American Cinema at Cannes With Paz Vega on the Bud Light Yacht.Bud Light Yacht.Cannes, France.May 16, 2008.Photo by John Shearer/WireImage.com..To license this image (51968124), contact WireImage.com

WireImage.com

Actress Jada Pinkett Smith and Tim Daly (R) attend the celebration of Spanish and South American Cinema held at the Bud Light Yacht during the 61st Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2008 in Cannes, France..2008 Cannes Film Festival - Celebration of Spanish and South American Cinema at Cannes With Paz Vega on the Bud Light Yacht.Bud Light Yacht.Cannes, France.May 16, 2008.Photo by John Shearer/WireImage.com..To license this image (51968018), contact WireImage.com

WireImage.com

Actresses Jada Pinkett Smith and Paz Vega attends the celebration of Spanish and South American Cinema held at the Bud Light Yacht during the 61st Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2008 in Cannes, France..2008 Cannes Film Festival - Celebration of Spanish and South American Cinema at Cannes With Paz Vega on the Bud Light Yacht.Bud Light Yacht.Cannes, France.May 16, 2008.Photo by John Shearer/WireImage.com..To license this image (51968016), contact WireImage.com

WireImage.com

Extra's Jerry Penacoli and Jada Pinkett Smith attend the celebration of Spanish and South American Cinema held at the Bud Light Yacht during the 61st Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2008 in Cannes, France..2008 Cannes Film Festival - Celebration of Spanish and South American Cinema at Cannes With Paz Vega on the Bud Light Yacht.Bud Light Yacht.Cannes, France.May 16, 2008.Photo by John Shearer/WireImage.com..To license this image (51968012), contact WireImage.com

WireImage.com

Jada Pinkett Smith (C) with VP Budweiser Sports Entertainment and Marketing Tim Schoen and his wife Diane attend the celebration of Spanish and South American Cinema held at the Bud Light Yacht during the 61st Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2008 in Cannes, France..2008 Cannes Film Festival - Celebration of Spanish and South American Cinema at Cannes With Paz Vega on the Bud Light Yacht.Bud Light Yacht.Cannes, France.May 16, 2008.Photo by John Shearer/WireImage.com..To license this image (51968010), contact WireImage.com

WireImage.com

Jada Pinkett Smith attends the celebration of Spanish and South American Cinema held at the Bud Light Yacht during the 61st Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2008 in Cannes, France..2008 Cannes Film Festival - Celebration of Spanish and South American Cinema at Cannes With Paz Vega on the Bud Light Yacht.Bud Light Yacht.Cannes, France.May 16, 2008.Photo by John Shearer/WireImage.com..To license this image (51967989), contact WireImage.com

WireImage.com

2008-03-18 11:09:34

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hccharles3 07:36:32 AM Apr 06 2008

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Will: Hey man, this is what us fellow scientologists eat. A lovely, tomato and feta cheese plate with purple cabbage leaves, imtation bacon and iced cola to drink.. Right Tom?
Tom: Right Will. We eat dianetic, I mean dietetic food, just like this. ha, ha, ha, ha!
Katie: I want my scientological men to eat healthy.
Will: Right it's sciento-logical, but I am only a legend, remember dat!
Jada: Ooh baby, yo so cool, you so sciento-logical. But you no Scientologist. right?
Will: Ya know it babe! Right Tom?

Millrad 07:55:52 PM Mar 20 2008

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What would anyone look to movie actors for religious guidance
anyway?

HouseOFheathens 11:40:41 AM Mar 20 2008

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i can't help but comment on some of the things i've read here....
out of shear curiousity,i scrolled down to start reading these comments because, i like will smith as an actor. from his history to today as an actor he appears to be a man of integrity.
obviously no one would be reading these(including myself at the momment) if they didn't have the time. you wouldn't pick up the stupid magazines and read the crap in them, if you didn't have the time,..let's try really hard to remember who is writing this garbage. who wants you to pay for the dumb magazine with the not so glamorous pics. in them. it's fun to laugh at others expense sometimes. especially when you don't know them personally. but i must say alot that i am reading hear is of hatred, fear and prejudice. but that seems to always be the majority in the comment section of these things.
got some time on your hands? read obama's speech. don't just listen to it. read it.
what he says, is incredible. he is a man of integrity.

DAVID TAXMAN 09:53:31 PM Mar 19 2008

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you forgot one thing you have got to beleive in jesus and he died for our sins.
got to beleive it all.

tinyprincess1922 07:50:44 PM Mar 19 2008

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He has screwed up their COS public image with all his freaky behavior and bad pubilicyt so hes out to find new faces, well know trust worthy celebs that can appeal to the african american community. They want as many followers as they can get and they know will is well known and liked by both black and white and Kane..how HUGE is the rap and hip hop community? Hes trying to spread the COS disease using these celebs and they are too stupid to see it.

tinyprincess1922 07:45:48 PM Mar 19 2008

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Theres a reason behind everything TC does now that he' the public face of CO$.

tinyprincess1922 07:42:53 PM Mar 19 2008

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TC has never in the majority of his career been seen with african-american fellow actors and its not bc they werent around..now his CO$ has him cozying up to prominent AA starts like will and Kane West (he digs rap/hip-hop? since when?) to try and get some new money into the church.

ddfoster777 06:21:35 PM Mar 19 2008

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chrislagase 01:21:44 PM Mar 19 2008

Report This! Oh and ddfoster777, Christianity is MONOtheistic, You want Poly?Talk to the ancient Greeks
==================================================================
This was a response to another posting. I know what Christianity is.

TRdaggers 02:50:14 PM Mar 19 2008

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Who cares about his religious views? All I care about is if he makes a good movie and or a good performance. I loved Elvis Presley as a performer and artiist and could have cared less about his drug abuse or personal life.