singing Villa Alegria is opening up about his decision to leave the Church of Scientology after being a member of the organization for 15 years.
“During my years within Scientology, I reached the pinnacle of career that most artists only dream of. Grammy Awards red carpet several times. I had Billboard number one hits. I appeared in countless national and international media,” Villa, 39, wrote in an essay for Evie published on Monday, January 5. “I was visible, successful, and influential. And Scientology took credit for it all.
According to Villa, all the successes he achieved “were not attributed to God, not to talent, not to perseverance, but to auditing, donations and loyalty to the organization.”
“My success became propaganda,” he continued. “My life became marketing. What no one saw was the cost.”
Disney Despite the name of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, not all of the show’s stars are active in the religion. Members of the Mormon faith belong to the Church of Latter-day Saints (LDS), which are often characterized by strict rules. In The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, a group of #MomTok influencers tried to (…)
When Villa, who famously wore a “Make America Great Again” dress to the 2017 Grammys, decided to leave the Church of Scientology, she claimed it donated nearly $2 million and gave her time, voice and platform to spread some of the organization’s biggest messages.
“When I left physically, I wasn’t gone spiritually yet. But distance saved my life,” he wrote. “Back in the States, surrounded by friends and family, something started to happen. For the first time in years, I wasn’t being monitored. Not audited. Not evaluated. Not taken out. And God began to heal me.”
One day, Villa claimed, she cried out in prayer, asking if she would ever return to the Church of Scientology.
“He answered me with unmistakable clarity,” he wrote. “Leave Scientology. No confusion. No fear. No bargaining. Just the truth.”
Villa Alegria
Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesIn response to Villa’s essay, the Church of Scientology issued a statement Us Weekly on Tuesday, January 5.
“When Mrs. Villa came to the Church, she was dealing with deep personal difficulties. She was given counseling and community support to rebuild her troubled life,” the statement said. “She now she seeks to exploit those who supported her during her darkest moments in hopes of making money. How unchristian. We urge Ms. Villa to move on with her life and stop these false claims.”
The Church of Scientology said it “remains committed to helping all people achieve spiritual growth and self-improvement. The Church is a worldwide force for good, recognized by thousands of officials, civic and religious leaders. We provide indiscriminate help through our volunteer Scientology ministers; The Way to Happiness, a common-sense guide to better living; promoting the universal human rights campaign for more than 140 million people; Declaration of Human Rights and the Drug Free World drug education campaign that has empowered hundreds of millions of people with the truth about drugs www.scientology.org.”
When Villa first joined Church, the health coach said she wasn’t looking for relevance. Instead, she said she entered as a “faith-driven woman seeking truth, healing and purpose.”
Several celebrities have converted to different religions either for love or for their own personal spiritual growth. Sofia Richie converted to Judaism before marrying music executive Elliot Grainge in April 2023. “What a magical day. I want to thank singer Nathan Lam for helping me on this journey of conversion to Judaism” (…)
“I was raised a Christian. I loved Jesus,” he said. “And Scientology told me I could keep it. That lie kept me inside for fifteen years.”
Villa is not the first high-profile celebrity to leave the Church of Scientology. In 2013, ex King of Queens actress Read Remini he left the organization and wrote about his experience in a memoir, Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology.
He also starred in the Emmy-winning A&E documentary series, Leah Remini: Scientology and the aftermath.
The Church of Scientology later issued a statement about it web siteclaiming that the actress was “kicked out” of the organization due to her “repeated ethical lapses”. The organization also accused the actress of harassing her former church.
It’s been nearly 12 years since Leah Remini left the Church of Scientology, a bold and very public break from an organization known for its secrecy and control. Since then, she has worked hard to expose the practices of the controversial religion, including her 2015 memoir Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology and her Emmy-winning (…)
Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Jenna Elfman and other stars remain members.
Before finishing his essay, Villa had a message for those who might have doubts about the organization.
“You are not weak. You are not broken. You are waking up,” she wrote. “It took me years to leave that I’ll never get back. But it gave me something infinitely more valuable. My soul. My faith. My freedom in Jesus Christ. And I’m never going back.”