John Travolta 'Breaking Free' From Scientology?

4:00 am, February 9, 2021

Close up of a bald John Travolta with a beard. — (DFree/Shutterstock.com)

Since the death of his wife Kelly Preston, John Travolta has kept a pretty low profile, though he recently popped up alongside his daughter in a Super Bowl commercial. One tabloid claims Travolta is planning on leaving the controversial Church of Scientology. Gossip Cop encounters stories like this all the time, so we’re a little wary of it. Here’s what we found.

Cover of In Touch magazine dated February 15th, 2021 — (In touch)

‘John Breaks Free’

According to In Touch, Travolta is “free after 45 years” in the Church of Scientology. In his statement announcing Preston’s death, Travolta said “my family and I will forever be grateful to her doctors and nurses at MD Anderson Cancer Center,” which the tabloid claims is a direct slight against Scientology. “The statement was unequivocal in the support of the medical staff,” a source said, which “shows [John and Kelly had] backed away from Scientology.” it was as if Travolta wrote, “I don’t need the church.”

The article goes on to explore Scientology’s stance on professional medical help. While “Scientology’s website contends its members can and do visit doctors… but behind the Scientology Center’s closed doors, seeking advanced medical care is frowned upon.” The article concludes by saying “he’s focusing on the kids and putting their life back together,’ which is “what Kelly would have wanted.’

He’s Still A Scientologist

A rep for Travolta denies that he’s leaving the religion. Travolta stood by the church when his son Jeff passed away after a seizure in 2009. The Pulp Fiction star said at the time “I don’t know if I would have made it through without their support.” It stands to reason that Scientology would help him now as well.

A Repeated Story

On top of being made-up, this story is also unoriginal. Only two months after Preston’s death, the same tabloid claimed Travolta was leaving Scientology after getting “second thoughts about Scientology.” It was a despicable story that sought to profit off death in the family only weeks after she passed. Preston was also a Scientologist, so this whole narrative has no truth to it whatsoever.

Cruise Stories, Too

This tabloid has also claimed multiple times that Tom Cruise was leaving the controversial institution. It claimed Cruise was going to do a tell-all interview with Howard Stern about Scientology. No such interview ever happened, but a few months later it tried again with a story about Cruise leaving Scientology to reunite with his daughter Suri Cruise.

These sensational stories about actors leaving Scientology rarely actually come to pass. It’s just a trope In Touch likes to fall back on as it’s an easy way to promise something scandalous. Both Cruise and Travolta are still members of the institution, so you shouldn’t trust that this tabloid has any insight into their personal lives.