Will Smith has certainly come under intense scrutiny following the 2022 Oscars incident that saw the actor slapping fellow actor Chris Rock after unexpectedly walking up the stage. Since then, many have wondered if this was truly the first time that Smith ever unraveled in public (a closer examination reveals that it wasn’t).Moreover, there has also been some talk about whether the slap was an indication that Smith’s marriage to wife Jada Pinkett Smith had been on the rocks for some time.As many know, their high-profile marriage is controversial in more ways than one. For instance, there was that ‘entanglement’ issue and of course, that Instagram Live video that made everyone cringe.Aside from their marriage, it’s also been made clear that Will and Jada have also become quite a controversial couple for another reason. And this time, it has something to do with how they raised their children.
It Is Believed That Will Smith And Jada Pinkett Smith Are Scientologists
For years, there had been whispers in Hollywood about a religion or sect known as Scientology. And while most details about it have been largely kept secret, it is public knowledge that one of its most prominent members is none other than A-lister Tom Cruise.
Several years ago, Leah Remini also came forward, revealing herself to be a Scientology member up until she fled from the group. The actress has since made it her life’s mission to do an exposé of the organization, including the revelation that Jada, in particular, is one of the most prominent Scientology members in Hollywood.
Now, Jada may have denied these claims over the years. But Remini insisted that this wasn’t the case. “I know Jada’s in. I know Jada’s in. She’s been in Scientology a long time,” Remini remarked during an interview. “I never saw Will [Smith] there, but I saw Jada at the Celebrity Centre.”
Several years later, however, Remini seemingly walked back her statement when she appeared on Jada’s very own show, Red Table Talk. While face to face with both Will and Jada, the actress told them, “I wasn’t even considering that you would be hurt literally, looking back on it, I didn’t even consider Jada and Will.”
“When I look at Leah, whatever she experienced with the Church of Scientology hurt bad, and hurt people hurt people,” Will also said on the show. “And she took a shot at us out of pain.”
Meanwhile, Jada also took the opportunity to set the record straight on these Scientology rumors. Just like in the past, the Matrix actress denied being a Scientology member. However, she did acknowledge that she was learning what she could about the organization.
“I always took the position that I’m here at the Scientology Center to learn what I want to learn, and I have no interest in being a Scientologist,” Jada clarified.
Despite this, however, accusations that Will and Jada are more involved with Scientology than anyone realizes continued. In fact, some insisted the couple even once ran a Scientology school together. Even more shocking, it was also the very school the couple’s own children attended.
Will Smith And Jada Pinkett Smith Ran A 'Scientology School'
Some may recall a time when Will and Jada were running the New Village Leadership Academy several years back. Located in Calabasas, the privately funded school offered pre-K to sixth-grade education. The school reportedly had over 40 students and among them were the couple’s own children, Willow and Jaden.
For years, Jada has denied that the New Village Leadership Academy is a Scientology school. However, insiders said it had a clear Scientology influence.
“They had this course supervisor who had her own Scientology charges, and so I hired a bunch of people who weren’t Scientologists,” Jacqueline Olivier, who recruited for the school revealed. “Everyone else there were Scientologists.”
“There were teachers there who were constantly talking about building materials into the curriculum that were related to Scientology,” Mariappan Jawaharlal, Ph.D., who was brought in as a guest lecturer, also recalled. “There were teachers there that I met, and I couldn’t even understand what they were saying. There was a geography teacher there, and I’m pretty well-versed in geography, but they were saying this vague stuff. There seemed to be an agenda.”
In addition, Olivier also recalled that there were photos of L. Ron Hubbard, the father of Scientology, displayed at the school. “And in the study technology book, there was a picture of [Hubbard] and a whole mini-biography of his life, and that was the first thing [kids] had to word clear—before anything,” she added. “I mean, it was total Scientology.”
Eventually, some parents reportedly found out about the school’s Scientology influence and decided to pull out their kids. While running the school, however, Jada maintained that they weren’t promoting Scientology in the classrooms.
“All I can say is it is not a Scientology school,” the actress once said. “Now, if you don’t trust me, and you are questioning my integrity, that’s a whole different matter.”
In 2013, it was reported that Will and Jada closed down the school without warning. It’s also believed that New Village’s association with Scientology had something to do with the closure.