Confessions of a Former Scientologist

Most people have heard of Scientology, but have a limited understanding of what it really is. To many, it just seems wacky–associated with Tom Cruise jumping on a couch, and science fiction books staged as religious texts. But in preparing for my conversation with Claire Headley, who was born into Scientology and rose to a high-ranking position under leader David Miscavige, I was shocked by the depths of the abuses she endured. Under the control of the “church,” Claire was separated from her parents, subjected to brutal work conditions, indoctrinated into total obedience, and even, horrifically, forced to have an abortion.

In Confessions, I sit down with people who have changed their minds to understand what it takes to confront closely held beliefs and pursue true ideological honesty. It’s hard to fathom the courage Claire needed to decide that everything she had known since birth was wrong, and to escape the church with her husband over two decades ago. We discuss her journey to leaving Scientology, how even as a child she sensed that something was wrong, why she decided to sign a billion-year contract with the elite Sea Organization religious order at age 16, and the disturbing patterns of abuse she witnessed at the highest levels of the church that eventually helped her change her mind. We also talk about why––even as people learn the cruel nature of Scientology––it’s remained largely unscathed in the court of law and accepted by Hollywood elites.

Though Scientology continues to harass her family, Claire finally feels free—and she has an urgent message for anyone still trapped inside organizations that brainwash, abuse, and surveil.

For more from Claire:

Claire's Substack

Blown For Good Website

The Aftermath Foundation