John Travolta has again come out in defence of Scientology after the release of Alex Gibney’s controversial documentary Going Clear.
While doing press for new thriller The Forger on Good Morning America, Travolta was asked why there’s still so much interest in the religion. He said he believes it’s “because it’s not understood”.
“People really need to take time and read a book,” he said. “You know, that’s my advice. You could read A New Slant on Life, you could read Dianetics. And I think if you really read it, you’ll understand it, but unless you do, you’ll speculate. And I think that’s a mistake to do that.”
The HBO documentary Going Clear has levelled a number of accusations at the religion, including slave labour, tax fraud and physical abuse. In response to the film, the church has described Going Clear as “one-sided, bigoted propaganda built on falsehoods”.
Travolta believes that Scientology is attacked because it’s “something that really works well”, as he claims it’s been a vitally important force for his family. “Forty years for me, I’ve been a part, and I’ve loved every minute of it,” he said. “My family has done so well with it. It’s been a beautiful thing for me. I’ve saved lives with it and saved my own life several times. Through my loss of my son, it helped me every step of the way for two years solid, and here I am.”
It was recently reported that plans to broadcast Going Clear on Sky Atlantic were halted because of legal concerns.
