Elisabeth Moss, the award-winning star of Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, is a card-carrying Scientologist. It’s a surprising fact, given the actress’s public image as a feminist—owing to her iconic turns as Offred, as well as Peggy Olson on Mad Men—and one that’s eluded most people thanks to her reticence on the subject, and an entertainment press that’s treated the 37-year-old with kid gloves. Of course, Moss’s continued presence on Handmaid’s, coupled with her outspoken views on women’s reproductive rights, seem strange given how the Church of Scientology has been accused of forcing women into having abortions. “The hypocrisy is asinine,” Leah Remini tells me of Moss. “[Moss] is getting away with it because with most press, people are pussies. They want the celebrity to get to talk with them, and like them. You know, I don’t respect it, I don’t admire it, and I don’t think there’s anything remotely cute about it.” When I asked Moss about her Scientology beliefs in March, and whether they run contra to the message of The Handmaid’s Tale, she mostly deflected, saying, “I can only speak to my personal experience and my personal beliefs. One of the things I believe in is freedom of speech. I believe we as humans should be able to critique things. I believe in freedom of the press. I believe in people being able to speak their own opinions. I don’t ever want to take that away from anybody, because that actually is very important to me. At the same time, I should hope that people educate themselves for themselves and form their own opinion, as I have.” As Remini sees it, this type of non-response is par for the course. “When I was in [Scientology], when I was being asked about Scientology—this was before the internet and social media—there wasn’t that much information on the internet about Scientology. Not like now. I was indoctrinated, just as Elisabeth [Moss], to not read what’s on the internet, to not read anything. Elisabeth has not watched my show. So, she knows nothing about what she’s talking about, she just needs to respond the way Scientology wants her to respond.” (Moss and the Church of Scientology did not respond to requests for comment by time of publication.) “And if you’ve noticed, assholes like Kirstie Alley are calling me a twat and the STAND League is calling me a bigot, and people like Elisabeth Moss are saying what they all say: find out for yourself, don’t believe what’s in the press, you should think for yourself, get a book, that kind of ****,” Remini continued, airing out the Scientologist-actress and Scientology’s attack-dog group. She then aimed her ire at Giovanni Ribisi, another prominent Hollywood Scientologist. “And you have the Giovanni’s [Ribisi] of the world saying I sound disgruntled, and I was a friend of Giovanni’s too, and they can all kiss my fat ass with their bull****. They can kiss my ass,” Remini exclaimed. “If they want to ever comment about me publicly, they can do it to my face—and they will never. Giovanni was supposed to be at an Emmy event and didn’t show up because he knew I would be there. That’s the kind of pussy **** we’re talking about. Kirstie Alley blocked me on Twitter. She wants to call me a twat? She knows where I live.” The most frustrating thing, according to Remini, is how many of these Hollywood Scientologists take it upon themselves to criticize the brave men and women who’ve escaped the Church’s clutches and shared their stories of alleged abuse on the Emmy-winning Scientology and the Aftermath. “This is the type of thing you’re saying about women who are coming forward talking about being raped? I’m tired of it! Enough is enough,” said Remini. “I was probably one of the most loyal Scientologists. I was in 35 years. Mike Rinder, Amy Scobee, Debbie Cook—they were all in longer than me. All of these people have spoken and told you what’s going on. This is the upper-upper management of Scientology that’s talking to you, and you don’t want to listen?!” The full interview with Leah Remini will run Monday only at The Daily Beast.
Barna77 wrote: » It lost the plot so long ago. Let's see what twist they writers will come up with now to save June's neck again.
Purple Mountain wrote: » My prediction is when they eventually finish it up that June will die in the final scene getting Hannah out.
Agent Coulson wrote: » Leah Remini Sounds Off on ‘Hypocrisy’ of Scientologist Elisabeth Mosshttps://www.thedailybeast.com/leah-remini-sounds-off-on-hypocrisy-of-scientologist-elisabeth-moss?ref=home
Seanachai wrote: » Didn't know she was in that cult, wow. Somebody like Moss isn't going to be exposed to the underbelly though.
Sunrise_Sunset wrote: » I'm not hangin' around to find out. Unless they announce it's the final season, which I doubt, I'm packing it in.
Slydice wrote: » Joseph didn't turn on them! I really thought he might have. That really felt like a show finale than a season finale but I see it's renewed for a fourth season. My guess is that it's gotta include a civil war and/or war with Canada at this stage.
Barna77 wrote: » Praise be :pac: Serena has always been my favourite character. I want to see her downfall but somehow I'm rooting for her too.
Sardonicat wrote: » She was born into it.
Cina wrote: » is it actually worth sticking with?
iguana wrote: » Depends on how much you enjoy watching bad tv in order to snark about it online. That's honestly the only reason I sat through it this year. I also laughed a bit at the parody of it on Dear White People. Especially when they called out the lead actress for being in a cult herself but not seeing the hypocrisy.
Slydice wrote: » what did they add on top of the tv episode that had Aunt Lydias backstory?
