Shelly Miscavige

2022-03-08T20:49:10Z

107.195.106.201: If LAPD is part of the conspiracy, then show some evidence, else stop using the weasel word "claimed". When Law Enforcement does a missing person investigation that STATE the results and do not "claim" anything. The word "claim" is the toe in the door that perpetuates the assertion of a conspiracy that either does not exist, or there is no evidence presented to support it's existence. Show some evidence or STFU, is the point.~~~~

{{Short description|Missing wife of Church of Scientology leader David Miscavige}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox person
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| name = Shelly Miscavige
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| birth_name = Michele Diane Barnett
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1961|1|18}}
| birth_place = [[Dallas, Texas]], U.S.
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| organization = [[Church of Scientology]]
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| known_for = Marriage to Scientology leader [[David Miscavige]] and public absence
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| spouse = {{marriage|[[David Miscavige]]|1982}}
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| parents = Maurice Elliott Barnett<br />Mary Florence "Flo" Fike Barnett
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'''Michele Diane Miscavige''' (née '''Barnett'''; born January 18, 1961) is the wife of [[Church of Scientology]] leader [[David Miscavige]]. She was last seen in public in August 2007.<ref name="Wright-303">{{cite book|title=Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief|last=Wright|first=Lawrence|author-link=Lawrence Wright|page=[https://archive.org/details/goingclearscient00lawr/page/303 303]|publisher=Alfred A. Knopf|year=2013|isbn=978-0-307-70066-7|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/goingclearscient00lawr/page/303}}</ref>

Since her withdrawal from appearing in public, she has been the subject of speculation and inquiries regarding her whereabouts and wellbeing. In 2012, attorneys who said they represented her responded by saying she was merely living a private life devoted to the Church of Scientology. In August 2013, actress [[Leah Remini]], a former Scientologist and vocal critic of the organization, filed a [[missing person]] report regarding Miscavige with the [[Los Angeles Police Department]] (LAPD). Within a few days of receiving the report, the LAPD stated that they located Miscavige, and further stated that she was not actually missing, so the case was closed. A further communication by an attorney representing the Church of Scientology in 2018 indicated that she continues to be a dedicated [[Sea Org]] member and is continuing to live a private life.<ref>{{cite news|title=Where Is Scientology Leader David Miscavige's Wife?|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/where-is-scientology-leader-david-miscaviges-wife|last=Stern|first=Marlow|work=The Daily Beast|date=December 19, 2018|access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref>

== Scientology career ==
Miscavige is a member of the [[Sea Org]], the organization responsible for the international management of the Church of Scientology and its affiliated entities. From the age of 12, she was a member of the [[Commodore's Messenger Organization]] (CMO), the internal Sea Org group responsible for personally servicing Scientology founder [[L. Ron Hubbard]] aboard his flagship, [[HMS Royal Scotsman|MV ''Apollo'']], in the 1970s. She was described as "quiet, petite and younger than most of the other Messengers at the time ... and a bit overshadowed by the older girls".<ref name="Wright-176" /> Jim Dincalci, one of her shipmates, says that she was "a sweet, innocent thing thrown into chaos".<ref name="Wright-176" /> At the age of 21, in December 1982, she married a fellow CMO member, 22-year-old [[David Miscavige]].<ref name="Wright-176">Wright, p. 176</ref> She came to view Miscavige as the reincarnation of [[Simón Bolívar]] and herself as his mistress [[Manuela Sáenz]].<ref name="Wright-303" />

She subsequently joined her husband's group as the official assistant to her husband, the chairman of the board (COB) of Scientology's [[Religious Technology Center]]. According to author [[Lawrence Wright]], she was closely involved in the Church's liaison with its highest profile member, [[Tom Cruise]].<ref name="Wright-248">Wright, p. 248</ref> When Cruise began a three-year relationship with [[Penélope Cruz]], Miscavige supervised Cruz's [[Auditing (Scientology)|auditing]] and helped her through the Church's [[Purification Rundown]] program.<ref name="Wright-285">Wright, p. 285</ref>

After the end of the Cruise-Cruz relationship, Miscavige was reported to have led a Church program to find a new girlfriend for Tom Cruise. Around a hundred young Scientologist actresses were interviewed, though they were not told why.<ref name="Wright-285" /> An actress named [[Nazanin Boniadi]] was introduced to Cruise and dated him for a few months before he broke off the relationship in January 2005.<ref name="Wright-286-87">Wright, pp. 286–287</ref> The search resumed, with more actresses invited to audition for what they thought was a role in a forthcoming ''[[Mission: Impossible III|Mission: Impossible]]'' film, and eventually concluded with [[Katie Holmes]] meeting and marrying Cruise.<ref name="Wright-290-91">Wright, pp. 290–291</ref> His attorney denies that any Scientology executive set him up with girlfriends.<ref name="Wright-290">Wright, p. 290</ref> Miscavige subsequently oversaw a project to use Scientology members and contractors to renovate Cruise's nine-bedroom mansion in [[Beverly Hills, California|Beverly Hills]].<ref name="Wright-300">Wright, pp. 300–301</ref>

== Public absence ==
In 2006, Miscavige's husband, church leader David Miscavige, left Scientology's international base. Upon her husband's return, Miscavige was said{{by whom|date=February 2021}} to have "visibly changed" her mood and to have "looked cowed". [[Mike Rinder]], then the church's chief spokesman, says that she asked him if her husband was still wearing his wedding ring. Shortly afterwards, in June 2006, she no longer made any appearances in public.<ref>Wright, p. 302</ref> Miscavige has not appeared in public since August 2007.<ref name="compound">{{cite news|last=Edwards|first=Jim|title=Tour The Compound Where The Missing Wife of Scientology's Leader Might Be Living|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/is-the-missing-wife-of-scientologys-leader-hidden-in-this-spike-fenced-compound-2012-7?op=1|access-date=March 24, 2013|newspaper=Business Insider|date=July 13, 2012}}</ref><ref name="missing">{{cite news|last=Lutz|first=Ashley|title=Scientology leader David Miscavige's wife has been missing since 2006|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/scientology-leader-david-miscaviges-wife-has-been-missing-since-2006-2012-7|access-date=March 24, 2013|newspaper=Business Insider|date=July 3, 2012}}</ref>

[[Missing person]] reports have been filed with the [[Los Angeles Police Department]] concerning Miscavige. At least two such reports have been filed; one is reported by Lawrence Wright, though he does not state who submitted it,<ref name="Wright302-3">Wright, pp. 302–303</ref> while another was filed in August 2013 by actress Leah Remini.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/leah-remini-files-missing-person-602723|title=Leah Remini Files Missing Person Report for Scientology Leader David Miscavige's Wife|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=August 8, 2013|access-date=August 8, 2013}}</ref> Detective Gus Villanueva, in response to the missing person report, said: "The LAPD has classified the report as unfounded, indicating that Shelly is not missing."<ref name="eonline">{{cite web|url=http://www.eonline.com/news/447348/leah-remini-s-scientology-mystery-solved-missing-person-case-for-shelly-miscavige-now-closed-per-lapd |title=Leah Remini's Scientology Mystery Solved: Missing Person Case for Shelly Miscavige Now Closed, Per LAPD |first1=Natalie |last1=Finn |first2=Holly |last2=Passalaqua |website=E! Online |date=August 8, 2013 |access-date=September 2, 2013}}</ref> In August 2013, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed they located and spoke with Miscavige following a missing-persons report filed by Remini.<ref name="LATIMES-AUG-2013"/> Remini, who used to be a member of the Church of Scientology, questioned her absence at the wedding of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kelsey |first1=Eric |last2=Sinha-Roy |first2=Piya |title=Latest celebrity defection casts light on Scientology leadership |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-leahremini-scientology/latest-celebrity-defection-casts-light-on-scientology-leadership-idUSBRE96B03120130713 |access-date=March 12, 2019 |work=Reuters |date=July 13, 2013}}</ref> Remini further questioned Shelly Miscavige's whereabouts in her show produced for the A&E network, ''[[Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath]]'' in December 2018, five years after detectives closed her missing persons case, saying that they had met with her in person.<ref>{{cite news |title=Leah Remini thinks wife of Scientology leader is dead |url=https://pagesix.com/2016/12/20/leah-remini-thinks-wife-of-scientology-leader-is-dead/ |access-date=March 12, 2019 |work=[[Page Six]] |date=December 20, 2016}}</ref> The Church of Scientology responded to the announcement of the episode in a letter: "Remini is a foaming anti-Scientologist. Mrs. Miscavige has personally and repeatedly told law enforcement that Remini's acts are abusive. Remini is unhinged and Remini and her cohorts should be prosecuted for knowingly filing a false missing person's report."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Barilla |first1=Lucille |title=Leah Remini Demands Answers About Missing Scientology Leader's Wife On Latest Episode Of A&E Series |url=https://www.inquisitr.com/5215635/leah-remini-demands-answers-about-missing-scientology-leaders-wife-on-latest-episode-of-ae-series/ |access-date=March 12, 2019 |website=[[Inquisitr]] |date=December 19, 2018}}</ref>

The Church of Scientology has not commented on Miscavige's location.<ref>Wright, p. 303</ref><ref name="Tommy">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67Jx9KG0VeU|title=Where's Tommy Davis|publisher=[[Nine Network]]|via=[[YouTube]]|access-date=August 20, 2012}}</ref> In July 2012, responding to press accounts of speculation on Miscavige's whereabouts, two UK newspapers were informed by lawyers who said they represented Miscavige and "that she is not missing and devotes her time to the work of the Church of Scientology."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9441711/Mrs-Shelly-Miscavige.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9441711/Mrs-Shelly-Miscavige.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Mrs Shelly Miscavige |work=Telegraph |date=July 31, 2012 |access-date=September 19, 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In December 2018, a lawyer representing the Church of Scientology told ''[[The Daily Beast]]'' that Miscavige is a dedicated Sea Org member who "lives a private life" and that the lawyer's partner had personally met with her.<ref>{{cite news|title=Where Is Scientology Leader David Miscavige's Wife?|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/where-is-scientology-leader-david-miscaviges-wife|last=Stern|first=Marlow|work=The Daily Beast|date=December 19, 2018|access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref>

Some former members of Sea Org have said that they believe Miscavige is being held against her will at the compound of the Scientologist's [[Church of Spiritual Technology]] corporation near the mountain town of [[Running Springs, California|Running Springs]] in [[San Bernardino County, California|San Bernardino County]], California.<ref name="compound" />

== Family and personal life ==
Miscavige's mother, Mary Florence "Flo" Fike Barnett, was a long-time Scientologist.<ref>{{cite web|first=Thomas C. |last=Tobin |date=September 13, 2015 |access-date=February 18, 2021 |url= https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1998/10/25/the-man-behind-scientology/ |title=The man behind Scientology|work=Tampa Bay Times |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090703092228/http://www.sptimes.com/TampaBay/102598/scientologypart3.html |archive-date=July 3, 2009 }}</ref> Flo resigned from Scientology, taking with her copies of the "confidential upper-level materials". Flo later joined David Mayo's [[Advanced Ability Center]], an independent Scientology organization.<ref name=Wright>{{cite book |last=Prince |first=Jesse |date=September 13, 2018 |title=The Expert Witness: My Life at the Top of Scientology |publisher=Createspace Independent Publishing Platform |pages=145,154 |isbn=978-1725992634}}</ref> On September 8, 1985, she was found dead at age 52 from a shot to the head from a [[Ruger 10/22]] rifle. The body also had three rifle shot wounds to the chest (one surface wound, one through a breast implant, and one that passed through the left lung and fractured a rib), and there were superficial slash marks on her wrists that were identified in the autopsy report as possibly having been a few days old.<ref name=vvoice>{{cite web|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/news/the-strange-death-of-flo-barnett-mother-in-law-to-scientology-leader-david-miscavige-6667918|title=The Strange Death of Flo Barnett, Mother-in-Law to Scientology Leader David Miscavige|first=Tony |last=Ortega |date=January 25, 2012 |author-link=Tony Ortega|work=Village Voice}}</ref> The death was ruled a suicide.<ref name=vvoice /> According to one former member of the Sea Org, David Miscavige said of Flo's death: "That bitch got what she deserved."<ref>Prince, pp. 145,154</ref>

Miscavige's father, Maurice Elliott Barnett, died in 2007.

==In popular culture==
The [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] police sitcom television series ''[[Brooklyn Nine-Nine]]'' makes reference to Miscavige's alleged disappearance in its fifth-season episode "[[NutriBoom]]". The episode satirizes Scientology as a [[multi-level marketing]] company that produces amino acids and amino acid reducers, allegedly to improve their clients' health.<ref name="Nutriboom">{{cite web |last=Ferguson |first=Latoya |url=https://tv.avclub.com/with-nutriboom-dfw-the-nine-nine-works-through-s-1825284971 |date=April 15, 2018 |title=With 'NutriBoom' and 'DFW', the Nine-Nine works through some unfinished business |website=The AV Club |access-date=July 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191104154414/https://tv.avclub.com/with-nutriboom-dfw-the-nine-nine-works-through-s-1825284971 |archive-date=November 4, 2019}}</ref> ''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'''s parody of Miscavige, Debbie Stovelman, is found to be alive and well, having faked her own disappearance to allow her to run Nutriboom and escape the consequences of illegal activities.<ref name="Nutriboom"/>

The [[NBCUniversal Syndication Studios|NBCUniversal]]/[[Netflix]] streaming sitcom television show ''[[Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt]]'' also made reference to Miscavige's alleged disappearance in its fourth season episode "Sliding Van Doors". The reference is made during a song sung by Titus and other members of the Church of Cosmetology, whose lyrics include: "All Hail Gretchen, The founder had died, Of natural causes, (of natural causes), Everybody look, it's Gretchen's husband Shelly, Shelly Chaulker is alive! Shelly Chaulker is alive!"<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/kimmy-schmidt-sliding-van-doors-episode-explained-scientology-choices-1179534 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |title=Breaking Down the Scientology Parallels in 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's' 'Sliding Doors' Episode |date=January 26, 2019 |access-date=February 18, 2021 |first=Hilary |last=Lewis}}</ref>

The [[Adult Swim]] sketch comedy television series ''[[The Eric Andre Show]]'' makes reference to Miscavige's alleged disappearance in its fifth-season episode "Bone TV". The episode referenced the alleged killing of Shelly Miscavige by Scientology's command.<ref name="The Eric Andre Show">{{cite web |last=Andre |first=Eric |url=https://www.adultswim.com/videos/the-eric-andre-show/BONE-TV |date=November 16, 2020 |title=With 'BONE TV' |website=Adult Swim |access-date=November 16, 2020}}</ref>

In John Oliver's ''[[Last Week Tonight]]'', he included “Where’s Shelly” (in Spanish) in the opening montage of the show for an entire season. In the final episode of season 5, he did a piece that wrapped up his year long secret “advertising campaign” for scientology and demanded that they pay him $650,000-$700,000 for it. In his October 2021 segment on Taiwan, he joked about Miscavige's wife before asking, "Where's Shelly?"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mikerindersblog.org/john-oliver-wheres-shelly/ |title=BJohn Oliver — Where’s Shelly? |date=March 31, 2021 |access-date=October 26, 2021 }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Scientology controversies]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Scientology}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Miscavige, Michele}}
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American Scientologists]]
[[Category:Scientology officials]]
[[Category:People from Dallas]]
[[Category:Scientology-related controversies]]

Wikipedia - Benutzerbeiträge [de]

Shelly Miscavige