{
  "id": 14794121,
  "title": "How Scientology actually works, according to a former Scientologist",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/how-scientology-actually-works-according-to-a-former-scientologist",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-15T21:02:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Insider",
    "slug": "business-insider",
    "url": "https://www.businessinsider.com/how-scientology-actually-works-according-to-former-scientologist-jenna-miscavige-2026-10"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Jenna Miscavige, the niece of Scientology's leader David Miscavige, grew up as a Scientologist until she left the church at the age of 22. Scientology, established by science-fiction author L. Ron Hubbard in 1954, grew into a worldwide religious movement with an estimated 100,000 members at its highest point in the 1990s. Despite a decline in membership, the church has maintained a significant presence in popular culture thanks to high-profile members like Tom Cruise and John Travolta.\n\nIn an interview with Business Insider, Jenna Miscavige discussed the secretive nature of Scientology, its methods for recruitment, its financial dealings, allegations of abuse, and its connections among celebrities. She is the author of two books, \"Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape,\" and actively uses social media to criticize the church and raise public awareness about its practices.\n\nThe Church of Scientology has responded to Jenna Miscavige's claims, stating that her narrative is based on discredited allegations and is being used for financial gain. They claim that her efforts to gain notoriety are solely reliant on her famous family name and do not reflect the true nature of the organization. For further information on Jenna Miscavige's perspective, her social media profiles are available at https://www.youtube.com/@JennaMiscavige, https://www.instagram.com/therealjennamiscavige, and https://www.tiktok.com/@jennamiscavige.",
  "summary": "Jenna Miscavige is the niece of David Miscavige, the leader of the Church of Scientology. She was raised as a Scientologist and left when she was 22.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}