Jennifer Lopez Planning On Putting Her Kids In Scientology Classes?
I was aimlessly looking for one more story to publish today, and here’s one that just sort of fell into my lap…a tidbit of information tucked in amongst the fluff. It seems that a reporter for Elle did a story on Jennifer Lopez that they deemed not flattering enough to the star and entirely too personal (read: He didn’t kiss her butt enough and made her look like a regular human being -gasp-).
However, the reporter, Kevin Sessums, had his piece posted on The Daily Beast, and it contains some velly interesting information about the star…for one, she isn’t breast-feeding (and I say, so? I did, lots of women don’t):
I’ve caught the family on a bad day. Lopez, who gave birth to twins Emme Guatelupe and Max David only four months ago, has caught a bug from her daughter and is feeling ill. But, ever the trouper, she agrees to go through with our interview anyway, opening up about topics including Scientology, breast-feeding, and a “nervous breakdown,” as she calls it, that she’s never publicly discussed.
When I meet Lopez in a dimly lit pine study filled with gold records and Grammy awards, she has dispensed with the usual packaging and gloss. Her unwashed hair is pulled severely back and there’s a halo of frizz around the crown of her head. She wears no make-up, her eyes are glassy, and her feverish cheeks are aglow. I think of Fitzgerald’s heroine, Daisy Buchanan, whose face was “sad and lovely with bright things in it.”
Before I can fully apologize for putting her through an interview, Max begins to cry upstairs. Daisy from the Block excuses herself and returns with both twins in her arms. Emme’s ears are already pierced with tiny gold hoops in them. Max is wearing a black onesie with an array of sequins on its back.
After refusing to have a nanny for the first four months of her children’s lives, she has reluctantly ceded that she may need one. “I’m trying out my first one today,” she whispers. “But I still can’t stand the sound of my babies crying without tending to them myself.”
Lopez, wearing an orange Scoop T-shirt dress, looks as gratefully exhausted as any new mother. I ask her if she needs some privacy so she can nurse the twins who are beginning to squirm. “Is that something you’ve chosen to do? To breast-feed?”
“No,” she says as I ask if the La Leche League has come after her for such a decision. She laughs and readjusts the twins in her arms. “No. No. Some people are radical about it. But to each his own.” [...]
Of course, it’s always a good idea to put an infant into a onesie with sequins on it. You know, because the sequins never fall off or anything, and babies never put anything in their mouths, and I’m sure they’re totally comfortable to lay on. And don’t get me started on piercing a baby’s ears. Totally, totally stupid and irresponsible. (Watch somebody come along and say it’s a cultural thing. Yeah, so is female circumcision. Just because it’s cultural doesn’t make it any less stupid.)
She’s had some postpartum depression, like so many new moms have:
She admits there have been a few rough days. “People kept prepping me for it, but it didn’t happen. At the tenth day after giving birth all that chemical stuff did peak – that hormone thing – and I did cry a lot that day because I was having so much trouble moving. I had a c-section,” she says. “Have you ever seen a c-section? I told them I didn’t want to know anything, but afterwards they told me they had cut six layers. That’s why you can’t walk afterwards. I couldn’t get up fast enough to feed the babies. It went on for about three days. Marc was helping out a lot and I was crying and crying and going, ‘Oh, Papi … they’re going to know everybody more than me.” She begins to pretend she is sobbing, waking up a now sleeping Emme in the process. “They’re going to love everybody more than me!” She stares into her daughters opened eyes. “Don’t worry, baby. I was just acting,” Lopez says. “Mommy is an actress and she does dramatic things.”
Okay, I’m not going to touch that last one, because new motherhood and hormones and stitches (in my case, in a couple of rather private areas) will do weird things to you. I remember sobbing hysterically at the changing table because the cute little newborn diapers didn’t fit my cute little newborn. But I digress.
On selling out her long-awaited children to the press:
Emme and Max are already contributing to the Lopez empire, estimated at close to half a billion dollars. Earlier this year, Lopez and Anthony sold the rights to the newborns’ photos to People magazine for an estimated $6 million. Any internal debate that she was using her babies as a commodity?
“No. No. I think one of the reasons that the price went so high is that we didn’t want to do it for so long,” says Lopez. “We weren’t into it. I was like, no, I don’t really want to. No. No way. But then it got to the point that you go, well, now you’re being stupid with these offers… I thought I can set them up. I can put this away just for them.”
“Did you give any of the money to charity?”
“We gave a little bit and I saved the rest for them.”
“Don’t their parents make enough money?” I ask. “I mean, according to Forbes you’re the 9th richest female working in show business.”
“Hmmm …” Lopez says. “I wouldn’t believe everything I read.”
Oh, absolutely. I’m positive that Jennifer is feeling the crunch just like everyone else is. Why, she and the single mom working two jobs are just like sisters, they’re so alike! I wonder if they get together and share tips on how to make a meal at the end of the month with no money, a piece of hard bologna, some dried-up carrots, and a mustard packet?
And finally, on Scientology:
The conversation turns to Scientology. “I know a lot of your friends are Scientologists,” I say. “Your father has been a Scientologist for about 20 years …”
“More than that now,” she says.
“Scientologists don’t believe in shrinks. Would you ever call on Scientology if you were having those problems again?” I ask.
“I do know a lot about Scientology. And I know about the practices. I know all about what the technology is and all that kind of stuff. It’s very helpful. So in a sense, yeah, you do call on it.”
“Do you consider yourself a Scientologist?”
“No.”
“If you were, would you be open about it?”
“Yeah. I wouldn’t have a problem saying it because I know what it is. I have no problems with it and it really actually bothers me that people have such a negative feeling towards it.”
“That it is too exotic? Too cultish?”
“Just negative feelings.”
“Would you consider schooling Emme and Max in a Scientology school?” I ask.
“Yeah. I wouldn’t mind. Not at all. Because I know that the technologies that they have are very helpful… It’s all about communication. That’s the thing I really don’t like about talking about this. I do know so many great people who do do it, who choose it as a lifestyle and really follow it and it is their religion…I just wish that people wouldn’t judge it without knowing what it is.”
She’s thinking about putting the kids in Scientology classes? Will they be there soon enough to be playmates for Suri? Seriously…this isn’t the first time she’s been linked to the cult. When she was pregnant, pal Leah Remini (an outspoken Scientologist in her own right) was reportedly trying to get her to have the famous Scientology “silent birth“, but JLo decided that was a little much. And she’s come out defending them when people criticized her father for joining. In fact, rumors about JLo and Marc joining the cult have been swirling for some time now, as evidenced in this article from February 2007:
My sources tell me that as recently as December [2006], Lopez and Anthony were taking professional business meetings at Scientology’s Celebrity Center in Hollywood.
Anthony is said to have taken the “purification” course, a hopped-up sauna that supposedly “cures” all ills. Lopez may have invested in the IRS-sanctioned religion thanks to infertility issues and difficulties in the couple’s marriage.
What’s very clear is that Lopez and Anthony’s sudden friendship with chief celebrity Scientologist Tom Cruise is no accident. Other than belonging to the expensive pay-as-you-go religion, Cruise and the Lopez-Anthonys would have nothing in common.
From what I’m told, Lopez and Anthony entered Scientology with the help of Angelo Pagan, the husband of “King of Queens” actress Leah Remini. Both Pagan and Remini — mostly the former — have taken dozens of pricey courses in L. Ron Hubbard’s creation.
In keeping with Scientology’s Hollywood deal in which members hire each other, Pagan has had parts in John Travolta’s “Swordfish” and Jenna Elfman’s “Dharma & Greg,” as well as in several episodes of “King of Queens.” [...]
Scientology is notable for recruiting stars at low points in their careers or personal lives, preying on uncertainty, instability or just plain fear by promising to fix life issues.
A source says that they were invited to meet Lopez and Anthony at the Celebrity Center where they were ensconced in four-star digs. There, Anthony talked excitedly about the “purification” program while Lopez discussed career matters.
“They’re in,” a source said. “There’s no doubt about it.”
Lopez’s father has been a Scientologist for 20 years, as recently revealed.
From what I understand of Scientology (and please be gentle with me, I’m just the pretender to the throne, I’m not the resident CoS expert, that would be our intrepid and glorious Dawn…click here for her vast encyclopedia of articles), if your family member is into the cult and you are outspoken in your reluctance or refusal to consider joining, then they cut you out of their lives, a practice known as disconnection. For Jennifer’s father to still be a part of her life, it seems that she would have to at least be tolerant of her father’s choice to be active in the church. And let’s not forget that Scientologists believe that babies/children are just adults in tiny bodies, not ever taking into account their unique needs as children, and also performing what is known as “security checks” on them…at the best confusing to a child, at worst traumatizing.
Yep, putting her kids into a so-called Scientology school (where Study Tech is basically another name for Study Scientology) sounds about as good an idea as any of her other ideas, such as Bordertown, Como Ama Una Mujer, and El Cantante. However, these flops have made her ripe for Scientology’s picking, since they come along when you’re down and out and promise to get you up and coming again. To paraphrase yet another old chestnut, if you don’t know what you stand for then you’ll fall for anything.
Pink Stripe WordPress Theme Designed by Joni Mueller &
J Lo should spend some time reading some of the articles written by Dave Touretzky’s before she considers putting her kids in a Scientology school. It gives a good overview on how the whole Scientology “study tech” is used to brainwash children.
Comment by Dave — October 8, 2008 @ 1:37 pm
I’ve never liked J. Lo, for using fur in her God-awful clothing line among other things, or her nasty tempered hubby. They seem like just the sort of phonies who would get into $cientology for all the butt-kissing $cientology does for “celebrities”
Oh and she gave “a little bit” of the 6 million to charity? Like what are we talking, $10,000 or so?
Sounds like she’d be perfect for $cientology actually.
Comment by Rachel — October 8, 2008 @ 2:06 pm
I love J-Lo. I’d cross check my inbox though, just ‘cuz.
Comment by Amazing — October 8, 2008 @ 9:21 pm
For some bizarre reason, I’ve never learned to hate Jennifer Lopez. She sounds like a real self-centered bitch sometimes, but I just can’t hate her, even if she repeatedly does things that I do not stand for. But if she joined scientology, I would be pretty bothered, I think. I don’t really blame her for “tolerating”, since losing a parent is never fun, but joining is another thing entirely.
I hate it when people pierce their baby’s ears. First of all, if they are still BABIES and are mostly bald, they look pretty stupid with their ears pierced. But most of all, I think that it should be the child’s choice. I never wanted my ears pierced as a kid, but when I became an adult I finally did want them, and I was pretty glad my parents never forced it upon me. That and the obvious; I can imagine it isn’t totally unheard of that a baby’s ring comes out and finds its way to the baby’s mouth. Plus those earring backs probably don’t feel good against the baby’s soft head when rolling around on the ground. I can’t sleep with earrings unless they are very small studs, but I also don’t roll around as much as babies do, so I would imagine even a stud would be uncomfortable.
Comment by Brooke — October 8, 2008 @ 11:00 pm
And who is to say a baby’s ears won’t change as they get older? Center on a newborn’s ears might not be center on a teenager.
Totally irresponsible.
Comment by k — October 8, 2008 @ 11:16 pm
Typcial chain of events… Nervous breakdown…… cue in the vultures(Scientology)…. put your kids in a dumb ass Scilon school and they get a shoddy brainwashed education and eventually get into Scientology. SAD!
Her father is a blithering idiot. In COS for 20 years?? I can’t imagine the cash he has shelled out for the pyramid scam. Bridge to Total Freedom? More like Bridge to nowhere dumb ass.
Too bad the 6 mil Fail-O and her husband Skeletor got for the pictures will be going to Scientology eventually.
OH! And I hate that she wears so many furs to boot. Just had to add that in.
Comment by FAIL-O — October 10, 2008 @ 4:10 pm
Scientology is a UFO Cult responsible for countless deaths
Expect Us
Comment by DM Longcat — October 13, 2008 @ 2:07 am
[...] with me here. Back in October, I did a story on Jennifer mulling over the idea of possibly putting her kids in Scientology [...]
Pingback by GlossLip » Is There Trouble Brewing Between Jennifer Lopez And Marc Anthony? And Is Scientology Involved? — December 18, 2008 @ 11:15 am
[...] with me here. Back in October, I did a story on Jennifer mulling over the idea of possibly putting her kids in Scientology [...]
Pingback by Celebrity Blog | Babelogs | Celebrity Gossip » Blog Archive » Is There Trouble Brewing Between Jennifer Lopez And Marc Anthony? And Is Scientology Involved? — December 18, 2008 @ 8:47 pm