Trending badgeTrendingPosted 55 minutes agoSubscribe to BuzzFeed Daily NewsletterCaret Down13 Celebs Who "Escaped" Scientology, And 14 Who Love And Defend ItI was shocked to learn about some of the celebs who have taken Scientology classes.by Andy GolderBuzzFeed Staff FacebookPinterestLink Content warning: This post contains mentions of sex trafficking, sexual assault, and child abuse. 1. In it: Marisol Nichols Paul Archuleta / Getty Images The Riverdale star said in the Q&A on her old website that she was introduced to Scientology in the 1990s by her chiropractor, who took her on a tour at the Celebrity Centre in Hollywood. Since then, Nichols has repeatedly praised and defended Scientology, crediting it for her career success and getting through trauma and drug problems after she was sexually assaulted as a child. "Honestly, Scientology is what saved my freaking ass," she told Marie Claire. "I'd probably be dead." Ivan Apfel / Getty Images Several years ago, Nichols teamed with investigators in a sting operation to uncover child sex trafficking in the US. When asked about the allegations that the Church of Scientology was involved in human trafficking itself, Nichols again defended the organization. "You don't have any idea what you are talking about," she told Marie Claire in 2020, about people who attacked her over the trafficking and child abuse allegations against the church. "Where's the police charges? Where's the evidence?" The latest allegations were brought in a civil suit against David Miscavige, from former members who claim they were trafficked into the organization as children and forced to work for "little to no pay." A spokesperson for the Church of Scientology called the allegations "false and scurrilous." In 2023, a federal judge ruled that the suit must be arbitrated within the Church of Scientology. 2. Left: Lisa Marie Presley Michael Tran / Getty Images Elvis Presley had reportedly been courted by Scientology, but never joined. When he died, his wife Priscilla said she found some Scientology books among his personal possessions. Priscilla said she reached out to John Travolta, who sent along a recruiter, and thereafter, both Priscilla and her daughter Lisa Marie Presley became Scientologists. Jon Kopaloff / Getty Images Lisa Marie stayed with the organization until 2014, when she claimed she became concerned about the wellbeing of Ron Miscavige, Scientology leader David Miscavige's father. (Ron himself told ABC News that the organization would open and read his mail, and collect information on family members, while he was living on a Scientology compound called the "Gold Base." The Church rejected those claims, saying that the "restrictive lifestyle" was what people signed up for when they decided to live on the compound.) Journalist Tony Ortega published an extensive interview with Lisa Marie after her death, detailing how and why she left. 3. In it: Erika Christensen John Nacion / Getty Images On an episode of the podcast Armchair Expert, Christensen told her Parenthood co-star Dax Shepard that she was raised as a Scientologist because her parents - who also home-schooled her - were in the organization. She clarified that she never felt pressured, saying that her parents told her to "check it out" as opposed to making Scientology a must-do. In the same interview, she defended the organization against the documentary Going Clear, saying that some of the people featured in the doc were "irrelevant." Daniel Delgado / Getty Images 4. Left: Jeffrey Tambor Rich Fury / Getty Images The Arrested Development and Transparent star revealed in his memoir that he took Scientology classes for two years, but abruptly split with the organization after he was allegedly pressured to leave his second wife. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2017, Tambor said he had "no hard feelings" against Scientology, clarifying, "I don't think hard feelings help anything." Nbc / Getty Images 5. In it: Jason Dohring Jim Spellman / Getty Images Dohring, best known for his role as Logan on Veronica Mars, is a lifelong Scientologist. Dohring's father, Doug Dohring, was also a Scientologist and raised Jason in the organization. Fun fact: Doug Dohring founded Neopets, Inc., having bought the Neopets side in 1999 and selling it in 2005. Tommaso Boddi / Getty Images 6. Left: Jerry Seinfeld Theo Wargo / Getty Images Seinfeld was never officially a member of the organization, but he did explain on the WTF With Marc Maron podcast that he took a course way back in the day. "I did do a course in Scientology in, like, '75," Seinfeld said. While he didn't pursue things further, he did say that he "found it very interesting" and got some positives out of the class, like communication skills. Joe Dan Zaitz / (C)Castle Rock Entertainment / Courtesy Everett Collection 7. In it: Michael Peña Rodin Eckenroth / Getty Images Peña - who has a long list of credits including End of Watch and Ant-Man - says he first joined Scientol