Actor Jason Beghe, aged 55, has opened up about why he decided to leave the Scientology Church. The Chicago P.D star sat down with The Rolling Stones and revealed why and when he decided to walk out of the infamous Church of Scientology.
The American film and television actor made up his mind to leave the Church after his wife Angie Janu got pregnant with their first child. The couple married in 2000. The actor said that his last 10 years in the Church was one of the worst times of his life and it was after his wife’s pregnancy that he made the decision to dump the organization.
Talking to the magazine, the actor said: “I think the word would be attrition. My last 10 years in the organization was really the worst time of my life. I think my breaking point came when my wife got pregnant.”
“I was like, "Holy shit. I'm going to be a father." I wanted to be a good father, so I started thinking about what ‘what’ meant. I thought maybe I'd try to make a lot of money, but I knew rich people growing up and their kids were unhappy.”
He further added that being himself was far better than being rich and famous: “I figured out the best thing I could be was myself, so I did a fearless inventory of all the bullshit in my life. At that point, I realized that Scientology wasn't me. The next day I walked in and said, "I gotta get out of here. I can't maintain my own integrity and remain a member of this organization. It's possible to have an amicable divorce, and I think it's in both of our best interests we part ways."”
That was really brave of him. We all know how members of the Church end up if they even think of leaving the organization. We must say, Scientology seems like a creepy place.
Beghe stated that the Church insisted he to stay and talk to some people from the organization. According to the actor, the Scientology church was determined to make him stay. But he was not ready to buy anything they said.
“They were insistent that I stay and talk to some people. I said, "I'll talk to whoever you want, but I can be pretty convincing. If you send someone to talk to me, I'm probably going to at least put some doubt in their universe." I think that four of the six people they sent to convince me to stay ended up leaving after talking to me. So, anyway, they hate me.”
Things turned out to be nasty the way Beghe had supposed it would be. He said that the organization filed a lawsuit against him saying that he hurt a person whom they sent to his house.
“They sent someone to my house and they filed this lawsuit saying I beat the shit out of him, which is not true,” Beghe defended himself.
Beghe claimed that he didn’t beat the guy but simply scared him and the injury and beating stuff was just made up by the Church to bankrupt him.
“In the meantime, you have people showing up like the head of Child Protective Services and the head of the Special Victims Unit of Los Angeles investigating an anonymous tip that I abused my children,” the actor added to his plight.
He explained how he was trailed by Scientology’s personal investigators (P.I) in order to talk to the people related to his son (whom he allegedly abused).
“Then they have to talk to the principal, and the doctor, and the best friend's parents and all this shit. Also, I probably had five P.I.'s following me for a year or two. My kids would go to school and they'd say, "Oh, there's Beghe and his P.I." Everybody at the Malibu Elementary knew what a P.I. was.”
Despite having a hard time saving his reputation and his family from the wrath of Scientology, he voiced his protest against the so-called religion. He is enjoying a fine career. He has appeared in several TV shows and movies and has an estimated net worth of $1.5 million.