Laura Prepon has been one of Scientology’s most famous faces, but it turns out the actress left the church several years ago.
“I’m no longer practicing Scientology,” the Orange Is the New Black star, 41, tells People for the first time. “I’ve always been very open-minded, even since I was a child. I was raised Catholic and Jewish. I’ve prayed in churches, meditated in temples. I’ve studied Chinese meridian theory.”
The Church of Scientology, which counts stars like Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Elisabeth Moss among its famous worshipers, has been scrutinized for its controversial beliefs. Most recently, its alleged secret practices spilled out in public amid member Danny Masterson’s rape case. Leah Remini infamously left the church in 2013 and is one of Scientology’s most outspoken critics, but it appears Prepon, who co-starred with Masterson in That ’70s Show, is taking a quieter approach right now.
“I haven’t practiced Scientology in close to five years and it’s no longer part of my life,” she states.
Prepon’s decision to leave Scientology coincided with the birth of her first child. The actress shares two kids, ages 4 and 16 months, with husband Ben Foster. (The actor has never been a Scientologist.)
“If motherhood has taught me anything so far, it’s that something can work out for a period of time and then you move on and evolve from that,” adds Prepon. “As a new mom, I was riddled with anxiety that I had never experienced before. My friends who were mothers with older kids said, ‘Laura, this is a phase, you’ll move on and then it will be something different.’ And that has transcended into other parts of my life. We’re all evolving. I always see that with my kids.”
Prepon is now finding peace in meditation with Foster.
“We meditate daily and I’m really liking it,” she explains, “because it’s something that helps me to hear my own voice and it’s something we can do together.”