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| David Miscavige is a gay porn advocate. As a depressed person, he takes drugs to combat this, and also sees a psychiatrist three times a week. | |||
| {{Infobox Person | |||
| | name = David Miscavige | |||
| | image = David Miscavige ChairmanOfTheBoard.jpg | |||
| | image_size = 200px | |||
| | caption = | |||
| | birth_date = {{bda|1960|4|30}} | |||
| | birth_place = ] | |||
| | death_date = | |||
| | death_place = | |||
| | title = Chairman of the Board | |||
| | employer = ] | |||
| | salary = ]60,000 (90s)<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.sptimes.com/TampaBay/102598/scientologypart4.html|title = The man behind Scientology |accessdate = 2007-08-27|last = Tobin|first = Thomas C.|date = ]|work=part 4|publisher = ]}}</ref> | |||
| | spouse = Michelle Miscavige | |||
| | religion = ] | |||
| | children = None | |||
| | website = | |||
| | footnotes = | |||
| }} | |||
| '''David Miscavige''' (born ], ]) is ] of the ] of ] (RTC), a corporation that controls the trademarked names and symbols of ] and ], and "holds the ultimate ecclesiastical authority regarding the standard and pure application of ]’s religious technologies."<ref>Religious Technology Center (accessed ])</ref> Although Religious Technology Center is a separate corporation from the ], Miscavige is officially described as "worldwide ] leader of the Scientology religion."<ref>Religious Technology Center (accessed ])</ref><ref name="Behar">Behar, Richard ] May 6, 1991 page 50</ref> In January 2008, when questioned about the allegation that ] was second in command of the Church, ], general counsel for the ] stated: "The only person who runs the Church and makes policy decisions is David Miscavige."<ref>{{cite web | first = James | last = Tapper | title = Diana author names Tom Cruise as 'World Number Two in Scientology' | url = http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=506359&in_page_id=1773&ct=5 | work = ] | date = 2008-01-07 | accessdate = 2008-11-15 }}</ref> He also oversees the application of Scientology tech by affiliate programs ], ] and ], which are legally separate from the church but operate under license from RTC.{{Fact|date=November 2008}} | |||
| Miscavige was an assistant to Hubbard while still a teenager, and rose to a leadership position within the organization by the early 1980s. He was named Chairman of the Board RTC in 1987, some months after Hubbard's death.<ref>Young, Robert Vaughn , Quill magazine, Volume 81, Number 9, Nov/Dec 1993.</ref><ref>Hoffman, Claire , ], December 18, 2005</ref> Although Miscavige's position is paramount within current scientology, it cannot be compared to the one once held by ]. Miscavige's role is officially that of "protector", whereas Hubbard was the originator and founder of the movement. <ref> | |||
| {{cite book | |||
| | last = Lewis | |||
| | first = James R. | |||
| | authorlink = James R. Lewis | |||
| | title = Controversial New Religions | |||
| | publisher = Oxford University Press | |||
| | year = 2004 | |||
| | isbn = 0195156838 | |||
| | page= 247 | |||
| | url= http://books.google.com/books?id=YCNd2YPFKTMC}}</ref> | |||
| Among Scientologists, Miscavige is often referred to simply as "DM"<ref name="Man in Control">{{cite news | first=Joel | last=Sappell | coauthors= Welkos, Robert W. | url=http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-scientologysideb062490,1,7772622.story?coll=la-news-comment&ctrack=1&cset=true | title=The Man In Control | work=] | page=A41:4 | date=1990-06-24 | accessdate=2006-06-06 }} Additional convenience link at .</ref> or "C.O.B." (Chairman of the Board). He reportedly lives at Scientology's ], which is also the main RTC headquarters, near ].<ref>Reitman, Janet ], Issue 995. March 9, 2006. Page 57.</ref> | |||
| ==Biography== | |||
| David Miscavige was born in ] to Loretta and Ron Miscavige Sr.<ref name="TMBS">{{cite web|url = http://www.sptimes.com/TampaBay/102598/scientologypart2.html|title = The man behind Scientology |accessdate = 2007-08-27|last = Tobin|first = Thomas C.|date = ]|work=part 2|publisher = ]}}</ref> and he was the youngest of their four children. The Polish-Italian family was ], but not very observant.<ref name="TMBS" /> One sister is ] who in 2002 was hired by ] as a top executive for the ]-based company ].<ref>{{cite news | |||
| | last = O'Neil | |||
| | first = Deborah | |||
| | coauthors = Kitty Bennett, Jeff Harrington | |||
| | title = The CEO and his church: Months of interviews and thousands of pages of court papers show the effect that influential church members had on a Clearwater company that was a darling of the dot-com boom. | |||
| | work = ] | |||
| | pages = | |||
| | language = | |||
| | publisher = St. Petersburg Times | |||
| | date = June 2, 2002 | |||
| | url = http://www.sptimes.com/2002/06/02/TampaBay/The_CEO_and_his_churc.shtml | |||
| | accessdate = }} | |||
| </ref> | |||
| His older brother is ], who for a time was also in the ]<ref name="bluesky">{{cite book | first=Jon | last=Atack | coauthors= | title=] |url=http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/atack/contents.htm| publisher=Lyle Stuart | location= | year=1990 | editor= | isbn=0-8184-0499-X | chapter=Chapter Four—The Young Rulers | chapterurl=http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/atack/bs6-3.htm | page=448 }}</ref> but who left the Church of Scientology in 2000 and is now in the real estate business as Managing Broker of the Williamsburg office of ].<ref>http://ronmiscavige.lnfre.com/falcon/webui/lnfwelcomepage.aspx</ref><ref name=niece>{{cite web | first = Jonny | last = Jacobsen | title = Niece of Scientology's leader backs Cruise biography | url = http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5heELOXbk_8qWowwJGtd3RrEXdqgQ | work = ] | publisher = ] | date = ] | accessdate = 2008-03-11 }}</ref> | |||
| Miscavige suffered from childhood ailments as well as ], which kept him from accomplishing athletic and academic goals. During this time his father, a ] player, became interested in Scientology. Ron Miscavige Sr.'s interest in Scientology led him to have the boy sent to a Scientologist. According to him and his son, the 45-minute ] session cured his ailments. The family was impressed enough by Scientology to move to the world headquarters in ], England.<ref name="TMBS"/> | |||
| ===Scientology=== | |||
| Miscavige joined Scientology in 1971. In 1976 he left high school and joined the ]anization. In 1977 he worked directly under Hubbard as a cameraman for Scientology training films. Hubbard appointed him to the ], responsible for enforcing Hubbard's policies within the individual Scientology organizations. In 1981 he was placed in charge of the Watchdog Committee and the All Clear Unit, tasked with handling the various legal claims against Hubbard. He persuaded ] to resign from the ] (GO), deposed several GO officers through ] proceedings, and removed the GO from the church's organization.<ref name="religioninc">{{cite book|first=Stewart|last=Lamont|title=Religion Inc.|year=1986}}</ref> | |||
| After closing the Guardian's Office, Miscavige set up a new organizational structure for Scientology that would release Hubbard from any personal liability. He set up the ], tasked with licensing Scientology's intellectual property, and ] to manage the proceeds. The ] was created at the same time with an ] to repurchase all of RTC's intellectual property rights.<ref name="religioninc"/> In October 1982 Miscavige required all Scientology Missions to enter new trademark usage contracts which established stricter policies on the proper use of Scientology materials.<ref>SO ED 2104 INT "The Flow Up The Bridge, The US Mission Holders Conference, San Francisco 1982," transcript, page 1</ref><ref name="Man in Control"/><ref name="mystery">{{cite web |url = http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,951938,00.html |title = Mystery of the Vanished Ruler |accessdate = 2007-08-10 |date = ]|work = |publisher = ]}}</ref> | |||
| In 1981 ], at that time second only to L. Ron Hubbard himself in Scientology's hierarchy, was appealing her prison sentence for her part in ], and she began to face criticism from within the Scientology organization. The ''St. Petersburg Times'', in the 1998 article "The Man Behind Scientology," states: "During two heated encounters, Miscavige persuaded Mary Sue Hubbard to resign. Together they composed a letter to Scientologists confirming her decision -- all without ever talking to L. Ron Hubbard." According to Miscavige, he and Mary Sue Hubbard remained friends thereafter.<ref name="TMBS"/><ref name="barefaced">{{cite book | author=Miller, Russell | authorlink=Russell Miller| title=Bare-faced Messiah, The True Story of L. Ron Hubbard | publisher=Henry Holt & Co | location=New York | edition=First American Edition | year=1987 | isbn=0-8050-0654-0 | pages = 305–306 | url = http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/bfm/bfmconte.htm |chapter=22. Missing, Presumed Dead | chapterurl=http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/bfm/bfm22.htm}}</ref> | |||
| Miscavige made the first announcement of L. Ron Hubbard's death in 1986, speaking to Sea Org members assembled in the ]. Shortly before Hubbard's death, an apparent order from him circulated in the Sea Org that promoted Scientologist Pat Broeker and his wife to the new rank of Loyal Officer, making them the highest-ranking members.<ref>{{cite book| | |||
| first=Jon|last=Atack| | |||
| title=A Piece of Blue Sky| | |||
| year=1990}}</ref> Miscavige became the Chairman of the Board of ] the following year. One of his acts as chairman was to cancel the promotion order,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.robertdam-cos.dk/FO3879%20cancelled.gif|accessdate=2008-03-11|| | |||
| title=Flag Order 3879 Cancelled| | |||
| date=1988-04-18}}</ref> | |||
| establishing himself as the ecclesiastical leader of the religion.<ref> RTC web site http://www.rtc.org/board/pg002.html</ref> | |||
| In a 1994 declaration, David Miscavige described his career path and his activities as the Church of Scientology staff member and executive as follows: | |||
| <blockquote>" 4. I have been a practicing member of the Scientology religion since 1971. In 1976, I joined staff of the Church of Scientology of California (and the Sea organization - the Scientology religious order). During my tenure in this corporation, I held many positions. In 1977, I had the opportunity to work directly with L. Ron Hubbard in many different capacities. In 1978, Mr. Hubbard was engaged in the production of Scientology films which had the purpose of training Scientology counsellors (called 'auditors') in the practice of Scientology. During this time I was the Chief Cameraman. Later, I worked directly with Mr. Hubbard as a member of the Commodore's Messenger Organization ('CMO'), which duties consisted of assisting Mr. Hubbard in whatever activities he was engaged in. The functions are best described as an assistant. Later, when Mr. Hubbard went into seclusion to continue his researches on Dianetics and Scientology, and to engage in his own writings, I became part of a newly formed CMO organization, CMO International.</blockquote> | |||
| <blockquote>"5. CMO International's role was to see that the management of the Church operated in accordance with Scientology policy and technology. The title of my position was Action Chief. In short , this post was responsible for missionaire activities of the Church, where personnel from the Mother Church would travel to different parts of the world to see to the proper operation of various Church activities and to take corrective action where necessary. The types of missions I generally supervised were those that saw to the correct functioning of the Church management and the correction thereof.</blockquote> | |||
| <blockquote>"6. From the beginning of 1982 until March of 1987, I was chief Executive Officer and later Chairman of the Board of Author Services, Inc. ('ASI'), a California corporation which managed the personal, business, and literary affairs of L. Ron Hubbard. </blockquote> | |||
| <blockquote>"7. Since March of 1987, I have been Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center ('RTC'), </blockquote> | |||
| <blockquote>"9. As Chairman of the Board, the most senior position in RTC, I am uniquely interested in the standard application of the Scripture of Scientology I inspect and correct departures from the standard application of the Scripture of the religion. I also ensure that any attempted perversion of the technology of Dianetics and Scientology rapidly dealt with, </blockquote> | |||
| <blockquote>"10. In the course of my duties I travel widely. I often appear at Church events and briefings In all such appearances, my position as Chairman of the Board of RTC is known, as is its distinction from actual Church management officials of CSI . I also oversee the affairs of the Religious Technology Center in its function of verifying that the source writings of the religion are kept pure. I also oversee RTC's function of assuring that the trademarks of Dianetics and Scientology are legally registered and kept current in over 190 countries around the world. "<ref></ref></blockquote> | |||
| === Tax advocacy === | |||
| In 1993 after lengthy negotiations an agreement with the ] was reached on its treatment of the Church of Scientology. In 1991 Miscavige, with ], had gone to IRS headquarters to meet with the ] ], which led to a two year review process (in which IRS tax analysts were ordered to ignore the substantive issues because the issues had been resolved prior to review),<ref>{{cite web | first = Douglas | last = Frantz | title = Scientology's Puzzling Journey From Tax Rebel to Tax Exempt | url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B05E7DE1639F93AA35750C0A961958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all | work = | publisher = ] | date = ] | accessdate = 2008-01-22 }}</ref> and ultimately, ]ion for the Church of Scientology International and its organizations in the US. Later, in 1997, the church issued a statement denying its own "impromptu meeting" version of events, which the IRS and Goldberg declined to comment on.<ref>{{cite web | first = Douglas | last = Frantz | title = Scientology Denies an Account Of an Impromptu I.R.S. Meeting | url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A04EED81038F93AA25750C0A961958260 | work = | publisher = ] | date = ] | accessdate = 2008-01-22 }}</ref> | |||
| In 1990, David Miscavige founded the organization ]. In 1997 the group was challenging the US tax system.<ref>'']'', October 23, 1997</ref> | |||
| ===Personal life=== | |||
| According to his official Scientology biography, David Miscavige's ] are riding ]s, fishing, ] and ].{{Fact|date=January 2008}} | |||
| Miscavige has been married since 1981 to Shelly (Michelle) Miscavige, née Barnett, who also serves as his official assistant. They have no children. | |||
| Miscavige served as ] in his friend ]'s 2006 wedding to ].<ref>{{cite news | title = Cruise and Holmes go on honeymoon | publisher = BBC News | date = 2006-11-19 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6160350.stm | accessdate = 2007-02-10 }}</ref> | |||
| == Public contact == | |||
| Although he is often a speaker at major Scientology openings, award ceremonies and related events,<ref>, | |||
| (accessed August 3, 2006)</ref> Miscavige has rarely spoken to the press. | |||
| In his first media appearance, in 1992, Miscavige was interviewed at length by ] of ]. During the near-hour long appearance, Miscavige identified what he considered to be misconceptions about Scientology and condemned recent criticism of the Church as unfounded and bigoted. Miscavige also addressed the issue of ] in Scientology, dismissing them as no different from the beliefs of any other religion. When played an audio recording of ] describing a visit to the ], Miscavige rejected it as " part of current Scientology."<ref name="Nightline">Koppel, Ted, '']'', David Miscavige interview of February 14, 1992; </ref> | |||
| In 1998, Miscavige gave his sole newspaper interview to the ].<ref>{{cite web | first = Thomas C. | last = Tobin | title = The Man Behind Scientology | url = http://www.sptimes.com/TampaBay/102598/scientologypart1.html | work = | publisher = ] | date = ] | accessdate = 2008-01-22 }}</ref>; and later that year, he appeared in an ] "Investigative Reports" installment called "Inside Scientology" which aired in December.<ref>A & E ''Investigative Reports'': "Inside Scientology"], December 14, 1998</ref> | |||
| ==Criticism and controversies== | |||
| *In a 1982 ] case, ], Hubbard's estranged son, accused Miscavige of embezzling from and manipulating his father. Hubbard denied this in a written statement, saying that his business affairs were being well managed by ], of which Miscavige was the Chairman of the Board. The case was dismissed on June 27, 1983.<ref>{{cite book | author=Miller, Russell | title=], The True Story of L. Ron Hubbard | publisher=Henry Holt & Co | year=1987 | isbn=0-8050-0654-0 |url=http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/bfm/bfmconte.htm }} Page 369.</ref> | |||
| *Former Scientology staffers, including Lawrence Brennan, Jeff Hawkins, Stacy Young, and Marc Headley, have alleged that Miscavige ] and ] his subordinates, including high-ranking executives. Church representatives have consistently denied such accusations. | |||
| **Hawkins, a senior marketing executive in the Church, claimed that Miscavige had physically assaulted him at an executive meeting in 2002, and, on other occasions, had punched him in his stomach and hit him on the head <ref>{{cite episode | title = Public radio interview with Jefferson Hawkins | series = The Edge | publisher = WXYB AM 1520 Tampa, FL | airdate = 2008-03-06 | url = http://theedge.podango.com/podcast_episode/3805/92359/The_Edge_with_Tom_Smith/Jefferson_Hawkins_Interview_1 }}</ref><ref>url=http://www.portlandmercury.com/news/selling_scientology/Content?oid=862344|accessdate=2008-08-10}}</ref> | |||
| **Young, the wife of Hubbard's former ] spokesman Vaughn Young and Miscavige's former secretary, has claimed that Miscavige emotionally tormented staff members on a regular basis during her tenure. "His viciousness and his cruelty to staff was unlike anything that I had ever experienced in my life...He just loved to degrade the staff," Young said in a 1995 ] interview. "He got a kick out of it. He thought it was funny. Anybody who didn't think it was funny, like I didn't, was very suspect." <ref>"", ITV's ''The Big Story'', 1995</ref> | |||
| *On January 25, 2008, Miscavige's niece and Scientology critic ] claimed in a letter to Church spokesperson ] that ] was a current practice within the Church. Hill was responding to recent official statements denying this and other claims made in ]'s '']''.<ref name=niece/> | |||
| ==References== | |||
| {{reflist|2}} | |||
| ;Media | |||
| {{refbegin}} | |||
| *{{cite journal | last = Barnes | first = John | title = Sinking the Master Mariner | journal = ] | date = ] | }} | |||
| *{{cite web | first = Stephen | last = Koff | title = Scientology church faces new claims of harassment | url = http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/access/51440683.html?dids=51440683:51440683&FMT=FT&FMTS=ABS:FT | work = | publisher = ] | date = ] | accessdate = 2007-10-19 }} | |||
| *{{cite web |url = http://www.latimes.com/la-scientology062490,0,7104164,full.story |title = The Mind Behind the Religion |accessdate = 2007-08-10 |last = Sappell |first = Joel | coauthors = Welkos, Robert W.|date = ]|work = ]|publisher = }} | |||
| *{{cite news | last = Koppel | first = Ted | title = Scientology Leader Gave ABC First-Ever Interview | work = ] | publisher = ] | date = 1992-02-14 | url = http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/Story?id=2664713 | accessdate = 2007-08-31 }} | |||
| *{{cite web | title = Scientologists sue church for $1-billion | url = http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/access/49834827.html?dids=49834827:49834827&FMT=FT | work = | publisher = ] | date = ] | accessdate = 2007-10-19 }} | |||
| *{{cite web | title = Intimidating the IRS | url = http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/access/17006206.html?dids=17006206:17006206&FMT=FT&FMTS=ABS:FT | work = Editorial | publisher = ] | date = ] | accessdate = 2007-10-19 }} | |||
| *{{cite web | first = Lucy | last = Morgan | title = Hardball | url = http://www.sptimes.com/News/32899/TampaBay/Hardball.html | work = Special Report | publisher = ] | date = ] | accessdate = 2007-10-19 }} | |||
| *{{cite news | last = Tobin | first = Thomas C. | title = The man behind Scientology | publisher = ] | date = ] | url = http://www.sptimes.com/TampaBay/102598/scientologypart1.html | accessdate = 2007-08-31 }} | |||
| *{{cite web | first = Dominic | last = Kennedy | title = ‘Church’ that yearns for respectability | url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article1975105.ece | work = | publisher = ] | date = ] | accessdate = 2007-10-19 }} | |||
| {{refend}} | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| {{Portal|Scientology|Scientology e meter blue.jpg}} | |||
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Revision as of 14:19, 2 March 2009
David Miscavige is a gay porn advocate. As a depressed person, he takes drugs to combat this, and also sees a psychiatrist three times a week.