Shelly Miscavige | |
|---|---|
| Born | Michele Diane Barnett (1961-01-18)January 18, 1961 (age 64) Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Status | Unknown if deceased or alive |
| Organization(s) | Church of Scientology Sea Org |
| Known for | Marriage to Scientology leader and public absence |
| Spouse | |
Michele Diane "Shelly"Miscavige (néeBarnett; born January 18, 1961) is an American Scientologist who was last seen in public in August 2007. She is a member of theChurch of Scientology'sSea Org who marriedScientology leaderDavid Miscavige in 1982.[1]: 303 Miscavige worked as her husband's assistant and was involved in managing the Church of Scientology's relationship with high-profile memberTom Cruise.
Since her disappearance in 2007, she has been the subject of speculation and inquiries regarding her whereabouts and well-being. In 2012, attorneys who said they represented her responded by saying she was leading a private life devoted to the Church of Scientology. In August 2013, actressLeah Remini, a former Scientologist and critic of the organization, filed amissing person report regarding Miscavige with theLos Angeles Police Department (LAPD). The LAPD closed the investigation within hours and described the report as "unfounded".
Miscavige was born Michele Diane Barnett on January 18, 1961, inDallas, Texas. Her mother, Mary Florence "Flo" Fike Barnett, was a long-time Scientologist[2] who later resigned, taking copies ofconfidential upper-level materials with her. Mary Barnett joined David Mayo'sAdvanced Ability Center, an independent Scientology organization consideredheterodox by the Church of Scientology.[3] According to testimony by former high-ranking church executiveVicki Aznaran: "The fact that David Miscavige was linked to [Barnett] by familial ties was extremely repugnant to him and to his wife..."[3][4]
At the age of 21, in December 1982, Shelly Barnett married 22-year-oldDavid Miscavige.[1]: 176
On September 8, 1985, Mary Barnett was found dead at age 52 from a shot to the head from aRuger 10/22 rifle. Barnett's body also had three rifle shot wounds to the chest (one surface wound, one through a breast implant, and one that passed through the left lung and fractured a rib), and there were superficial slash marks on her wrists that were identified in the autopsy report as possibly having been several days old.[3] Her death was ruled as consistent with suicide.[3] David Miscavige denied any part in his mother-in-law's death in an affidavit on the case, calling it a "personal tragedy in my family's life."[3] However, in the presence of other witnesses he exclaimed: "That bitch got what she deserved."[3][4]
Shelly Miscavige's 77-year-old father, Maurice Elliott Barnett, died on June 25, 2007, and Shelly was escorted to his funeral on August 1, 2007. She has not been seen publicly since.[1]: 303
Shelly Miscavige was a member of theSea Org, the organization responsible for the international management of theChurch of Scientology and its affiliated entities. From the age of 12, she was a member of theCommodore's Messenger Organization (CMO), the internal Sea Org group responsible for personally servicing Scientology founderL. Ron Hubbard aboard his flagship,MVApollo, in the 1970s. She was described as "quiet, petite and younger than most of the other Messengers at the time ... and a bit overshadowed by the older girls".[1]: 176 Jim Dincalci, one of her shipmates, says that she was "a sweet, innocent thing thrown into chaos".[1]: 176
After marrying David Miscavige, she came to view her husband as the reincarnation ofSimón Bolívar and herself as his mistress,Manuela Sáenz.[1]: 302 Shelly Miscavige became the official assistant to her husband, who is chairman of the board (COB) of Scientology'sReligious Technology Center. According to authorLawrence Wright, she was closely involved in Scientology's liaison with its highest profile member,Tom Cruise.[1]: 248 When Cruise began a three-year relationship withPenélope Cruz, Miscavige supervised Cruz'sauditing and helped her through Scientology'sPurification Rundown program.[1]: 285
After the end of the Cruise–Cruz relationship, Miscavige was reported to have led a Scientology program to find a new girlfriend for Cruise. Approximately a hundred young Scientologist actresses were interviewed, though they were not told why.[1]: 285 ActressNazanin Boniadi was introduced to Cruise and dated him for a few months before he broke off the relationship in January 2005.[1]: 286-87 The search resumed, with more actresses invited to audition for what they thought was a role in a forthcomingMission: Impossible film. The search eventually concluded withKatie Holmes meeting and marrying Cruise.[1]: 290-91 Cruise's attorney denies that any Scientology executive set him up with girlfriends.[1]: 290 Miscavige subsequently oversaw a project to use Scientology members and contractors to renovate Cruise's nine-bedroom mansion inBeverly Hills.[1]: 300–301
In 2006, Miscavige returned from a trip aboard theFreewinds before her husband did. During her husband's absence, she made appointments to the Org Board on her own. After David Miscavige arrived, Shelly was said to have "visibly changed" her mood and to have "looked cowed".Mike Rinder, then Scientology's chief spokesman, has said that Miscavige asked him if her husband was still wearing his wedding ring. Shortly afterwards, in June 2006, she disappeared and no longer made any appearances in public. Miscavige has not appeared in public since August 2007, when she was spotted being escorted to her father's funeral.[1]: 302–3 [a][5][6]
At least twomissing person reports have been filed with theLos Angeles Police Department concerning Miscavige. AuthorLawrence Wright has mentioned one such report, though he did not say who submitted it.[1]: 302-3 Another was filed in August 2013 by actressLeah Remini;[7] the ensuing investigation was closed within hours by the LAPD and described as "unfounded".[8][9] The LAPD added that it had "located and spoke[n]" to Shelly Miscavige.[9] Remini, a former member of the Church of Scientology, had previously questioned Shelly's absence from the 2006 wedding ofTom Cruise andKatie Holmes.[10]
As of 2025, the Church of Scientology had not commented on Miscavige's location.[11][1]: 303 [12] Some former Sea Org members have said that they believe Miscavige is being held against her will at theTwin Peaks compound of Scientology'sChurch of Spiritual Technology corporation near the mountain town ofRunning Springs inSan Bernardino County, California.[5][13] In 2011, Lawrence Wright said that Scientology spokesmanTommy Davis had told him that he knew Miscavige's whereabouts, but would not divulge that information.[14] In July 2012, in response to speculation in the media on Miscavige's whereabouts, lawyers who claimed to represent Miscavige informed two UK newspapers that Miscavige was not missing and that she "devotes her time to the work of the Church of Scientology."[15]
In 2017 Miscavige re-registered to vote fromPetrolia, California. Scientology also has a base in Petrolia where they house CST documents.
Remini questioned Miscavige's whereabouts during an episode ofLeah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath in December 2018.[16] Remini has pushed for an investigation into the conflicts of interest and relationship between the Church of Scientology and the Hollywood Division of the LAPD.[17][18][19] There continues to be speculation about Miscavige's whereabouts.[20][21][11]: quote
In 2025, her nieceJenna Miscavige Hill stated in an interview that she believes Shelly is alive, working at the Twin Peaks base, and is stuck in a cult.[22]
There have been many parodies of the disappearance, and the question "Where is Shelly?" has become ameme.
TheFox police sitcom television seriesBrooklyn Nine-Nine makes reference to Miscavige's alleged disappearance in its fifth-season episode "NutriBoom". The episode satirizes Scientology as amulti-level marketing company that produces amino acids and amino acid reducers, allegedly to improve their clients' health.[23]Brooklyn Nine-Nine's parody of Miscavige, Debbie Stovelman, is found to be alive and well, having faked her own disappearance to allow her to run NutriBoom and escape the consequences of illegal activities.[23]
In theUnbreakable Kimmy Schmidt episode "Sliding Van Doors", the character Gretchen, who rose up in the ranks of a parody of Scientology named Cosmetology, repeatedly asserts that her husband Shelly is "definitely alive."[24]
InJohn Oliver'sLast Week Tonight Miscavige's whereabouts have become arunning gag. In his 2018 segment on Influencers Oliver mentions, "First: Love to Shelly".[25] In his October 2021 segment on Taiwan, and in the March 19, 2023, segment onTimeshares Oliver said, "Where's Shelly?"[26][27] In his April 2023 segment regardingMickey Mouse's future lapse intopublic domain, an animated Mickey repeatedly asked "Where's Shelly Miscavige?", which Oliver stated would become hiscatchphrase.[28] In an April 2023 web exclusive episode, acostumed Steamboat Willie Mickey mascot would ask the same question.[29] In Oliver's August 18, 2024, episode, he asked, "Where's Shelly, David? Where's Shelly? It's been seventeen years and I'm starting to think that something bad's happened!".[30] In the November 17, 2024, episode, Oliver joked that thefinalMission: Impossible film should end with "Tom Cruise taking off his face mask to reveal Shelly Miscavige"[31] In the main segment of the October 5, 2025, episode, Oliver joked that Scientology has been hiding Miscavige.[32]
At the80th Golden Globe Awards in January 2023, hostJerrod Carmichael joked that sinceTom Cruise had returned his three Golden Globe awards the previous year, those trophies could be exchanged "for the safe return of Shelly Miscavige".[17][11][33]
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But there's a reason that "Where's Shelly" is the number one question we get from the public — and it's the same for Leah Remini.
Tons of people want to know: What happened to her and where is Shelly now?
To the head of Scientology, David Miscavige. First: Love to Shelly.
Hey, guys backstage I found these," Carmichael said. "[It's the] three Golden Globe awards that Tom Cruise returned. I'm just a host briefly, or whatever, but I have a pitch I think. Maybe we take these three things and exchange them for the safe return of Shelly Miscavige.