Singer Joy Villa said that she has left the Church of Scientology, accusing the institution of bleeding her of cash while sponging off her fame – claims the Church steadfastly pushes back on.
The Orange County, California native – best known for her garish red carpet ensembles showing support for President Donald Trump and his MAGA movement – explained her decision to follow in the footsteps of past celebs to leave the church such as actress Leah Remini and director Paul Haggis.
The 39-year-old singer said that she was left drained of ‘nearly two million dollars’ by the church ‘by the time [she] left’ – and that was just the start of things.
‘From the outside, my life inside Scientology looked like a success story,’ Villa said in an essay for the magazine Evie titled Why I Left Scientology. ‘Inside, it was slowly destroying me.
‘I had given my time, my labor, my voice, my platform, and my influence.’
Daily Mail has reached out to the Church of Scientology for further comment on the story.
Singer Joy Villa, 39, said that she has left the Church of Scientology, accusing the institution of bleeding her of cash while sponging off her fame; Villa seen in LA in February 2025
Villa said she ‘had lived at the Celebrity Centre in Hollywood for years, trained at the highest levels, and become one of their most visible success stories as a successful actress and singer.
‘My face was everywhere. Posters of me lined Scientology churches. I was used as proof that it “worked.” And on the outside, it looked like it did.’
Villa said in the essay that she had ‘reached career heights most artists only dream of;’ ‘walked the Grammy Awards red carpet multiple times;’ and ‘had Billboard number-one hits‘ while a member of the church.
‘I appeared on countless national and international news outlets,’ Villa said. ‘I was visible, successful, and influential. And Scientology took credit for all of it.’
Villa noted that she was ‘raised Christian,’ ‘loved Jesus’ and ‘Scientology told me I could keep Him.’
She said of her career, ‘Every achievement was attributed not to God, not to talent, not to perseverance, but to auditing, donations, and loyalty to the organization.
‘My success became propaganda. My life became marketing. What no one saw was the cost. Scientology is not a self-help system. It’s a control system.’
Villa went into detail about Scientology practices such as auditing, and was critical of what she said was its efforts to suppress independent thought or dissent toward leadership.
Villa said she ‘had lived at the Celebrity Centre in Hollywood for years’ during her time as a member of the church
Cruise has been a devout Scientologist since the late 1980s; Cruise seen in May 2025
The outspoken musical artist was critical of the Church of Scientology in an essay; Villa seen in 2019 at The White House
Villa said that after an unpleasant experience working for the church in the UK that left her ‘deeply depressed,’ she decided to was time to part ways, vowing never to return.
Villa wrapped up her parting note from Scientology in saying, ‘Leaving cost me years I will never get back.
‘But it gave me something infinitely more valuable. My soul. My faith. My freedom in Jesus Christ. And I will never go back.’
The Church of Scientology released a statement to Daily Mail in response to Villa’s public exit, telling a different story of Villa’s experience.
‘When Ms. Villa came to the Church, she was grappling with profound personal difficulties,’ the statement read. ‘She was given counseling and community support to rebuild her troubled life.’
The church said the MAGA star’s public exodus from the institution was essentially a step in an elaborate grift she was working.
‘She now seeks to exploit those who supported her during her darkest moments in hopes of making a buck,’ the church said. ‘How un-Christian.
‘We urge Ms. Villa to move forward with her life and cease these false claims.’
