Michael Peña Is a Scientologist

This news is not unknown — it’s been mentioned publicly a few times — but it’s also not widely known, and it was news to me. Tony Ortega’s Underground Bunker newsletter published images from the annual L. Ron Hubbard Birthday Celebration, which takes place each year in Clearwater, Florida — the spiritual headquarters of the Church of Scientology, known as the Flag Land Base. There were a number of celebrities in attendance, most of whom we know are practicing Scientologists — Elisabeth Moss, John Travolta, Jenna Elfman — but among the attendees this year is Ant-Man star and well-regarded character actor Michael Peña.

Damnit.

It’s not a secret. Peña joined the church’s detox program in 2000 because he felt he was drinking too much. That was his entry point, and he credits Scientology for making him a better reader, which in turn made him a better actor: “because I felt like it helped my understanding of scripts.” He also claimed that “it isn’t religion like a belief; it’s practical things you do,” and said that tabloid reports on Scientology are “misinformed.” That talking point — emphasizing the church’s “practical tools” while dismissing criticisms as uninformed — is straight out of Scientology’s PR playbook.

Buddy.

Just how deeply involved is he in the Church of Scientology? He’s married to Brie Shaffer, who was Danny Masterson’s personal assistant (one of the women Masterson sexually assaulted met him through Shaffer). And, according to journalist Yashar Ali, who covered Masterson’s trial closely and is often cited in news reports about Scientology, Shaffer played a role in covering up Masterson’s rapes. Masterson, a prominent Scientologist himself, was convicted in 2023 and sentenced to 30 years to life in prison.

Moss, for her part, has long dodged questions about her affiliation with the Church, even as she continues to appear front and center at major events like this one. The Handmaid’s Tale star has defended Scientology in vague terms while remaining conspicuously silent about controversies like Masterson’s.

And that’s today’s disappointing celebrity news. There is an image of Peña and Moss at the Hubbard birthday celebration here.