Golden Globes 2023 host Jerrod Carmichael aims Scientology joke at Tom Cruise

Jerrod Carmichael took aim at Tom Cruise and Scientology during his stint hosting the 2023 Golden Globes.

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Carmichael hosted this year’s Globes and took aim at a number of Hollywood icons and institutions during his time on stage. This included cracking wise about the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Will Smith, and also Tom Cruise (as well as his religion).

The comic, according to MovieMaker, threw a joke out regarding Cruise and his religion 90 minutes into the ceremony last night (January 10). Carmichael said he’d found awards that Cruise “returned” to the HFPA — when the organisation was under fire for a lack of diversity — before joking they could be “exchanged” in order to rescue a prominent Scientologist.

“Hey guys, backstage I found these three Golden Globes that Tom Cruise returned,” Carmichael quipped. “I’m just the 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.”

The Miscavige joke was a reference to the ongoing story regarding the supposed disappearance of the wife of David Miscavige, who is the head of the Church of Scientology.
Miscavige’s wife is believed to have stopped making public appearances about 10 years ago. Since then outspoken former Scientologist Leah Remini filed a missing persons report.

However, it should be noted that the Los Angeles Police Department has since said the report was unfounded. The Scientologists also issued a statement saying Remini’s action was an act of “ill-advised, ludicrous self-promotion”.

Cruise is one of the most high-profile practitioners of the religion, if not the most, in the world. Cruise has rarely spoken about Scientology during the last few years, however, his faith in the religion has been put into the spotlight at various times during his career.

The Church has been the focus of controversy for not just its secretive ways, but also in its methods of recruitment. There have been a number of former Scientologists who have made allegations about the Church and its inner-workings that have shocked the outside world.

Remini, the former The King of Queens star, has made a number of allegations about the church in the press and a documentary. The Church of Scientology has also been accused of helping to cover up allegations of sexual assault by Danny Masterson.

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