Where is Shelly?
The Church of Scientology has endured decades of scandal based on allegations of abuse, mind control and other cult-like tactics. Perhaps no controversy has stoked more suspicions than the sudden disappearance of the church leader's wife. In Where is Shelly?, 60 Minutes Australia travels to the United States to track down Shelly Miscavige and uncover the possible motives behind her 13-year absence from public or private view.
The church is notoriously aggressive in their response to critics or the prying eyes of the press. This wall of secrecy has crumbled significantly in recent years due to the efforts of actress Leah Remini and other high-profile ex-Scientologists and whistle-blowers. Remini and others provide valuable context in the film, and help to further the investigation into Miscavige's whereabouts.
At the center of the mystery lies the church's enigmatic leader David Miscavige. Prophet to some, ruthless and bloodthirsty dictator to others, Miscavige assumed leadership in the church during the early 1980s. During his tenure, he has successfully courted megastar celebrities to the church, raised its profile in the public consciousness, and opened it up for unprecedented scrutiny among the press and law enforcement.
Throughout the course of the film's investigation, we hear harrowing accounts from ex-members of the church. They testify to rampant beatings, and the banishment of members who unwisely disobey or question the leader's strict edicts. Is this the level of punishment that befell the leader's own wife? Is it something far more sinister? Or did Shelly fall off the social map by choice?
"It could be the greatest con that's ever been practiced on the public," confesses an emotional Ron Miscavige, the estranged father and vocal critic of David.
The documentary crew journeys from Los Angeles to Clearwater, Florida looking for new clues and an ultimate resolution to the perverse mystery. Along the way, they explore the monetary value of Scientology's operations, including the benefits they glean from their tax-free status and the structure they've built to ensure continued financial vitality.
In pulse-pounding fashion, Where is Shelly? follows the turns of a real-life mystery that is equal parts surreal, cryptic and depraved.
The guy is clearly responsible for it too. I’d love to see David mscavage in the streets cuz I would not hesitate to knock his ass out
good for you buddy....i wish i could too....what a devil incarnate he is.....
She is dead that’s a fact my friends. She is no longer with us
i think you are right
After all these years and so many people knowing how bad it is there, e.g. missing people, why have the police done nothing about these freaks?
Is it simply just a case of there not being enough evidence for the cops to do anything (which I find hard to believe), do they not give a sh*t, or is it the old story of the "church" having "friends" in positions of power who quash any attempt to look into them?
My heart goes out to her. I am one of the general public who just wants to know if she is okay. I found this documentary to be better than most of the info you can find online, which tends to be tainted by a strong view of Scientology (i.e. it is a cult that is so nasty that its victims deserve whatever they get). Even if she is still a true believer and wants to stay in the church, I wish we had knowledge that she is okay.
Watch the podcast Joe Rogan did with Leah remini, it's great and goes into a lot of detail. There's another podcast Joe did with David miscavages father Ron too
Eh, darwinism at work. No need to watch it. Blasphemously stupid people getting coned by a religion that is the most ridiculous of them all. Survival of the fittest. I honestly don't even look down on the founders. Unless they are openly targeting the senile, which I don't believe is their target audience, then the morons getting deceived by these frauds is on them. It is little different than putting your money in the church basket, whether you'd like to believe so or not.
One of the most blatant examples of the effects of human credulity.