The Enduring Mystery of Shelly Miscavige

Mike Rinder has reminded us that today is Shelly Miscavige’s birthday. The story of Shelly’s disappearance has often been told, but it is enough to know that she is married to the Scientology’s Chairman of the Board, David Miscavige.  

Shelly disappeared in 2005 after running afoul of David, perhaps being too presumptuous. She is believed to be held in one of the most secure enclaves of the cult. There has been one confirmed sighting, but apart from that, only silence. She may be in poor health and reportedly is resigned to her fate.

She is said to be assigned to a project to preserve every word of L. Ron Hubbard, virtually forever, but has had no contact with the outside world. Her friend Leah Remini filed a missing persons report on her, hoping to confirm her status and state of mind, but it was to no avail.

It would be a good day for David or his close friend Tom Cruise to answer the question, “Where’s Shelly?” It would even be a better day for Shelly to answer it.

Mike Rinder’s blog post is important to read. She should not be forgotten. Indeed, despite all the press about Tom Cruise’s movies, it is amazing — get hardly surprising— that no one is able to ask him to speak about his old friend.

Of course Shelly’s location is not the only such mystery — the lawyers for plaintiffs suing Scientology have wondered where David can be found as they attempt to properly serve him as a defendant in a number of lawsuits. When they go to California, they are told he must be served in Florida.  In Florida they are told to go to California. He is leading a multi-multi million dollar business but seems to disappear.

It is as if Shelly were captured and abducted by Xenu. Indeed, it would be easier to prove you were abducted by aliens or are a member of the not-so-secret secret space program than it is to properly account for Shelly. We know where Captain Mark Richards is since he is a California state prisoner. But where is Shelly Miscavige? Both are imprisoned, but Scientology has a far deeper hole than California’s.