36 Facts About David Miscavige

David Miscavige is the leader of the Church of Scientology.

David Miscavige is referred to within the Scientology organization as "Captain of the Sea Org".

David Miscavige joined the Sea Org, a management group for the Scientology organization, then later joined the Commodore's Messenger Organization, a group within the Sea Org that carried Hubbard's orders to subordinates.

David Miscavige rose to a leadership position by the early 1980s and was named "Chairman of the Board" of RTC in 1987, the year after Hubbard's death.

David Miscavige has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation due to allegations of criminal activities within the Scientology organization.

David Miscavige is named as a defendant in numerous lawsuits involving his role in the organization.

David Miscavige was born in 1960 in Bristol Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, to the Roman Catholic Polish-Italian family of Ronald and Loretta Miscavige.

David Miscavige's family joined the Church of Scientology in 1971 and eventually moved to the organization's world headquarters in Saint Hill Manor, England.

The family returned to Philadelphia within a few years, where David Miscavige attended Marple Newtown High School.

In 1976, on his sixteenth birthday, Miscavige left high school with his father's permission to move to Clearwater, Florida, and joined the Sea Org, a Scientologist organization established in 1968 by founder L Ron Hubbard.

David Miscavige then joined an elite group of young Scientologists in the Sea Org called the Commodore's Messenger Organization, which Hubbard had established to carry out his personal errands and deliver executive directives to Scientology management, but as they grew into adolescence, their power and influence within the Sea Org increased.

In 1981, David Miscavige was placed in charge of the Watchdog Committee and the All Clear Unit, with the task of handling the various legal claims against Hubbard.

In 1982, David Miscavige set up a new organizational structure to release Hubbard from personal liability and to handle the Scientology founder's personal wealth through a corporate entity outside of the Scientology organization.

David Miscavige established the Religious Technology Center, in charge of licensing Scientology's intellectual property, and Author Services Inc to manage the proceeds.

David Miscavige has held the title of chairman of the board of the RTC since the organization's founding.

In October 1982, David Miscavige required Scientology Missions to enter new trademark usage contracts which established stricter policies on the use of Scientology materials.

When Hubbard died in 1986, David Miscavige announced Hubbard's death to Scientologists at the Hollywood Palladium.

Shortly before Hubbard died, an apparent order from him circulated in the Sea Org that promoted Scientologist Pat Broeker and his wife to the new rank of Loyal Officer, making them the highest-ranking members; David Miscavige asserted this order had been forged.

Since David Miscavige assumed his leadership role in Scientology, there have been numerous accounts of illegal and unethical practices by the Church of Scientology and by David Miscavige himself.

At the meeting with Commissioner Goldberg, David Miscavige offered to cease Scientology's suits against the IRS in exchange for tax exemptions.

One of the largest projects of David Miscavige's career is the Flag Building, originally called the "Super Power Building", which is described as the spiritual headquarters of the Scientology organization.

In 2009, the St Petersburg Times published a series titled "The Truth Rundown", which featured allegations by former high-ranking executives of Scientology that David Miscavige had repeatedly humiliated and physically beaten his staff, and had confined Church of Scientology staff members in degrading conditions in a property owned by the organization known as "The Hole".

Scientology representatives have consistently denied abuse by David Miscavige, insisting that the allegations come from apostates motivated by bitterness or attempting to extract money from the organization.

Scientology executive David Bloomberg said that it was Hawkins who attacked Miscavige.

David Miscavige sent an open letter to the newspaper challenging the integrity of the reporters and labeling their sources as "lying", after the persons in question had been removed from the Scientology organization for what David Miscavige described as "fundamental crimes against the Scientology religion".

David Miscavige is portrayed within Scientology as "a servant of Hubbard's message, not an agent in his own right".

David Miscavige uses Church publications as well as professionally produced videos of gala events, at which he acts as master of ceremonies, to communicate with Scientologists worldwide.

David Miscavige is the subject of ongoing lawsuits involving child abuse, human trafficking, and forced labor.

Scientology launched the Scientology Network, a DIRECTV broadcast and OTT streaming service on March 12,2018, with David Miscavige introducing its inaugural broadcast in a rare on-camera appearance.

David Miscavige filed suit against the Scientology organization and Miscavige in 2019.

The court overseeing the case was told by counsel for the plaintiffs that David Miscavige was evading service in the case over a period of months, with at least fourteen attempts being made to serve the summons.

The evasion included David Miscavige ordering the security team at his house to prevent the summons from being delivered.

The court found the allegations sufficiently credible that it ordered that David Miscavige be served through the office of the Secretary of State of Florida.

David Miscavige is married to fellow Sea Org member Michele Diane "Shelly" David Miscavige, who has not been seen in public since August 2007.

David Miscavige subsequently became an outspoken critic of Scientology and published a book in 2013 about "Uncle Dave" and her experiences in Scientology, titled Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology And My Harrowing Escape.

David Miscavige is a close friend to actor Tom Cruise and served as best man at Cruise's wedding to Katie Holmes.