Father of Scientology leader blasts son as ‘corrupt ruler’

The father of notorious Scientology leader David Miscavige claimed that John Travolta failed to acknowledge the ‘abusive tactics’ happening in the church.

Ron Miscavige made the shocking remarks about Travolta, a longtime member of the Church of Scientology, in an exclusive interview with The Sun this week. 

While speaking with The Sun, Ron alleged that Travolta turned a blind eye to actions made by Scientology officials, and even appeared indifferent over claims the church retaliated against him after he formally walked away.

‘Staff members can come and go, but as long as I can get my auditing, I can be happy,’ Travolta, 66, said, according to Ron.

He called his son a ‘corrupt ruler’, as well as asserted that David allegedly barred him from seeing his two daughters and grandchildren after he left the church.

Ron also alleged that the Church of Scientology hired private investigators to follow him after he left, but the PIs did not intervene when he appeared to have a heart attack – and were even told to let Ron die. 

According to The Sun, Ron left the Church of Scientology in 2012 and was quickly ostracized.

Ron, 84, tried to stay in contact with his two daughters, Lori and David’s twin sister Denise, but said David banned the reunion. 

‘All I wanted to do when I left was to get on my life, but I had private investigators following me, being paid $10,000 a week to report on all of my doings between eight in the morning and eight at night,’ Ron told the publication.   

Ron claimed that the private investigators tailed him to a grocery store on one instance, and allegedly stayed in their vehicle when he appeared to have a medical emergency. 

‘When I was being followed, I was shopping at a grocery store near my house, it was a summer’s day and I had a pocket t-shirt on,’ Ron told The Sun.

‘I opened the door to put the groceries in, bent over, my cellphone was in the left-chest pocket and I thought it was going to fall out, so I grabbed my cell with my right arm, unbeknownst to me were two private investigators watching in a blacked out van, and one said: “It looks like the target is having a heart attack, I’m going to call in.”

‘He called Greg, the name of his handler, he said he’ll get someone on the phone, a few minutes later a person came on the phone, and said, “Listen, if it’s his time to die, don’t intervene, don’t do anything, let him die.”‘

A lawyer for David wrote in a statement to The Sun that his client denied that claims made regarding private investigators. 

‘Ron’s assertion that he was “harassed by private investigators hired by his son” is fallacious. Mr. Miscavige never hired, had anything to do with the hiring, or communicated with, any private investigator in general, or regarding Ron in particular,’ the statement read.

But in 2015, the Los Angeles Times revealed that a police report stated that the church  hired the PIs to ensure Ron would not disclose information after he exit.  

The report received a large media reaction, and The Sun now reports that the story was leaked to the press by former Scientology member, Lisa Marie Presley. 

After the release of his book ‘Ruthless: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige, and Me,’ Ron told The Sun that Travolta ‘didn’t bat an eyelid.’

‘I was told that John found out about the story of my daughters being disconnected, the meeting with Denise and Lori, the episode of the PIs thinking I was having a heart attack, the whole story,’ Ron told the publication.

‘And at the end of it, John said: ‘Staff members can come and go, but as long as I can get my auditing, I can be happy.’ 

During the interview, Ron also alleged that Presley demanded to meet with David after she discovered he was ostracized.

Presley, 52, the daughter of Elvis Presley, and Ron were longtime friends after they met in 1989.

Ron told The Sun that when Presley asked to met with David, he sent his sisters out to mitigate the situation.

‘So she was at Flag Base doing a Purification Rundown, she wanted to confront David, but instead he sent my two daughters and they were just ranting at her, telling her what a terrible person I was. They’re brainwashed,’ Ron told The Sun.

‘Denise and Lori pounded the desk, Lisa couldn’t believe that she couldn’t speak to David. Michael [Lockwood, her ex-husband] said: “It’s almost like David put on a wig and put on that performance.”

‘I guess Lisa was blinded to it until then.  

‘When David wouldn’t speak to her, she drove away, I felt at that time she was done with it, she couldn’t believe the abusive tactics of the Church. She wouldn’t make anyone do that, she’d never make someone disconnect from their family, David did that. They say they’re all family orientated, that’s all horse s***’

‘Unfortunately, I’m the one who got everyone in, now I’m paying the price.’

Becky Bigelow, Ron’s wife of 30 years, told The Sun that the alleged incident happened on ‘family day.’

‘The irony of that day was that Flag Base was promoting ‘family day’, so that moms and dads can see their children in the Sea Org, so Lisa thought that Denise and Lori should be allowed to see their dad, and this whole thing blows up on that day, which is unreal,’ she told the publication.

Becky added that Denise resembled a ‘mini-David’ and Presley responded to the woman, saying: ‘”Bravo, now that should be an Academy Award’,” because David was having the whole thing filmed.’

‘She was in the Religious Technology office and she said there were cameras set up in the room to film her reaction,’ Ron told The Sun. 

‘David wouldn’t come into the room and see her, he’d sent his two sisters, they put on this show, it was mostly Denise, his twin sister. That’s what p***** Lisa off.’

In a second statement to The Sun, the Church of Scientology called Ron’s allegations ‘pure fiction.’ 

 ‘The allegation that David Miscavige orchestrated a confrontation between his sisters and the individual you name, while ‘secretly videoing the whole episode’ is false and absurd,’ the statement read.

‘The incident never occurred. Further, the insinuation that two grown women, mothers and grandmothers, are incapable of making their own decisions about their families, their lives and the lives of their children is demeaning.’