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Daily Mail
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The eerie truth about 'Scientology city' where Julian McMahon died: It looks like a resort - but I felt watched from the day I arrived. Then, Kirstie Alley sent me a chilling message...
Earlier this week, I wrote a story querying why the actor Julian McMahon had died in the city of Clearwater, Florida - far from his well-documented life in Los Angeles. Clearwater is, after all, famous for one thing: being the global headquarters of the Church of Scientology.
Daily Mail
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Why DID Julian McMahon flee his secret Californian paradise, vanish from public life, only to die at the 'Mecca of Scientology'? Unanswered questions about actor's final years
The mystery surrounding Julian McMahon's death in the United States grows murkier by the day. The Australian actor died aged 56 in Clearwater, Florida, on July 2 of an undisclosed cancer. Last week, the Pinellas County Medical Examiner's office reported the Nip/Tuck star died from lung metastasis as a result of head and neck metastatic cancer. His death was ruled natural, and the office confirmed his remains have since been cremated. Questions remain over just how and why Julian - the son of former Australian prime minister Billy McMahon - ended up in Clearwater. The beachside city, on Florida's west coast, is infamous for being the Mecca of the Church of Scientology. Cremation is favoured by Scientologists, who believe the human body is of no use to followers after death. The church's founder L. Ron Hubbard was cremated. A cache of public documents about Julian's life in the United States since the 1990s reviewed by Daily Mail Australia says little about why he ultimately ended up in Clearwater. Records show he gained his social security identification in New York, but by 1997 he began living in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles. His home, directly beneath the Hollywood Sign, was sold in 2015 for AUD$3.3 million. He also owned a home in Malibu, which he shared with third wife, model Kelly Paniagua, and sold in 2017 for AUD $5.41 million. Our investigation exclusively revealed the couple also owned a stunning ranch in Ventura County, California, pictured here in never-before-seen photos. The hacienda-style home in the farming community of Somis featured 1.8 hectares of Hass avocado trees and 4.4 acres of lemons. The 2700-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bathroom residence was listed for sale by the couple in 2016 before being removed from the market in 2017. It was relisted on July 19, 2023 - curiously, the advertisement suggested it could be purchased fully furnished - and sold October 5, 2023. Since 2023, the McMahons had no further listed residences, save for a business address linked to an accountant specialising in celebrity finances in Encino, California. The couple then seemingly headed to Florida. Julian's daughter Madison - from his previous marriage to American actress Brooke Burns - is listed at an address in Charleston, South Carolina, where it is thought she attended university. However, Madison, 25, teaches yoga classes in Miami. Offering a further clue, of the 20 accounts Julian followed on Instagram, one was Mari's Kitchen Italian Market - a restaurant in Hollywood, Florida, just north of Miami. A spokesperson for the restaurant revealed: 'Yes, he is very missed here. One of our good friends'. They would not confirm if Julian had lived in the area. When Mrs McMahon, 47, revealed her husband had died in Clearwater after 'a valiant effort to overcome cancer', it immediately prompted speculation online as to whether he was a Scientologist. 'I live in Clearwater... close to a house [Scientologist] John Travolta owns, because we're about a mile from the Scientology center in downtown Clearwater,' one local wrote on Instagram. 'I was wondering if Julian McMahon was a Scientologist since [Kelly's statement] said he died in Clearwater, because why else would he live the last few months of his life there? The only celebrities that do are usually Scientologists. Surprised, that's for certain!' Another person posted on Twitter, 'Why was Julian McMahon in Clearwater when he died? Like, that's Scientology city.' Clearwater, which has a population of 116,000, is notorious for being overrun by the Church of Scientology. The religion's global headquarters, Flag, is in the heart of the town, and its followers own most of the commercial real estate. Julian's place of death also sparked a thread on Reddit, where one person dismissed speculation by saying, 'He was an Australian who loved the beach. I don't see him being involved with Scientology.' There is no mention of Julian, former model Kelly, his daughter Madison or ex-wife Brooke Burns on any Scientology databases, nor is Daily Mail Australia suggesting he was a Scientologist. Attempts were made to reach a representative for Julian. So notorious is the town's connection to the religion that former celebrity follower Leah Remini dedicated an entire episode of her docuseries Scientology and the Aftermath to how the church took it over. A Tampa Bay Times investigation revealed the church, its members, and affiliated companies now own 185 properties in the city's downtown enclave. Church figurehead Tom Cruise lives in a penthouse apartment with his son Connor. Famous follower Kirstie Alley, who died in 2022 from colon cancer, owned a waterfront mansion there - which she bought from late Scientologist Lisa Marie Presley in 2000. Devotee John Travolta's wife, Kelly Preston, died after a battle with breast cancer in Clearwater in 2020. Julian's widow Kelly, a California born and raised former model, now describes herself as a 'spiritual concierge', operating a business called Super Spiritual Girl. According to her website, she is a shamanic healer, reiki master, certified meditation instructor and intuitive reader. She has hosted spiritual workshops in Miami. In announcing Julian's shock passing, Kelly said in a statement to Deadline: 'With an open heart, I wish to share with the world that my beloved husband, Julian McMahon, died peacefully...' 'Julian loved life. He loved his family. He loved his friends. He loved his work, and he loved his fans. His deepest wish was to bring joy into as many lives as possible.' The talented actor, who began his career on Home and Away, was best known for his role as Dr Christian Troy on the FX series Nip/Tuck. He then won the hearts of many as he portrayed Cole Turner in Charmed (seasons 3 through 5 from 2000 to 2003), before returning as a guest for season 7 in 2005. Julian later starred as Jess LaCroix on the CBS series FBI: Most Wanted, beginning in 2020 but made a surprise exit in March 2022 after three seasons. On the big screen, he starred as iconic supervillain Dr. Doom in two Marvel movies: Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer (2007). He also appeared alongside Sandra Bullock in 2007 supernatural psychological thriller Premonition. Most recently, he teamed up with Nicolas Cage for the Australian-made film The Surfer. In a statement to Deadline, Nicolas said, 'I spent six weeks working with Julian, and he was the most talented of actors. 'Our scenes together on The Surfer were amongst my favorites I have ever participated in, and Julian is one of my favorite people. He was a kind and intelligent man. My love to his family.' Julian and Kelly had been together for 11 years before marrying in a romantic ceremony in Lake Tahoe, on the border of California and Nevada, in 2014. He was previously married to model and Baywatch actress Brooke Burns - mother to Madison - from 1999 to 2001. Brooke shared a touching old image of Julian and Madison to Instagram, accompanied with the words, 'Rest in peace' and a heart emoji. Julian's first marriage was to Australian actress and pop star Dannii Minogue, after meeting on the Home and Away set in 1991. Their union was doomed, seemingly in part due to Julian's mother - the late Lady Sonia McMahon, a Sydney socialite - not approving of Dannii. 'His family did not like me,' Dannii said. 'There's a certain social pecking order and I was definitely not in that scene. She [Sonia] only spoke to me a couple of times.' Dannii alleged her former mother-in-law 'caused issues' at the couple's 1994 wedding. 'On the actual day of the wedding there was drama,' she said. 'She said she wasn't going to show up, so that's quite stressful. Julian and I were going ahead with the marriage regardless. 'So she did end up coming and was causing a scene. It wasn't the greatest... it was hard. I tried to stay away from it. I just wanted to enjoy the day.'
BBC News
29-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Church of Scientology protest ban set for refusal
Calls from the Church of Scientology for an order to ban protests outside its British headquarters in West Sussex have been recommended for Sussex District Council's cabinet is due to make a decision on Monday about whether to put a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO ) in place on Saint Hill Road and West Hoathly Road in East Church made the request for the PSPO in July 2024, saying protests held outside its premises caused "harassment, disturbance and alarm" to those attending the were held in 2023 and 2024. Both involved ex-Scientologists and took place before the annual International Association of Scientology event. Alexander Barnes-Ross, a former member but now an outspoken critic of Scientology, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the 10-month process had been "lengthy and arduous on both protesters and the local council".He said: "I am grateful for the careful and meticulous detail with which they have examined over 500 pages of evidence and hours of video footage of our protests."Scientology's attempt to ban protesting through a PSPO is just another example of their steadfast commitment to stifling free speech and using legal threats to silence anybody who dares to speak out against them."Scientology became a recognised religion in the UK in Church also said the protests had a "detrimental effect" on the quality of life of people living nearby and posed a risk to public safety.A church spokesperson said: "The purpose of our application for a PSPO is to facilitate our members and guests being able to visit our place of worship without them or their children being impeded, abused, shouted or otherwise religiously discriminated against."The terms of the proposed PSPO allowed for the practice of the right to protest and suggested a location next to our Church premises but one that didn't block the entrance."We will continue to seek remedies to safeguard our parishioners from hate speech and abuse."
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Clearwater grassroots group presents counter-proposal to Church of Scientology buying downtown street
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways The Brief A grassroots group is presenting a counter-proposal to the Church of Scientology's offer to purchase a street in Downtown Clearwater. Council members decided to table the vote to sell a portion of South Garden Avenue to the Church of Scientology. The church plans to close the street off to the public and build an auditorium in addition to a park on the parcel. CLEARWATER, Fla. - A grassroots group is presenting a counter-proposal to the Church of Scientology's offer to purchase a street in Downtown Clearwater. The backstory In April, council members decided to table the vote to sell a portion of South Garden Avenue to the Church of Scientology. Brooks Gibbs, the founder of Reconnect Clearwater, presented a proposal on behalf of citizens after learning about the potential sale just one day prior. RELATED: Clearwater leaders delay vote on selling street to Church of Scientology "It doesn't seem like they want to invite us in. It definitely appears by their actions to push us out," he said. What they're saying Gibbs believes Downtown Clearwater is not the area it used to be. "The parade used to go down Cleveland Street, when Woolworths used to be here, people used to ride their bikes and enjoy it. It was a very vibrant town," he added. "They [The Church of Scientology] have over $1 billion worth of property holdings. They own 75% of the land here in Downtown Clearwater." Follow FOX 13 on YouTube Dig deeper The church plans to close the street off to the public and build an auditorium in addition to a park on the parcel. "The Church of Scientology has a plan to build a park in honor of their founder, L. Ron Hubbard, who most consider a cult leader," Gibbs said. Gibbs said through the "Save The Garden" movement, a park and green space to promote and preserve the city's history will be constructed. "We desire to build a park to our civic leaders that were heroes to us. To remember and memorialize them," he said. "This is the start to a mile-long one-hour, what we call memory lane, and we're using QR code technology as well as augmented reality to tell the story of old Clearwater." PREVIOUS: Clearwater City Council debates selling the Church of Scientology a city-owned street He said within just five weeks, the group has gained traction in donations. "The Church of Scientology is offering $1.375 million for the land. We are offering $1.5 million for the land. The Church of Scientology wants to cut off the street. We want to keep half of the street open so that we can use it," he said. The group said they would either maintain the parcel themselves or create a public-private partnership with the city. "It's really up to the City Council to decide who will they favor: the Church of Scientology or the citizens?" he said. What's next That will be put up to a vote at the next City Council meeting on Thursday, May 15. MORE: Clearwater discusses closing part of downtown street to sell to Church of Scientology In the meantime, the group will hold a rally this Saturday at 10 a.m. "It's a rally for all of our supporters to come down to Nash Keys on 520 Cleveland Street," he said. "There's going to be some singing, there's going to be some prayer and there's going to be a march, an actual march to walk all the way down here to Garden Avenue." The other side FOX 13 reached out to The Church of Scientology for a comment on this push back but did not receive a response. The Source The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Jennifer Kveglis. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
