Laura Prepon is 'no longer practicing' Scientology

Laura Prepon credit:Bang Showbiz
Laura Prepon credit:Bang Showbiz

Laura Prepon is “no longer practicing” Scientology.

The ‘Orange Is the New Black’ alum was raised by a Jewish father and a Catholic mother, and as an adult she opted to follow the controversial Church of Scientology.

But Laura has now revealed she hasn’t practiced the movement in “close to five years” and says the church is “no longer part” of her life.

Speaking to People magazine, she said: "I'm no longer practicing Scientology. I've always been very open-minded, even since I was a child.

"I was raised Catholic and Jewish. I've prayed in churches, meditated in temples. I've studied Chinese meridian theory. I haven't practiced Scientology in close to five years and it's no longer part of my life."

The ‘That ‘70s Show’ star and her husband Ben Foster – who has never practiced the religion – now put their energy into meditation to help keep them centred rather than any particular religion.

She added: "We meditate daily and I'm really liking it because it's something that helps me to hear my own voice and it's something we can do together."

Laura’s decision to walk away from Scientology comes as the controversial practice has been denounced by several high-profile people who formerly practiced it, including Leah Remini.

The 50-year-old actress abandoned the controversial church in 2013 after 30 years, and recently claimed the group was hiding the “truth” from the world.

She explained: "For too long, this multi-billion-dollar organisation bullied victims and journalists to prevent the truth being told. It is my hope that we shed light on information that makes the world aware of what is really going on and encourages others to speak up. Even though I had been a member of the church for a long time, I was stunned by some of the things I learned. There is a lot more to this story than anyone knows. And this series is breaking ground in bringing that information to light."

And it was Nicole Kidman that inspired Leah to leave the Church of Scientology.

She said: "Nicole Kidman was an inspiration to me at the time I left the church. Knowing that she went on to have a successful and happy life, both personally and professionally, helped to give me confidence. She left and she was okay. Knowing that helped to give me confidence and comfort."