Make Page Six a Preferred Source Chuck Lorre claims committed Scientologist Jenna Elfman refused to work with him again after finding out he left the controversial religion.
In his memoir “Sitcom,” the prolific TV creator, 73, writes that when he met Elfman, 55, about starring in “Dharma & Greg,” he let her know he was conversant in Scientology jargon.
“I let her know I was quite familiar with the Bridge to Total Freedom,” he writes, “although I fudged the part about jumping off that f–king space ship years ago.”
The series, which ran from 1997 to 2002, starred Elfman and Thomas Gibson as a married couple who are polar opposites, and Lorre co-created it and served as an executive producer.
After the comedy ended, Lorre was in a career lull and approached Elfman about starring in another show.
“It collapsed after Jenna informed me that since I was a ‘blown Scientologist,’ and therefore considered to be a ‘suppressive person,’ she couldn’t work with me,” he writes. “I found this a little upsetting, and told her to go f–k herself.”
According to Scientology beliefs, a “suppressive person” is someone who actively hinders or impedes the progress of the L.Ron Hubbard-created ‘religion.'”
A spokesperson for Elfman did not respond to Page Six’s request for comment.
Lorre was introduced to Scientology when he was a struggling musician in Columbus, Ohio, through its fundamental communication course and continued to take classes after moving to Los Angeles.
He was soon pressured to join the Sea Org, where he signed an employment contract for one billion years.
Lorre lasted two days on the job, “which means contractually, I owe the Church of Scientology a billion years of labor minus two days.”
Eventually, he and his first wife, Paula, also a Scientologist, became disillusioned with the sect and left.
“We announced this to our Scientology friends and were immediately excommunicated,” he writes.
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Lorre says now he was the “perfect recruit.”
“Broke, hopeless, searching, frightened,” he told the Los Angeles Times in a recent interview. “I was absolutely the perfect recruit. They promised me the tools to succeed. When you’re 21, 22 and you’re scrambling to succeed, that’s very appealing.”
The memoir also includes juicy behind-the-scenes anecdotes on “Two and a Half Men.”
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