Jason Beghe Tells Me to Shut the Hell Up About Anderson Cooper's Scientology Special
Just had a great conversation with Jason Beghe, the actor who famously defected from Scientology two years ago.
Beghe, right, and Marty Rathbun, a man who should figure prominently in Cooper's special.
He understands the point I made yesterday -- that it irks me when Anderson Cooper announces that he's holding one hand behind his back as he goes into a boxing match with Scientology. Cooper said that while his special series looks at allegations of violence by Scientology's supreme leader, David Miscavige, he wouldn't be looking at the beliefs of Scientologists themselves.
I called that a big, fat mistake, and in the comments to the post, I added that it would be like doing a story revealing that John Gotti beat up his lieutenants, without mentioning that they were part of something called a mafia that extorted people.
Well, Beghe admitted that I had a point, but he also told me to shut the hell up.
Any story on a mainstream outlet like CNN which brings light to the nefarious nature of Scientology is a good thing, he says.
"It's like the health care bill. It doesn't really go far enough, but at least it's something. And it's important to get it out there."
Beghe went on to say that he's surprised the show is appearing at all. "I thought the thing was dead," he says. "It was ready a year ago, and had been held up all that time by attorneys on both sides."
Well, it's good to hear CNN's legal team finally grew a pair.
OK, Jason, we'll just shut up now and watch next week's special series, which begins airing on Monday.
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