Mimi Faust Discusses Her Mother’s Ties to Scientology
When news came out on a recent episode of “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta” that a cast member had seen her family torn apart by the Church of Scientology a number of viewers were left scratching their heads. Scientology, long thought to be the religion of choice by Hollywood’s most elite and most bizarre white actors and actresses, actually affected the life of Mimi Faust, the longtime love interest of producer Stevie J. In an episode where Faust and J tried to settle their differences with a therapist, Faust detailed her past with the church. “When my mother joined Scientology they wanted me to sign a contract with them and I refused,” she said. “I was kicked out at 13 and my mother was so confused with her life in that religion that we lost contact for many years.”
Since the episode aired, a number of people have been scrambling for information on Faust’ past experience with the seemingly secret religion. Most recently, the Village Voice spoke with the reality star and got her to open up on the practice that she says left her nearly homeless. “When my mom joined Scientology, I was still living here in Atlanta,” she told the paper. “[I] think I was 6 or 7 when she was introduced to Scientology. By the time I was 8 or 9, she just went balls to the wall and sold everything we owned. Our house, our car, everything.”
Faust then detailed a time when her mother moved her to scientology’s L.A. headquarters, aka “Big Blue.” She would later be asked to join and sign a billion years contract, a contract literally binding a Scientologist to the church for a billion years even in their after life. “At 13, they told me that I was a freeloader,” said Faust. “I was eating their food and staying in their facility. They told me I either needed to sign a billion-year contract or I had to leave.”… I packed up my little bag and left.”
Faust went on to tell the paper that she was virtually homeless and stayed with friends throughout high school. She later recalled a time when she was finally reunited with her mother after years of keeping her distance. During the meeting, she was pressured once again by several Scientologists to join.”When I was 17, my mother called and said she wanted to see me. We hadn’t seen each other in four years,” said Mimi. “I caught the bus back down to the building. It was great to see her. I got a hug.”… They started saying I needed Scientology to be a better human being. And I thought, ‘Here we go with the bulls—‘ Then they pulled out a contract, and a pen, and they told me to sign it,” she says.”They said over and over, ‘Sign the paper. Sign the paper. Sign the paper.’ They were chanting it. I thought I was in the ‘Twilight Zone,’ ” she said.
Read more of Mimi’s interview here.
