For decades, the Church of Scientology has tried to recruit celebrity members.
The group's founder, L. Ron Hubbard, felt that famous people would increase the church's visibility and influence.
But now that visibility has put the church at the center of its biggest crisis ever, Tony Ortega at the Village Voice reports.
Scientology's most recent publicity crisis is the Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes divorce. The media speculated that Katie left because she didn't want her daughter to be involved in the church.
Then, Vanity Fair reported that the church held auditions for Cruise's third wife and allegedly punished one of the candidates by making her scrub toilets with a toothbrush.
There's also the issue of John Travolta, who has been slapped with sexual harassment lawsuits from massage therapists. This led to reporting about the Scientology's alleged problem with homosexuality.
Tom Cruise and John Travolta are just the beginning of the church's scandals. Character actor Jason Beghe and Oscar-winning director Paul Haggis both loudly and publicly left the church and decried its teachings.
And Narconon Arrowhead, the church's drug treatment facility, is under fire because three people died there in a nine-month period. The program was endorsed by Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Kirstie Alley.
Scientology's celebrity members brought the church notoriety. But it also amplifies its scandals.
Read Ortega's full analysis here.