Singer Joy Villa created a dramatic red carpet moment at the 68th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, using fashion as a powerful medium to voice her departure from the Church of Scientology and her return to Christian faith. The 39-year-old artist wore an ensemble emblazoned with the stark message 'Scientology Kills' across her chest, accompanied by 'Jesus Heals' on her jacket, sparking widespread attention and conversation.
A Visual Declaration of Personal Conviction
Villa explained to Daily Mail that her bold fashion choice represents her deeply held beliefs about the emotional, spiritual, and psychological impact she attributes to Scientology. "The message reflects my personal conviction about the emotional, spiritual, and psychological toll I believe the system has had on many lives," Villa stated, framing her red carpet appearance as more than mere celebrity fashion but as a deliberate statement of principle.
Symbolic Ensemble Design
The singer's eye-catching outfit, created under her Joy Villa Couture label, was meticulously designed as what her camp describes as "a visual expression of her personal journey out of Scientology and back to her Christian faith." The ensemble featured a hot pink faux fur jacket layered over a crystal-beaded blue bodysuit, with each element carrying specific symbolic meaning.
Villa's team elaborated on the symbolism: "The jacket represents warmth, restoration, and the healing she says she experienced after leaving Scientology," while the blue crystal-beaded bodysuit was "designed to reference what she describes as the unusual 'space' elements and cosmology taught within Scientology." Completing the look, her floral hat covered in vibrant blossoms "represents life, hope, and new growth after leaving what she describes as a dark spiritual period in her life."
From Prominent Member to Public Critic
Villa's transformation from what she calls "a good Scientologist" to a vocal critic represents a significant personal and spiritual journey. "I defended it, promoted it, and helped bring others into it," she revealed about her previous involvement. "I genuinely believed I was helping people find truth and healing."
The singer spent fifteen years within the organization, living at the Celebrity Centre in Hollywood and achieving career milestones that Scientology publicly celebrated. "My face was everywhere," Villa recounted. "Posters of me lined Scientology churches. I was used as proof that it 'worked.'"
A Moral Responsibility to Speak Out
Villa's decision to publicly criticize her former faith stems from what she describes as a moral imperative. "Today, I live with the realization that I participated in something that harmed people, including myself," she confessed. "Some have suggested that I should simply leave and move on quietly. I cannot do that."
Emphasizing her current perspective, Villa explained: "For me, this is not about revenge, anger, or bitterness. It is about accountability. It is about faith. It is about doing the most Christian thing I know how to do, which is to tell the truth about an experience I now believe was deeply abusive and to warn others before they walk the same path I did."
The Church's Response
The Church of Scientology offered a contrasting narrative in response to Villa's public statements. In a statement to Daily Mail, the organization described Villa as having arrived at the Church "grappling with profound personal difficulties" and claimed she "was given counseling and community support to rebuild her troubled life."
The Church's statement took a critical tone toward Villa's current position: "She now seeks to exploit those who supported her during her darkest moments in hopes of making a buck. How un-Christian. We urge Ms. Villa to move forward with her life and cease these false claims."
Career Reflections and Spiritual Reckoning
Villa reflected on how her professional achievements became intertwined with her religious affiliation during her Scientology years. "Every achievement was attributed not to God, not to talent, not to perseverance, but to auditing, donations, and loyalty to the organization," she observed. "My success became propaganda. My life became marketing."
The singer, who was raised Christian before joining Scientology, described her return to her original faith as a reclaiming of personal autonomy. "Scientology told me I could keep Jesus," she noted, highlighting what she now views as problematic aspects of her former religious practice.
A Growing List of High-Profile Departures
Villa joins other notable figures who have publicly left Scientology, including actress Leah Remini and director Paul Haggis. Her Grammys appearance represents one of the most visually striking public declarations of departure from the organization in recent years.
In a recent essay titled "Why I Left Scientology" for Evie magazine, Villa wrote candidly about her experience: "From the outside, my life inside Scientology looked like a success story. Inside, it was slowly destroying me. I had given my time, my labor, my voice, my platform, and my influence."
Moving Forward with Renewed Faith
Despite the personal cost of her departure, Villa expressed gratitude for her current spiritual position. "Leaving cost me years I will never get back," she acknowledged. "But it gave me something infinitely more valuable. My soul. My faith. My freedom in Jesus Christ. And I will never go back."
The singer's Grammys fashion statement serves as both personal catharsis and public warning, using the global platform of music's biggest night to share what she describes as a cautionary tale about spiritual exploration and institutional loyalty.
