David Miscavige’s First And Only Media Interview | Ted Koppel

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You’ve heard the rumors about Scientology.

The controversies. The lawsuits.

Tom Cruise and Travolta.

But how often do you hear from the man at the top?

Here’s the only known on-camera interview with David Miscavige

It was with Ted Koppel on Nightline on Feb 14, 1992

FYI — I currently rank this interview #4 on my list of “Best Scientolgy Documentaries” (I’m up to 14 of them).

Watch the David Miscavige Interview on Nightline

You can watch the Ted Koppel/David Miscavige interview for free on:

Ratings:

  • My Rating: 90/100
  • IMDB Rating: 8.9/10 (the highest rated Nightline episode by far)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: na

Release Date: February 14, 1992 (though they rebroadcast it in 2017)

My Take on the Miscavige/Koppel Interview

You’ve heard the rumors about Scientology. The controversies. The lawsuits. Tom Cruise and Travolta.

But how often do you hear from the man at the top?

It turns out only once.

Here’s the first and last known on-camera interview with David Miscavige.

David Miscavige: Secretive or Bold?

The first time we see Miscavige, he’s sitting down with Nightline host Ted Koppel, who’s doing his best to figure out what makes this guy tick.

It’s a strange sight. Miscavige, with his perfectly slicked-back hair and crisp demeanor, is confident but a little tense.

Koppel starts soft, bringing up Time magazine’s infamous article “The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power,” which compared Scientology’s practices to those of a criminal organization.

Miscavige laughs it off, but you can tell the man is ready to pounce. He shifts in his seat. He’s here to defend Scientology and himself, and he’s not afraid to go hard.

The Interview was Nine Months in the Making

What immediately struck me was the sheer amount of preparation that went into this interview.

According to Koppel, it took nine months of back-and-forth negotiations to get Miscavige to sit down for the first time.

The moment the Time article comes up, Miscavige dives into a prepared narrative about how his church is being persecuted.

He quickly pulls in heavy accusations against Psychiatry and the American Medical Association, framing them as villains in a grand conspiracy against his faith.

You Can’t Make This $hit Up

Speaking of conspiracy theories, here’s where things start to get wild.

Miscavige goes into detail about the government allegedly trying to set up something called “Siberia, USA” in the 1950s—a plot to ship people off to Alaska based on dubious mental health diagnoses.

Miscavige claims Scientology saved the day by exposing this scheme, adding that psychiatry has been out to get them ever since.

It sounds almost too ridiculous to be real, and yet, here he is, sitting on national TV, calmly describing it like it’s common knowledge.

If there is a documentary on this topic, please let me know!

Billion-Year Contracts and Sea Org

Koppel shifts the conversation towards Scientology’s internal operations, especially the Sea Org.

This is where things get really interesting.

Miscavige acknowledges that the Sea Org’s members—dressed in military-style uniforms—are the church’s most dedicated followers.

These people, some as young as teens, sign contracts for a billion years (yes, you read that right).

They live on church property, work 13-hour days, and earn just $30 a week.

Miscavige breezes past this, saying it’s a testament to their devotion.

It’s tough not to wonder: what kind of belief system makes you sign away a billion years of your life for $30?

Power Struggles and Broken Families

The doc doesn’t shy away from bringing up the darker side of Scientology’s operations. Critics—often former members—are everywhere.

There’s Vicki Aznaran, a high-ranking former Scientologist who fell out with Miscavige.

She accused him of running an authoritarian regime within the church, targeting dissenters with surveillance, harassment, and worse.

One detail stuck with me: Aznaran claims Miscavige ordered his henchmen to send people to dissenters’ homes to intimidate them. Slash their tires. Break windows. It’s straight out of a mob movie.

And then there’s Ken Rose.

When Rose’s wife opposed the church, Scientology leaders declared him a “potential trouble source” (PTS) and told him to either get her in line or “disconnect.”

That’s Scientology-speak for divorce. He was pushed to sign away parental rights to his kids or risk them being expelled from their Scientology school.

The doc shows this with chilling footage of Rose’s children sobbing, begging him to sign the paper.

It’s a devastating moment, revealing just how far the church will go to control its members’ personal lives.

What’s in a Personality Test?

Another fascinating angle is the infamous Scientology personality test—an entry point for many members.

You’ve seen the offers for free tests, probably in malls or on college campuses. The church claims it helps people understand their strengths and weaknesses.

But the doc takes us inside this process and shows evaluators using scripted responses. It’s creepy.

The evaluators are trained to say things like, “You’re not living up to your potential, but Dianetics can help.” The hard sell is relentless.

Forest Sawyer, the Nightline reporter, shows us the actual manual the evaluators use.

The church surely are good at marketing and execution.

When you take that first course, you’re likely hooked.

You’re investing thousands for more courses, more counseling, and more auditing.

What’s auditing?

That’s the process where a Scientologist holds onto metal cans connected to an E-meter, a device the church says measures spiritual distress.

Miscavige goes on about how the E-meter helps people “clear” themselves of negative emotions, but Koppel presses him on the price tag—seven grand to move up a level.

Miscavige brushes it off, saying those who truly commit are eventually more successful in life. Really?

You Can’t Make This $hit Up Part 2: Hubbard and Xenu

Now, let’s talk about Xenu. That’s right—the evil intergalactic overlord at the heart of one of Scientology’s most secretive teachings.

Koppel doesn’t mention it explicitly in the interview, but the doc is clear about the core beliefs that people pay tens of thousands to learn.

According to Scientology’s confidential Operating Thetan III (OT III) level, 75 million years ago, Xenu collected billions of people from across the galaxy, brought them to Earth, and blew them up in volcanoes using hydrogen bombs.

Their traumatized souls, known as “body thetans,” now attach themselves to humans and cause all kinds of problems—depression, anxiety, you name it.

And only Scientology has the solution, if you can afford it.

Miscavige deflects all of this, calling it “out of context” and denying that it’s part of current Scientology practice.

What Does the Church Believe?

Koppel tries to get a straight answer from Miscavige about what Scientology actually is.

It’s a hard task. Miscavige dances around the question, offering vague platitudes about self-improvement and spiritual growth.

When pressed, he says Scientology helps people communicate better and handle life’s stresses.

Fine. But what’s really going on behind the scenes?

The doc hints at how much of Scientology is built around secrecy.

There are levels you can’t even begin to understand unless you’re in deep—and by “in deep,” I mean paying tens of thousands of dollars.

The word “religion” gets thrown around a lot, but Koppel and Sawyer both seem skeptical.

Can a church that charges its members thousands of dollars for spiritual counseling and promises personal improvement really be considered a religion?

Or is it more like a business?

Miscavige bristles at this line of questioning, framing Scientology as an American religion—a response to the ills of society, particularly psychiatry.

Conclusion: One for the Books!

This Nightline episode is one for the books.

Mostly because it’s the first time David Miscavige agreed to an interview (and not with a softball interviewer).

He agreed to sit down with Ted Fuck!n Koppel.

And Miscavige didn’t crumble

He comes across as defensive and combative, but he also exudes a certain charisma.

He’s a man who’s convinced that he’s under attack and that Scientology is the solution to the world’s problems. ‘

I gotta say, I’ve seen Koppel school many interviewees. In this case you can argue that Miscavige yielded little ground.

The expectation was that Koppel would land some knock-out questions in this heavyweight bout of an interview.

But if I had to pick a winner. And I include my expectation that Koppel would break the man.

I might pick Miscavige.

I am not a Scientologist.

Thanks for reading!

Rob Kelly, Chief Maniac, Daily Doc

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