DJ Skrillex Interview With Katie Couric: “Scientology Helped My Dad, Its Controversy Comes from Sensationalization”

By Alison Lesley --
29 Jun 2015 --

Scientology’s controversial reputation comes from it being so sensationalized to sell clicks and magazines, said Skrillex in a recent interview with Katie Couric and Yahoo News.

The best-selling electronic dance music artist praised his father’s dedication to the practice of Scientology, but said that he himself isn’t a Scientologist due to his lack of time.

27-year-old Skrillex, also known as Sonny Moore, has since 2011 become one of the biggest names in the electronic dance music industry with six Grammys, 19 million Facebook fans and an estimated $20 million in income.

Earlier this month, he sat down with Katie Couric and Yahoo News for a four-part interview to talk about a variety of topics: his childhood and how he found out at sixteen that he’s adopted, his career, the recent passing of his mother and his deep relationship with his father.

“The people that are in [Scientology] are people of good will, man. Those are my homeys. Those are people I grew up with.” – Skrillex
— AKIRA THE DON (@akirathedon) June 16, 2014

When Couric asked what Skrillex makes of Scientology having “a “terrible rap,” he said: “It’s easy for a religion like that to get a bad rap because it’s so sensationalized. People want to get clicks and people want to sell magazines.”

Both of his parents were – and his father still is – Scientologists. According to Skrillex, his father is involved in Scientology because he “does it for himself” and “it’s something that helps him,” adding that his father is his best friend and “the strongest person in the world. Skrillex went on to say that Scientology has long helped his family cope with hardship.”

Skrillex himself, hasn’t taken part in Scientology, although he went to an L.A. arts academy based on the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology. He told Couric that this is due to his lack of time. “The main part is that you dedicate so much of your time to it. I’ve always been doing music. I wouldn’t have been able to do what I’m doing now if I spend my time doing that,” he said.

“There’s some (Scientology) fundamentals that were really positive that will always stick with me” Skrillex told Rolling Stone.