Thomas William Davis (born August 18, 1972)
is an American financial executive. From 2005 to 2011, Davis was head of external affairs and the chief spokesperson of the
Church of Scientology International and Senior Vice President at the Church of Scientology
Celebrity Centre International from the early 1990s.
Between 2011 and 2013, Davis did not make any public appearances in the media.
In June 2013, it was revealed that Davis and his wife had relocated from
Gold Base
Gold Base (also variously known as Gold, Golden Era Productions, Int Base, or Int) is the ''de facto'' international headquarters of the Church of Scientology, located north of San Jacinto, California, United States, about from Los Angeles. The ...
in
Riverside County, California to
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
. He currently resides in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
.
In 2016, he became the General Manager of
Consolidated Press Holdings
James Douglas Packer (born 8 September 1967) is an Australian billionaire businessman and investor. Packer is the son of Kerry Packer , a media mogul, and his wife, Roslyn Packer . He is the grandson of Sir Frank Packer. He inherited contr ...
North America LLC, a private investment vehicle owned by Australian billionaire
James Packer
James Douglas Packer (born 8 September 1967) is an Australian billionaire businessman and investor. Packer is the son of Kerry Packer , a media mogul, and his wife, Roslyn Packer . He is the grandson of Sir Frank Packer. He inherited control ...
, but his employment was terminated in July 2017.
Career in Scientology
Celebrity Centre
Davis previously worked for the
Sea Org
The Sea Organization (also known as the Sea Org) is a Scientology organization, which the Church of Scientology describes as a " fraternal religious order, comprising the religion’s most dedicated members". All Scientology management organizatio ...
as a non-uniformed member.
According to a Church of Scientology
press release
A press release is an official statement delivered to members of the news media for the purpose of providing information, creating an official statement, or making an announcement directed for public release. Press releases are also considere ...
, in 2001 Davis was the
Celebrity Centre's Vice President. He was the chief spokesperson of the
Church of Scientology from 2005 to 2011, a position previously held by
Mike Rinder
Michael John Rinder (; born 10 April 1955) is an Australian-American former senior executive of the Church of Scientology International (CSI) and the Sea Organization based in the United States. From 1982 to 2007, Rinder served on the board of ...
.
On June 13, 2003, Davis went with actor and Scientologist
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Go ...
and
Kurt Weiland, director of external affairs for Scientology's
Office of Special Affairs
The Office of Special Affairs (OSA), formerly the Guardian's Office, is a department of the Church of Scientology International. According to the Church, the OSA is responsible for directing legal affairs, public relations, pursuing investigation ...
and Scientology vice president of communications,
to meet with then-
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
Deputy Secretary of State
The deputy secretary of state of the United States is the principal deputy to the secretary of state. The current deputy secretary of state is Wendy Ruth Sherman, serving since April 2021 under secretary of state Antony Blinken. If the secretary ...
Richard Armitage.
In the half-hour-long private meeting, they raised concerns with Armitage about the treatment of Scientologists in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and other countries.
Davis was a senior-level Scientologist,
spokesman for the
Church of Scientology,
and a member of the
Church of Scientology's
Sea Org
The Sea Organization (also known as the Sea Org) is a Scientology organization, which the Church of Scientology describes as a " fraternal religious order, comprising the religion’s most dedicated members". All Scientology management organizatio ...
anization or "Sea Org".
He is a member of the
International Association of Scientologists
Scientology is a set of beliefs and practices invented by American author L. Ron Hubbard, and an associated movement. It has been variously defined as a cult, a Scientology as a business, business, or a new religious movement. The most recent ...
, and as of 2006 was listed as a Patron in their publication ''Impact Magazine''.
Representative to the media
Davis accompanied ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' writer Janet Reitman along with former head of Scientology's
Office of Special Affairs
The Office of Special Affairs (OSA), formerly the Guardian's Office, is a department of the Church of Scientology International. According to the Church, the OSA is responsible for directing legal affairs, public relations, pursuing investigation ...
Mike Rinder
Michael John Rinder (; born 10 April 1955) is an Australian-American former senior executive of the Church of Scientology International (CSI) and the Sea Organization based in the United States. From 1982 to 2007, Rinder served on the board of ...
on a tour of the
Gold Base
Gold Base (also variously known as Gold, Golden Era Productions, Int Base, or Int) is the ''de facto'' international headquarters of the Church of Scientology, located north of San Jacinto, California, United States, about from Los Angeles. The ...
in
Hemet
Hemet is a city in the San Jacinto Valley in Riverside County, California. It covers a total area of , about half of the valley, which it shares with the neighboring city of San Jacinto. The population was 89,833 at the 2020 census.
The foundi ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
in 2005.
In 2007, Davis gained international attention from events surrounding the making of a
documentary about Scientology entitled "
Scientology and Me
''Scientology and Me'' is a television documentary first broadcast on 14 May 2007 as part of the BBC's ''Panorama'' series. In it, reporter John Sweeney visited the United States to investigate whether the Church of Scientology was becoming mor ...
", screened as an installment of the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
''.
, reported that he met with Davis early on and could not reach agreement with him on whether individuals attacking Scientology should be interviewed for the film, and whether the program should refer to Scientology as a "cult".
As the BBC documentary was filmed, Scientologists made a parallel documentary, a camera crew shadowing Sweeney and chronicling his work.
...