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Jessica Feshbach
Born (1975-12-18) December 18, 1975 (age 48)
United States
Other namesJessica Feshbach Rodriguez,
Jessica Rodriguez
Jessica Paolo
Jessica Davis
EducationThe Delphian School
Occupation(s)Scientology official,
Member of Sea Org
Years active1994–present
EmployerDavid Miscavige
Known forScientology spokesperson,
Assistant to Katie Holmes
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2007; div. 2017)​
[1]
Parent(s)Joseph Feshbach, Lucinda Horn Feshbach
RelativesMelissa M Feshbach, Sarah Isabelle Feshbach, Kurt Feshbach

Jessica Feshbach, also known as Jessica Feshbach Rodriguez and Jessica Davis (born December 18, 1975[2]), is an American former official within the Church of Scientology organization. The daughter of a family with a long tradition in Scientology,[3][4] she attended The Delphian School in Yamhill County, Oregon, a Scientology school.[5]

At age 19, Feshbach joined the Church of Scientology's Sea Org,[6] a group described by the organization as occupying "the most essential and trusted positions in the senior churches in the Scientology hierarchy".[7] She was characterized in 2005 by MSNBC as a "Senior Scientologist",[8] and by Fox News Channel as "a high-level Scientologist";[9] in 2006 MSNBC described her as "a high-level Scientology practitioner and member of the church's influential Feshbach family".[3]

Feshbach is most well known for her stint as Tom Cruise's assistant, and for her friendship with Katie Holmes during the couple's engagement.[10][11] In this role she traveled with Holmes during publicity for the actresses's film roles, sat in on interviews, and responded to questions about Holmes from journalists.[9][11][12] Warner Bros. made special accommodations for Feshbach to accompany Holmes during promotion of Batman Begins,[9][13][14] and she attended Holmes' wedding to Cruise in Italy in 2006.[11] Feshbach was later a guest of honor at Scientology's Patron Ball, held at the organization's headquarters in Britain.[11] By 2009, Feshbach had become a high-ranking spokesperson for the Scientology organization.[15]

Early life and family

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Born on December 18, 1975, Feshbach comes from an influential family within Scientology.[3][10] She is a devoted member of the organization,[16] and her family, having given millions of dollars to the organization,[4][11][17] are one of the most significant donors to Scientology.[9] Her mother is Lucinda Horn Feshbach and her father was Joseph Feshbach, an investor in Palo Alto, California; he was profiled in a 1991 article about Scientology in Time magazine.[4] Feshbach has a twin sister, Melissa,[18] and an older brother Kurt. As of 2005, her aunt was the manager of a Florida-based Scientology center.[4][11]

Along with two brothers, Joseph Feshbach worked out of facilities in California and Clearwater, Florida.[19] The Feshbachs are noteworthy for gaining wealth through the process of short selling companies on the stock market.[4][19] The brothers are all devout adherents to Scientology. Some critics question their short-selling methods.[20]

Feshbach attended elementary education at the Delphian School, a private Scientology boarding school.[5] The Delphian School is located in Sheridan, Oregon, and delivers instruction to grades K-12.[5] In 2005, Feshbach began going by the name Rodriguez, her second husband.[9]

Scientology official

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Sea Org

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In 1994, Feshbach joined the Sea Org,[6] a division within the organization.[11][21] 3 News characterized the Sea Org as "Scientology's senior management".[22] In their book Cults and New Religions, Douglas E. Cowan and David G. Bromley wrote, "Described by the Church as 'a fraternal religious order,' members of the Sea Org 'occupy the most essential and trusted positions in the senior churches in the Scientology hierarchy'."[7] The Sea Org has been described as a paramilitary organization and as a private naval force, having operated several vessels in its past and displaying a maritime tradition. Some ex-members and scholars have described the Sea Org as a totalitarian organization marked by intensive surveillance and a lack of freedom. Rolling Stone notes, "Sea Org members staff all of the senior ecclesiastic positions in the church hierarchy".[23][24] As of 2010, there were 5,000 members in the Sea Org.[25] Feshbach told the Associated Press, "When you sign up as a Sea Org member, you're signing up as a member of a religious order. You're a volunteer. You sign a contract that says, 'I'm not going to be paid minimum wage and I know that.'"[6]

As part of her ascent within the church's hierarchy, Feshbach completed multiple paid Scientology courses including "Security Checker Internship," "False Purpose Rundown Auditorship" and "Clear Certainty".[9] In 2005, MSNBC characterized Feshbach as a "Senior Scientologist",[8] and Fox News Channel called her "a high-level Scientologist" within the organization.[9] In 2006, MSNBC described Feshbach as "a high-level Scientology practitioner and member of the church's influential Feshbach family".[3]

Assistant to Cruise and Holmes

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Feshbach soon began working as an assistant to Scientologist actor Tom Cruise.[26] In April 2005, she transferred from her Sea Org duties to serve as a personal "handler" to his then-fiancée, Katie Holmes.[10][11] Soon after beginning her relationship with Cruise, Holmes fired her long-time manager and agent, and Feshbach became her new "best friend".[27][28] Feshbach tutored Holmes in Scientology methodologies,[29] traveled with Holmes[30] when the actress was interviewed during publicity events.[9]

In one cover story for W, journalist Robert Haskell wrote that Feshbach "was described to me as Holmes's 'Scientology chaperone' and it was clear that she would be on hand during our interview despite my protests."[12][31] Holmes simply characterized Feshbach as her best friend,[9] and Feshbach said the same.[14][32] During the interview, however, Feshbach intervened multiple times to answer questions posed to Holmes.[33][34]

Feshbach additionally accompanied Holmes to promote her film Batman Begins.[35][36] Warner Bros., the studio that distributed the film, released a statement to New York Daily News that denied reported friction with Feshbach: "There's no discord between us and Jessica. We, in fact, made Jessica's hotel reservations for her and brought her along on our plane. If she's someone Katie wants to travel with, that's fine. The people who made the tour made every effort to accommodate her. It's a very amicable situation."[13] Later that year, along with Cruise and Holmes, Feshbach was a guest of honor at the Patron Ball, a Scientology event held at Saint Hill Manor, the organization's British headquarters.[11] In 2006, Feshbach attended Holmes' wedding to Cruise in Italy.[11]

Organization spokesperson

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By 2009, Feshbach had become a public spokesperson for Scientology;[15] she continued to serve in this capacity in 2010.[6]

Feshbach and Scientology official Tommy Davis held a meeting on February 27, 2009, in Burbank, California with actor Larry Anderson.[37][38] Anderson, who had previously starred in the Scientology introduction film Orientation, asked Feshbach and Davis to give back money he had donated to the Scientology organization.[37][38] Anderson recorded the 90-minute discussion and it was made public by the St. Petersburg Times.[37][38]

Life After Leaving Sea Org

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In 2009, Feshbach married Scientology executive Tommy Davis in a small private ceremony.[1] The pair divorced in 2018. They have two children.[39]

Feshbach acquired a Texas realtor's license in July 2013 and worked as a realtor in Austin, Texas before moving to California.[40]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Wright, Lawrence (February 14, 2011). "The Apostate: Paul Haggis vs. the Church of Scientology". The New Yorker.
  2. ^ "Jessica Feshbach". California Birth Index. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d Zhao, J.-Y. (February 13, 2006). "A Valentine's ode to TomKat". Today. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  4. ^ a b c d e Friedman, Roger (June 21, 2005). "Katie Holmes' Missing Days". Fox News Channel. Fox News Network, LLC. Archived from the original on October 23, 2007. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  5. ^ a b c Rowlands, Ted (August 11, 2005). "Scientology vs. Psychiatry; Scientology Explored". Anderson Cooper 360. CNN. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  6. ^ a b c d Flaccus, Gillian (Associated Press) (March 29, 2010). "Scientology lawsuits draw attention to work of 'Sea Org'". USA Today. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  7. ^ a b Cowan, Douglas E.; David G. Bromley (2007). Cults and New Religions: A Brief History. Wiley-Blackwell. p. 39. ISBN 978-1-4051-6128-2.
  8. ^ a b Bonné, Jon (August 8, 2005). "When enough is enough". Today. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i Friedman, Roger (July 11, 2005). "DreamWorks Nightmare: Insider Trading?". Fox News Channel. Fox News Network, LLC. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  10. ^ a b c Friedman, Roger (November 20, 2006). "Tom Cruise: Was Wedding the End of His Career?". Fox News Channel. Fox News Network, LLC. Archived from the original on November 4, 2008. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Morton, Andrew (2008). Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography. St. Martin's Press. pp. 268, 273, 276, 279–282, 287, 291–294, 303, 310. ISBN 978-0-312-35986-7.
  12. ^ a b "Katie Holmes: A New Direction - Getting Closer to Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes Is Finding New Friends—and Embracing Scientology". People magazine. 63 (25): 52–53. June 27, 2005.
  13. ^ a b Grove, Lloyd; Hudson Morgan (June 14, 2005). "Is Tom turning Katie into a sect addict?". New York Daily News. Retrieved October 18, 2010. [dead link‍]
  14. ^ a b "Holmes says she and Cruise will always be in honeymoon phase". New Zealand Herald. www.nzherald.co.nz. July 12, 2005. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  15. ^ a b Tobin, Thomas C.; Joe Childs (June 22, 2009). "Death in slow motion: Part 2 of 3 in a special report on the Church of Scientology". St. Petersburg Times. Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on August 22, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  16. ^ Tauber, Michelle (April 24, 2006). "The Private World of Katie Holmes". People magazine. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  17. ^ Friedman, Roger (October 7, 2005). "Katie Holmes Completely Cruise Controlled". Fox News Channel. Fox News Network, LLC. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  18. ^ "Melissa Feshbach". California Birth Index. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  19. ^ a b "He's getting rich betting stocks will drop". Miami Herald. October 1, 1989. p. 1F.
  20. ^ Groves, Martha (October 14, 1990). "Short Road to Success Investing: The Feshbach brothers of Palo Alto have made a fortune betting that stocks will go down. But some critics question their short-selling methods". Business. Los Angeles Times. p. 1.
  21. ^ Ternieden, Hendrik (November 20, 2009). "Debatte in Australien - "Scientology ist eine kriminelle Organisation"". Spiegel Online (in German). www.spiegel.de. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  22. ^ Davies, Melissa (November 26, 2009). "Video - A New Zealander's whistle-blowing about the church has made it all the way to the Australian parliament". 3 News. www.3news.co.nz, TV3. Event occurs at 1:40. Archived from the original on September 2, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2010. Aaron's allegations about his time in the Sea Organization, Scientology's senior management.
  23. ^ Reitman, Janet (February 23, 2006). "Inside Scientology: Unlocking the complex code of America's most mysterious religion". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 30, 2009. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  24. ^ American Society of Magazine Editors (2007). The Best American Magazine Writing 2007. Columbia University Press. p. 339. ISBN 978-0-231-14391-2. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  25. ^ Collerton, Sarah (March 12, 2010). "Scientology insider's nightmare childhood". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  26. ^ "Katie's in Cruise control". Uxbridge Gazette. www.uxbridgegazette.co.uk. June 12, 2005. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  27. ^ Last, Colleen. "Cruise Control: How Tom has changed Katie". MSN Entertainment. uk.MSN.com. Archived from the original on February 17, 2008. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  28. ^ Hoffman, Claire; Kim Christensen (December 18, 2005). "Tom Cruise and Scientology". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  29. ^ Li, Xin; Bing Liu; Philip S. Yu (2006). "Mining Community Structure of Named Entities from Web Pages and Blogs". AAAI Spring Symposia 2006. Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence.
  30. ^ Servitje, Marc (2007). Tom Cruise: Nacido el tres de julio - Un mito en la industria de Hollywood (in Spanish). Ediciones Carena. pp. 115–116.
  31. ^ Haskell, Robert (August 2005). "Holmes Sweet Holmes: She's landed the role of a lifetime—beautiful bride of the world's biggest movie star. What's so weird about that?". W. p. 164.
  32. ^ Fink, Sharon (July 10, 2005). "Sideshow series". St. Petersburg Times. p. 2B.
  33. ^ Harnden, Toby (July 10, 2005). "Scientology minder prompts Katie Holmes through first big interview". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  34. ^ Roloff, Heiko (July 14, 2005). "Im Griff von Scientology?". Hamburger Abendblatt. www.abendblatt.de. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  35. ^ "Katie Holmes's New Friend Raises Eyebrows". People magazine. June 15, 2005. Archived from the original on January 9, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  36. ^ Rush, George (June 23, 2005). "'War' is hell for Cruise press pack". New York Daily News. Retrieved October 18, 2010. [dead link‍]
  37. ^ a b c Childs, Joe; Thomas C. Tobin (January 24, 2010). "I want my money back". St. Petersburg Times. Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on August 19, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  38. ^ a b c Childs, Joe; Thomas C. Tobin (January 24, 2010). "Larry Anderson, star of Scientology's 'Orientation' film, wants his money back". St. Petersburg Times. Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on June 16, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  39. ^ "Bombshell Scientology Divorce: Katie Holmes' Ex-BFF Won't Get Hollywood Inheritance". March 20, 2019.
  40. ^ "Austin gains some prominent Scientologists". Austin American-Statesman. January 27, 2013.

Further reading

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  • Hartwig, Renate (1995). Scientology: das Komplott und die Kumpane (in German). Renate Hartwig. p. 203. ISBN 3-89623-049-2.
  • Nordhausen, Frank; Liane von Billerbeck (2008). Scientology: Wie der Sektenkonzern die Welt erobern will (in German). Links Christoph Verlag. p. 46. ISBN 978-3-86153-470-9.
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