A bizarre new TikTok trend is sending thrill-seeking influencers sprinting straight into Church of Scientology buildings across LA — racking up millions of views while blurring the line between prank and trespass.
The viral craze, dubbed the “Scientology run,” challenges users to charge through the front doors of the properties and see how far they can make it before being stopped and kicked out.
One of the most-watched clips — posted by TikTok account swhileyy — has already pulled in more than 35 million views in a single week, showing the creator bolting into a Hollywood location before being intercepted.
Founded in the 1950s by science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard, the religion teaches humans are immortal spiritual beings known as “thetans,” with limitless potential.
A key practice of the religion, “auditing,” uses a device called an “E-meter” to identify spiritual trauma, with followers aiming to reach a state called “clear.”
The church’s presence in Los Angeles runs deep.
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Today, the organization maintains a major footprint in the city, including a prominent Sunset Boulevard headquarters that was expanded in 2010 into an “Ideal Org,” along with its Celebrity Centre catering to entertainers and public figures.
Hollywood has long amplified the church’s visibility, largely due to high-profile members such as actor Tom Cruise and John Travolta, who have both served as its most recognizable public supporters.
Other well-known members of the church have included actresses Elisabeth Moss, Catherine Bell, Jenna Elfman, and Nancy Cartwright, best known as the voice of Bart Simpson on “The Simpsons.”
Estimates of active Scientology members worldwide vary widely, with independent researchers and former staff placing the number between roughly 10,000 and 35,000.
Back on TikTok, however, the attention is focused less on doctrine and more on daring.
Videos show participants sprinting through lobbies, racing down hallways and even using skateboards to push deeper inside the premises — all trying to set what users call the “deepest recorded run.”
Most attempts end quickly, with staff stepping in or security escorting participants out, sometimes through side exits before they can get far.
In one clip, a teen skates toward an entrance only for the doors to shut behind him mid-run.
While online pranks targeting Scientology locations aren’t new, this fast-paced run format has surged in popularity in recent weeks.
So far, though, no one has managed to make it very far inside Scientology HQs — but that hasn’t stopped others from trying to go further next.
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The post TikTok influencer’s daring new stunt is a mad dash through LA’s Scientology HQ appeared first on New York Post.
