Arguably best known for bringing half of one of TV's breeziest couples to life, That '70s Show vet Laura Prepon took some time away from acting in the past couple of years to conquer other career challenges, such as writing her third book while also starting up a kitchenware line. (Excellently titled PrepOn Kitchen.) Having released a book about motherhood in 2020, Prepon recently talked about the impact that being a mother has had, and reflected on where she's at now in life, years after leaving the Church of Scientology behind.
Laura Prepon became a Scientologist back in 1999, a year after taking on the role of Donna Pinciotti on That '70s Show, with co-star Danny Masterson also being a highly publicized Church member. Speaking with People, Prepon revealed it's been five years since she bowed out of Scientology, and talked about how she and her husband Ben Foster seek out serenity together, saying:
I'm no longer practicing Scientology. I've always been very open-minded, even since I was a child. I was raised Catholic and Jewish. I've prayed in churches, meditated in temples. I've studied Chinese meridian theory. I haven't practiced Scientology in close to five years and it's no longer part of my life. [Ben and I] meditate daily and I'm really liking it, because it's something that helps me to hear my own voice and it's something we can do together.
Nothing wrong with meditation and introspection, especially for someone like Laura Prepon whose career path is wholly invested in who she is as a person, as a mother, and as an artist. It's pretty hard to attain and maintain that specific kind of personal guidance from anywhere else, be it Scientology, Christianity, astrology, or any other outward following.
Considering Ben Foster has not been part of the Church of Scientology, the past five years have likely given the couple more time together, complete with whatever form of spiritual endeavors they enjoy, as they built up their family. Laura Prepon shares a daughter and a son with Foster, with her oldest having been born in 2017, after Prepon left Scientology behind. She spoke specifically on how being a mother for the past four years has changed her, while also being a constantly changing thing in and of itself. In her words:
If motherhood has taught me anything so far, it's that something can work out for a period of time and then you move on and evolve from that. As a new mom, I was riddled with anxiety that I had never experienced before. My friends who were mothers with older kids said, 'Laura, this is a phase, you'll move on and then it will be something different.' And that has transcended into other parts of my life. We're all evolving. I always see that with my kids. They are changing every day now.
While her thoughts may or may not have been about Scientology itself, the sentiment certainly still applies. I'm sure it's an adjustment to get used to life away from the Church as much as it's an adjustment to get used to working not on TV and film sets on a regular basis. Time is always one's friend in that respect, as is a trip to Eric Foreman's smoke-filled basement, amirite? I'll see myself out.
Check out the PrepOn Kitchen line of products and keep and eye (and your taste buds) out for news on her second in-the-works cookbook.
