Members of the controversial Church of Scientology reportedly tried to buy Adele’s house in an attempt to extend its presence in Sussex, UK. British comedian Alan Carr recently revealed that Adele brushed off offers to buy her “secret” house in the countryside in an area notable for its UFO sightings.

“Adele has a secret house in East Grinstead and the Scientologists tried to buy it off her,” Alan said on his Life’s A Beach podcast, The Mirror reported on Saturday (September 28).

The RuPaul’s Drag Race UK judge reportedly explained that the Church of Scientology was keen to acquire Adele’s estate to add to its nearby headquarters in the sleepy corner of the West Sussex countryside.

The organization’s headquarters, 18th century Saint Hill Manor, has been in Scientologists’ ownership since 1959, when sci-fi writer L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Church of Scientology, set up home there. 

Members of the controversial Church of Scientology reportedly tried to buy Adele’s house

Image credits: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Image credits: Adele

Saint Hill Manor was Scientology’s worldwide headquarters until 1967. Its new headquarters is now located in Clearwater, Florida, USA, specifically at the Flag Land Base. 

The Florida facility has been the central hub for the Church of Scientology since the late 1970s and serves as a major center for training and spiritual counseling.

Tom Cruise, Scientology’s most famous member, has visited Saint Hill Manor and was even said to have chosen a wing of the mansion as his lockdown sanctuary during the pandemic, according to The Mirror.

This came as an attempt to expand its presence in Sussex, UK

Image credits: Alexey Taktarov

Image credits: Saturday Night Live

The British manor has previously come to the public interest when John Travolta, another notable member of Scientology, hit the headlines in 2011 when he tried – unsuccessfully – to book a table for his entourage at a local branch of KFC in West Sussex.

The area has even attracted attention for reported UFO sightings, as per The Mirror. In 2013, the local paper The Argus reported that three pilots saw “two saucer shaped silver discs” hovering near Saint Hill.

The flying vessels were apparently unconnected to nearby Gatwick Airport, where the three pilots were coming in to land. 

The Church of Scientology was created by sci-fi author L. Ron Hubbard

Image credits: Los Angeles Daily News

Adele and partner Simon Konecki bought an eight-bedroom country manor in East Grinstead, West Sussex, in 2017. The Hello hitmaker is now engaged to sports agent Rich Paul. 

East Grinstead has been described as Britain’s strangest town and the real-life answer to Twin Peaks, the BBC reported in 2021.

A disproportionate number of spiritual organizations have reportedly made their home here; some are ancient and some modern, some orthodox and others unconventional, including Scientology.

Image credits: Boxoffice+

The Church of Scientology is a group of organizations and corporate entities that practice and spread Scientology, a set of beliefs and practices created by sci-fi author L. Ron Hubbard. 

Scientology has often been labeled as a dangerous cult due to its secretive practices, aggressive treatment of critics, and strict control over members. 

Famous allegations against the organization include claims of financial exploitation, psychological manipulation, and forced disconnection, where members are separated from family members who criticize the church.

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