Isaac Hayes Was Forced by Scientology Leaders to Quit ‘South Park,' Says Son
It should first be noted that Hayes quit following the controversy regarding an episode that skewered Scientology entitled 'Trapped in the Closet' (Season 9, Episode 12), in which Stan joins Scientology after recruiters say he is the reincarnation of church founder L. Ron Hubbard. Scientology has long tentacles in the entertainment industry, even more publicly so in 2005 when the episode aired. Famous members like Tom Cruise and John Travolta were sent up in the episode. Years later, during the podcast 'Basic!,' 'South Park' co-creator Matt Stone explained why the writers chose to spoof Scientology.
More from IndieWire
Remembering Ozzy Osbourne, Rock's Prince of Darkness Who Also Created Reality TV as We Know It
Judd Apatow Praises Viral 'Girls' Scene Amid 'Too Much' Buzz: Andrew Rannells Is a 'Remarkable' Actor
'Everyone knew Scientology was so litigious,' Stone said. 'People in Hollywood were scared of Scientology at the time because they would just sue you. I think that got us going. The Tom Cruise episode was really about getting sued. I mean, poking openly litigious people and seeing where the line is and what you can say. They picked a fight with us and we just went with it.'
'South Park' voice actor Hayes, though, was a scientologist in real life. The fallout from 'Trapped in the Closet,' his son says, is indeed the reason he quit 'South Park'…but it was not his dad's choice.
'For over 14 years, people have speculated about why my father left 'South Park.' I'm here to set the record straight. My dad did not quit 'South Park.' Scientology did,' Isaac Hayes III wrote on X. 'After the episode 'Trapped in the Closet' aired in 2005, my father suffered a stroke just a few months later that left him unable to speak or make decisions on his own. He was not in any condition to resign from anything. The truth is, someone else within his Scientology circle made that decision and quit the show for him.'
In a 2016 THR piece, Hayes' son — also known as Ike Dirty — said, 'At the time, everybody around my father was involved in Scientology — his assistants, the core group of people. So someone quit South Park on Isaac Hayes' behalf. We don't know who.'
In his Twitter post, Hayes III said that his father 'loved being the voice of Chef' and that he greatly enjoyed meeting fans. 'The narrative that he quit because he was offended by the satire is not true,' he wrote. 'That was a cover story created by others. My father never got to speak for himself because his health robbed him of that chance. So now I am speaking for him. He did not leave 'South Park' willingly. He was forced out by illness and by people who did not have his best interest at heart. This is for anyone who loved Chef. This is for anyone who admired my father's work. This is the truth about what really happened.'
Best of IndieWire
Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See
'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie
Nicolas Winding Refn's Favorite Films: 37 Movies the Director Wants You to See
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Buzz Feed
3 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
17 Popular Things That Did Not Live Up To The Hype
We recently wrote a post where people shared things that got sooo much hype, but turned out to be a disappointment. In the comments, more readers shared things that seemed promising but weren't actually worth it. Here's what they had to say: "Home automation. There are, like, 10–20 types of interfaces that don't work together or hate each other trying. It's pretty much a rip-off. Maybe children born this year will have better luck with it when they grow up." "In-N-Out Burger. Don't get me wrong — it's a good burger, but man, people go wild over that place! And the fries are kinda disappointing!" "White Castle burgers. I was shocked at how awful they were. A smear of some type of beef with onion mix on a dinner roll. Awful. Just awful." "Designer fragrances. Many brands started reformulating and watering down their perfumes, yet hiked up prices. Why would I keep paying more for a product that performs worse? Bonus points if said brand then releases a more concentrated version of the same perfume just to milk yet more money from customers. It's ridiculous." "The Hollywood Walk of Fame! Don't waste your time — it's dirty, has lots of crime, crowded as flip, and so much more! The first time my husband and I went, we got invited/guilted into talking to someone, and it was Scientology. Um, nope!" "Meal delivery services. We tried it. It just felt like paying the most for the least. I can go to Costco and get staple foods that won't require an hour-long commitment and come with truly horrendous pita bread." "The Big Bang Theory is a popular show I couldn't stand. The joke was always, 'smart people are really dumb, and dumb people are really smart.' It's so cringey." "All the new Marvel and Disney movies. They lost the magic." "The Mona Lisa. We finally got to Paris, and we went on a tour. They took us to the Louvre, and it was not what I had expected. Huge room. Tiny painting behind glass, and hundreds of people trying to see it, all packed in this room. I saw it from across the room and went to sit on a bench. Check, I saw it. Next. The tour guide was appalled." "Relocating to Florida. Overcrowded and overpriced. Salaries suck. For a nurse, it's $12 to $15 less than up north due to market saturation." "Prestigious or high-end handbags. Paying hundreds, even thousands, of dollars for a collection of overpriced handbags is wild. The one I carry all the time costs me $50 bucks. My high-end handbags are all safely resting in their protective cloth storage bags that come with the handbag for free." "Breaking Bad. Everyone went on and on about it. I tried to watch it three times but never passed the first series. It's the most boring and depressing series ever!" "Dubai Chocolate. It's not that good, and the prices people charge are outrageous." "NCIS Origins. The show started OK, but since we know about Gibbs, there are no big surprises here. Then, they put him on a team with LaLa. Their relationship started, and just when things were heating up, BOOM! They kill her off. Yeah, she had to go because we already know about Gibbs's past, but now, there's even less reason to watch. The supporting actors are just not developed enough." "New York City! It's so dirty, loud, and there's trash everywhere. The subway is disgusting, cab drivers always swear, and it's so crowded. I could go on and on! No, thank you!" "Last season of the Umbrella Academy. WTF. It seems like the writers didn't have any ideas left. Horrible and disappointing. Not worth watching. The previous season ended up with the characters being normal or so-called normal humans, and it was fine." And finally... "Swimming pools. Okay, so they are totally awesome and fun, BUT man, they are so much work and so expensive! Daily chemical checks, weekly paying someone to clean it, paying to fix parts for the pool and hot tub, annual cleaning off the tiles, etc. The scariest part is finding out that when you were out of state a few months ago, your neighbor's daughter had friends over daily, drinking and swimming in your yard!!! Scary, man, and expensive if someone got hurt!" Well, they were honest. What other things got a ton of hype but actually turned out disappointing? Tell us in the comments below, or if you prefer to remain anonymous, you can use the form below.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘It' is Back and Derry-er Than Ever: HBO Series Is the Latest in Stephen King Cinematic Universe
The only other author, besides Stephen King, who can lay claim to having more of their work mined for television and film has got to be God. Show of hands of people who saw 'The Life of Chuck' earlier this year and had the 'Oh, right, that was based on a Stephen King story, of course' moment when the credits rolled. King is extremely prolific, and his myriad of tales tap into something specific about the human psyche — and most especially the innocence of childhood. Think of some of the most enduring King adaptations. 'The Shining.' 'Carrie.' 'Stand By Me.' The perspective of youth, in all its awkwardness, terror, and joy, is a persistent throughline. 'It' is the best example of this aspect of his work. The mammoth 1,000+ page 1986 novel has been memorably translated to film twice — once as the two-part Tim Curry 1990 miniseries and again as the Bill Skarsgård two-part film series (2017 and 2019). Generations of children of felt chills at the sight of rain jackets and red balloons because of these films and their source material. More from IndieWire Jay Leno Says Late Night Hosts 'Alienate' Viewers: 'I Don't Think Anybody Wants to Hear a Lecture' George Lucas Makes His First Ever Comic-Con Appearance So to make a full-fledged prequel television series out of the book makes sense. A (second) teaser for 'It: Welcome to Derry' was released July 27, which you can watch below. Warning: it may spoil whatever love you have for 'The Music Man.' What's most interesting about this trailer comes about 57 seconds in, when a bus is shown for 'Shawshank State Prison,' which is of course the setting of the King novella 'Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption and its subsequent acclaimed film adaptation 'The Shawshank Redemption,' long listed as the No. 1 film ever by IMDb users. This puts the series not only in the same universe as the most recent 'It' films, but potentially in the same world as many other King works. The connections between King's own works have been discussed for decades — at least since the 2001 book 'The Stephen King Universe' was published. Pennywise — the titular 'It' clown — and the town of Derry are mentioned in a variety of King stories and screen translations, including 'Castle Rock,' 'The Dark Tower,' Insomnia,' 'Maximum Overdrive,' and 'Gray Matter.' Carrie White — you know, 'Carrie' — is mentioned directly in the 'It' novel. I mean, even the Overlook Hotel from 'The Shining' is mentioned in his book 'Misery.' Then King wrote his own sequel to that, 'Doctor Sleep,' which also became a movie. Before the Marvel Cinematic Universe made it on to our screens, these subtle connections between Maine's favorite author's impressive catalogue was already on full display. So, right out of the gate, to include this nod and place 'Welcome to Derry' right smack nab in the Stephen King pantheon is indeed a 'welcome' move. At Comic-Con on July 27, fans were also treated to a 10-minute preview of the new show (which has not been made available online as of this writing). According to Entertainment Weekly, the scenes — set in 1962 — follow a boy who sneaks into a movie theater, is caught, and then escapes… only to hitch a ride with a mild-mannered family that turns out to be the shape-shifting 'It.' This intro echos that of its source material, which also opens on a young boy's gruesome death at the hands of Pennywise. The eight-episode 'It: Welcome to Derry' premieres on HBO and HBO Max this October. Watch the first teaser trailer, released in May, below. Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie Nicolas Winding Refn's Favorite Films: 37 Movies the Director Wants You to See
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
White House Slams ‘South Park' as 'Desperate' for Attention After Unflattering Depiction of Trump
The White House is slamming the political left in response to Wednesday night's controversial season 27 premiere of South Park, in which the show's cartoon-cut-out depiction of Donald Trump took Satan as a lover and which was capped off with a deepfake of the president featuring a rendering of his exposed penis. The controversy-courting and long-running animated series has delighted in skewering both the political left and the right for decades, along with celebrities, politicians, tech CEOs and anyone else its writers deem worthy of the show's specific brand of satire. Trump, whom creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone avoided directly depicting for years, finally made his South Park debut on Wednesday night. More from The Hollywood Reporter Colbert Teases Trump After Name Reportedly Listed in Epstein Files: "Mystery Man Known Only as Micropenis DJT" 'South Park' Lampoons Trump in Shocking Season 27 Premiere as Creators Ink $1.5 Billion Deal Jeff Daniels Takes Aim at Trump and His Supporters: "I Hope You're Losing Tons of Money" The president was depicted similarly to South Park's portrayal of Saddam Hussein in its 1999 feature-length movie, South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut: ill-tempered, conniving and cruel. The depiction of Trump's fully nude, small penis, which is on full display while he is in bed with Satan, is topped only by a show-capping phony public service announcement in which an AI-rendered Trump walks through the desert, his penis soon exposed and speaking to him. White House Assistant Press Secretary Taylor Rogers reacted to the episode on Thursday, suggesting it represents the hypocrisy of the political left, lobbing insults at the Comedy Central show and touting Trump's delivery on his promises. 'The Left's hypocrisy truly has no end — for years, they have come after South Park for what they labeled as 'offense' [sic] content, but suddenly they are praising the show,' Rogers said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. 'Just like the creators of South Park, the Left has no authentic or original content, which is why their popularity continues to hit record lows. This show hasn't been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention. President Trump has delivered on more promises in just six months than any other president in our country's history — and no fourth-rate show can derail President Trump's hot streak.' Ratings numbers are not yet available for Wednesday night's 27th season premiere, but according to Nielsen's ratings for April 2023, the first month that South Park's 26th season was available on HBO Max, it logged 700 million minutes of viewing time. This made it the most watched adult animated series that month. During the 2016 election, Stone and Parker expressed uncertainty about the best way to add Trump to the show or how to lampoon him amid his chaotic march to the presidency. Instead, they opted at the time to use the show's Mr. Garrison character as a stand-in for the 45th president. The inflammatory South Park episode comes as Paramount is preparing to be sold to Skydance Media, which the Federal Communications Commission must approve. Trump's appointed FCC chair, Brendan Carr, said Thursday that he does not watch South Park but added that Trump is of the opinion that 'a handful of national programmers' should not 'control and dictate to the American what the narrative is, what they can say, what they can think.' Notably, Skydance is run by David Ellison, who is the son of Oracle mogul and Trump ally Larry Ellison. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Studio': 30 Famous Faces Who Play (a Version of) Themselves in the Hollywood-Based Series 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise Solve the daily Crossword
