MICHAEL Jackson dabbled with Scientology to “cure” his homosexuality during his marriage to Lisa Marie Presley, a former church member claims.

The King of Pop, who died ten years ago today, was introduced to the controversial religion by Elvis’ daughter only days after the pair married in May 1994.

Jackson’s first wife Lisa Marie Presley is said to have got the singer into ScientologyCredit: Reuters

A source says elders attempted to ‘cure’ his homosexualityCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Church elders were desperate to recruit him – despite the allegations he molested 13-year-old Jordan Chandler and the multimillion dollar settlement months earlier.

According to former staff member Sunny Pereira, the Church’s Celebrity Centre in Los Angeles was put on lockdown as Jacko was grilled by officials about his personal life.

Scientology critic Tony Ortega, who runs the anti-Church blog The Underground Bunker, reveals: “Sunny told me a story that not too long after Lisa Marie and Michael had married, Lisa Marie came to the centre and it was placed on lockdown for three days and the president told everyone that Lisa had brought a guest.

“They all knew it was Michael.

They saw this as a great opportunity after getting Tom Cruise in 1986. This was Scientology’s big play for him

Tony OrtegaScientology Critic

“Sunny explained to me that they could lock down certain floors in a way that a special celebrity could drive into a secret entrance and go straight into these locked down floors, so that no one could see or be even aware of them.

“It was the only time in ten years of Sunny working there that she knew of this being done.

“There’s no question that they saw this as a great opportunity after getting Tom Cruise in 1986, it’d be another great coup for them. This was Scientology’s big play for him.

“But Michael had just got out of the sticky situation of paying a $15million settlement, there was a lot of press.

“It was unusual for Scientology as they wouldn’t want a celebrity with these sort of allegations, but he was such a big celeb and it was worth bending the rules.

‘PERVERSION’ SCALE

“People have always assumed that Michael and Lisa’s was a marriage of convenience – Michael wanted to show that he wasn’t a pervert, but married to a woman, and it was convenient for the Church of Scientology because they got a shot at Michael.

“He would have just got the whole sales pitch, discussing what’s troubling him, and talking about his legal issues.”

Homosexuality is frowned upon in Scientology, the religion founded by L. Ron Hubbard.

In his book Dianetics, which is treated like the bible by believers, he claimed homosexuality is an illness or sexual perversion.

He believed it could be cured and created a Tone Scale with gays being given a score of 1.1, which Hubbard called, “the level of the pervert, the hypocrite, the turncoat”.

Ortega says Scientology could have been trying to beat the homosexuality out of Jacko.

What is Scientology?

Scientology is based on the teachings of American science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard.

According to its official literature: “Scientology is a religion that offers a precise path leading to a complete and certain understanding of one’s true spiritual nature and one’s relationship to self, family, groups, Mankind, all life forms, the material universe, the spiritual universe and the Supreme Being.”

Scientologists basically believe in a form of reincarnation.

The fundamental principles can be broken down into three beliefs.

Man is an immortal spiritual being
His experience extends well beyond a single lifetime
His capabilities are unlimited, even if not presently realised

Traumatic incidents in previous lives can impact on a person’s current life, causing illnesses and impairing their abilities.

But through a process known as “auditing”, Scientology claims to be able to cleanse people of these hidden traumas, returning them to a state of unlimited ability.

He adds: “Scientology does offer a gay cure. It’s one of the things Hubbard set up, he called it his ‘Tone Scale’.

“He rates human emotions on a numbered scale, the lower you are on the scale, the worst shape you’re in.

“One of the purposes of Scientology counselling, called auditing, is to bring you up on that scale.

“Hubbard rated homosexuality as one of the lower parts of the scale. It’s called ‘1.1 covert hostility’ – it basically means all gay people are secretly plotting to harm you.

“By going through Scientology counselling, you can raise your tone level by going from 1.1 to higher up the ladder.

“It’s a gay cure, if you’re no longer 1.1, you’re no longer gay.

“It might have been what Michael was going through, talking to him about his personal life, trying to determine his tone level, trying to convince him to go through this counselling as a way to solve whatever problems he said he had.

“But Michael was raised Jehovah Witness, and after three days working at him at the Celebrity Centre, things didn’t really take.”

Michael Jackson & Lisa Marie Presley on the Colossus Rollercoaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, CaliforniaCredit: Corbis – Getty

Michael Jackson died ten years ago todayCredit: AP:Associated Pres