In Hollywood, perhaps the only thing more foolish than making fun of the Church of Scientology is questioning the private ways of one of its biggest male stars. But that's just what Armistead Maupin did during a recent book reading and signing in London when asked by an audience member whether he felt any anger towards closeted gay Hollywood actors.

'Of course, the Church of Scientology comes in very handy," Maupin is reported to have said as part of his reply according to British gossip website Holy Moly. 'It's the biggest ex-gay movement in America. They catch you when you're young and confused, tell you they'll look after you, even provide you with a wife and child...'

'Then of course you have to do what they call an audit,' he continued, 'where you confess everything you've ever done into a tape recorder, so they've got the tapes. So once you're famous and successful you have to go along with all their nonsense about people falling into volcanoes... Then you play a woman in a movie musical, a part created by a drag queen and written by a gay man...'