The latest Scientology Speedrun trend is drawing a response from the law enforcement. It seems the police detained several young people running into the Scientology building two days ago on April 26, 2026. As of now neither LAPD nor Scientology has rleased a stement regarding the trend, but it seems that the law enforcement is acting to apprehend the youngsters running into the building.
For the uninitiated, the Wikipedia entry for the trend, titled “Church of Scientology run” describes the trend like this:
“The Church of Scientology run, simply known as Scientology run or Scientology speedrun, is a 2026 TikTok trend where people run and attempt to perform what is colloquially known as a “speedrun” through Church of Scientology facilities.”
Scientology Speedrun: The TikTok trend explained
The Scientology Speedrun trend began on March 31, 2026, as a TikToker named “Swhileyy” ran through the Hollywood, LA headquarters of the Church of Scientology’s lobby. Now, a month later, the creator told the The Hollywood Reporter last week that he doesn’t condone anyone else following his lead:
“I do not condone what I did, even though I didn’t break any laws. All I did was explore the building. I was never asked not to come back to the premises.”
The LAPD charged the creators engaged in the Scientology Speedrun with property damage and tresspassing. The trend has people divided as YouTuber Film The Police LA posted this on the X (formerly Twitter) regarding the arrests made by the LAPD:
“Scientology said they tried breaking into the Recruiting building but they didn’t even walk on that side of the street. After they were detained, Scientology said they looked like kids that raided the building yesterday. They weren’t.”
Meanwhile Gizmodo described the trend as “dumb”. In an article titled “The Guy Who Started the ‘Scientology Run’ TikTok Trend Says It’s Time to Stop”, the portal said:
“Swhileyy has reportedly not been contacted either by Scientology nor by the police, though the Los Angeles Police Department has launched an investigation into the trend, according to KTLA. But from the way the burgeoning influencer talked about the stunt throughout the interview, you’d be forgiven for wondering if he got a call from Tom Cruise telling him to call off the copycats. Really, this whole situation seems like it can just be chalked up to some kid doing something dumb, and it got out of hand. It’s hard to suggest that Swhileyy should be held responsible for the trend hoppers on his coattails.”
However, it was vocal Scientology critic Leah Remini (former Scientologist herself), that has a lot of response. She criticized the trend, stating that the trend was handing over a weapon to the church which has had its share of controversies even before the trend:
“I wanted to weigh in on this recent trend of people running into Scientology buildings, causing chaos, and posting the videos on social media. Whether these people are doing it for social media clout or to genuinely expose the abuses of Scientology, what they are doing is unhelpful, and by engaging in these actions, they are unwittingly helping Scientology. I want as many people as possible talking about the dangers and criminality of Scientology.”
What do you think of this new TikTok trend? Let us know.
Read More:
How did Scientology Speedrun spread? Latest viral TikTok trend, explained in detail
Edited by Ravikumar N