The 28-year-old TV star and ex-boyfriend of Katy Perry who murdered his 81-year-old landlady and dismembered her cat in a drug-fueled frenzy is the son of a high-ranking Scientologist, TMZ reports.
Johnny Lewis, who was found dead following Wednesday’s rampage after also beating two men with a wooden plank and falling off a roof, was active in the fringe church’s drug-abuse program. It didn’t work.
Cops believe he was whacked on meth or PCP when he killed Catherine Chabot Davis in her palatial Los Feliz, California home — near the iconic Hollywood sign — which she rented to many Hollywood stars.
Johnny’s dad Michael Lewis co-wrote a movie about Dianetics with Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.
Johnny was active in Scientology’s Narcanon program, and TMZ found this since-removed photo of Johnny speaking at a 2004 Narcanon event:
Lewis held roles in Sons of Anarchy, The O.C., and many other television shows and movies. But the star had been spiraling, and Wednesday’s insane tragedy came six days after he was released from jail on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon.
Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter tweeted that Lewis had “lost his way.”
not sure if folks know this yet, but johnny lewis (halfsack) died last night. the sad irony of it happening two days a… say.ly/Oqn4g42
— kurt sutter (@sutterink) September 27, 2012
September 27, 2012: not sure if folks know this yet, but johnny lewis (halfsack) died last night. the sad irony of it happening two days after opie’s death is not lost on me. it was a tragic end for an extremely talented guy, who unfortunately had lost his way. i wish i could say that i was shocked by the events last night, but i was not. i am deeply sorry that an innocent life had to be thrown into his destructive path. yes, it’s day or mourning, but it’s also a day of awareness and gratitude. sadly, some of us carry the message by dying.