When MSNBC.com's Scoop gossip column ran an item on Monday claiming Will Smith was a Scientologist, Sony Pictures flipped its wig and demanded the story be taken offline immediately. You see, Sony is the film studio behind July's Hancock, starring Smith, and it would be very bad for business if their blockbuster star suddenly was in the press because of his newfound cult instead of his new superhero flick.

But MSNBC's got balls: They refused to take the story offline. That forced Sony's hands, which meant Smith quickly issued a denial statement. He remains a Christian, he claims, and just because he's friends with Tom Cruise doesn't make him a Thetan freak.