Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez the new Scientologist

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February 16, 2007

Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez the new Scientologist

Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, despite denials and protests, are more than ever into Scientology.

Foxnews reports that as recently as December, Lopez and Anthony were taking professional business meetings at Scientology's Celebrity Center in Hollywood.

Anthony is said to have taken the "purification" course, a hopped-up sauna that supposedly "cures" all ills. Lopez may have invested in the IRS-sanctioned religion thanks to infertility issues and difficulties in the couple's marriage.

What's very clear is that Lopez and Anthony's sudden friendship with chief celebrity Scientologist Tom Cruise is no accident. Other than belonging to the expensive pay-as-you-go religion, Cruise and the Lopez-Anthonys would have nothing in common.

Lopez and Anthony entered Scientology with the help of Angelo Pagan, the husband of "King of Queens" actress Leah Remini. Both Pagan and Remini � mostly the former � have taken dozens of pricey courses in L. Ron Hubbard's creation.

Lopez confided in at least one friend that she "would do anything" to help her marriage. Sadly, among the couple's public problems has been infertility. Lopez will be 37 in July and has made no secret of her desire to become a mother. But through three marriages (Anthony, Chris Judd and Ojani Noa) and two long-term public relationships (Sean "Diddy" Combs and Ben Affleck), no pregnancy has occurred.

Additionally, Lopez's high-gear career skidded to a halt a couple of years ago as over-saturation in bad movies accompanied by a series of increasingly poorly received albums did her in.

Scientology is notable for recruiting stars at low points in their careers or personal lives, preying on uncertainty, instability or just plain fear by promising to fix life issues.

A source says that they were invited to meet Lopez and Anthony at the Celebrity Center where they were ensconced in four-star digs. There, Anthony talked excitedly about the "purification" program while Lopez discussed career matters.

"They're in," a source said. "There's no doubt about it."

Lopez's father has been a Scientologist for 20 years, as recently revealed. Lopez's publicist, Leslie Sloane Zelnick, referred to Lopez's comments to Page Six magazine, in which she stated that she would not be converting to Scientology from Catholicism.

Jennifer at the Bordertown after party