Products are selected by our editors, we may earn commission from links on this page.
An 18-year-old jogged through a Church of Scientology lobby in Hollywood, laughed past a confused staffer, ducked under a raised arm, and was back on the sidewalk in under a minute. He posted the clip. It pulled an estimated 90 million views. Within weeks, copycat runners were flooding Scientology buildings across Los Angeles, New York, and Vancouver, some wearing masks and costumes, some carrying air horns. What started as a prank had become a national incident.
This article was created with the assistance of AI and reviewed by our editorial team for accuracy and clarity.
How “Speedrunning” Became a Real-World Game
Speedrunning is a video game concept where players complete a game as fast as possible, often finding hidden shortcuts along the way. The Scientology version follows the same logic: enter the building, run as deep as possible before security stops you, and film the whole thing. The appeal is obvious. Scientology is famously secretive, and its Hollywood buildings feel like forbidden territory to many. The run is the “let’s play.” The building is the map.
The Creator Who Lit the Match
The trend traces back to March 31, 2026, when TikToker Swhileyy, then 18, collaborated with fellow creator isdurpyy on a run through the Church of Scientology Information Center on Hollywood Boulevard. The clip exploded, with Swhileyy estimating the video pulled roughly 90 million views to his own accounts, and hundreds of millions more when reposts and reaction compilations are counted. Neither creator framed the stunt as activism. Swhileyy later told The Hollywood Reporter he did it simply because he thought it was funny.
From Prank to Chaos
As more creators joined in, some escalated the runs with air horns. Larger groups began arriving in masks and costumes. A video of a “large-scale incident” on a Saturday showed dozens of people rushing into the L. Ron Hubbard Life Exhibition on Hollywood Boulevard, yanking open the front door and surging past a security guard. The crowd included a person dressed as Jesus and another in a hot dog costume. Staff members were knocked down in the chaos. The church said it was reviewing all available legal remedies.
The Church Fights Back
In response, a Church of Scientology building on Hollywood Boulevard removed its external door handles and restricted public access. The church issued a formal statement condemning the trend, calling it “trespassing, harassment, and disruption of religious facilities,” and said it had reported every incident to law enforcement. The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed it was monitoring the situation and conducting extra patrols in the Hollywood area after receiving multiple calls, including four in a single day. Two suspects from the large group incident were sought on suspicion of burglary and felony vandalism.
Spreading Beyond Hollywood
On May 2, a large group of teenagers entered a Scientology building in New York City. According to the New York Post, roughly 50 teens pushed through a side entrance, scattered through the building, and fled. A 30-year-old man was kicked and suffered a minor leg injury, and staff reported interior damage. In Vancouver, between 250 and 300 people gathered outside the local Scientology building on West Hastings Street, with some attempting to kick in the back gate. The trend had left Los Angeles. It was now a continent-wide event.
The Creator Who Started It Wants It to Stop
Swhileyy told The Hollywood Reporter he does not condone what he did, even though he believes he did not break any laws. He said he never encouraged others to replicate the stunt, and draws a sharp line between his original video and the more aggressive copycat runs. He described one group incident: “They broke open the door. They had masks on. They had air horns. I heard they actually pushed a Scientologist to the ground, which is insane to me. That’s assault.” He has been declining collaboration requests and has since removed his original video.
Why Even Critics of Scientology Are Urging People to Stop
Actress Leah Remini, a former Scientologist and outspoken critic of the church, surprised many by arguing the trend could backfire. She wrote on X that if members have been taught for years that the outside world is dangerous and hostile, a group of strangers running through their building would only confirm that belief and push them deeper into the organization. Journalist Yashar Ali echoed the concern, arguing the trend plays directly into Scientology’s own internal messaging about the outside world. The church, they warned, might actually benefit from the chaos.
The Legal Risk Nobody Is Talking About
Vancouver-based criminal lawyer Kyla Lee warned that participants could face civil consequences under trespass laws, as well as criminal charges for interfering with the lawful use of property at a religious site. In Los Angeles, police said some cases were being investigated as potential hate crimes, depending on what a suspect said or did during a run. A former police officer told the Los Angeles Times that participants who physically collided with church staff could face battery charges. What began as a 60-second TikTok carries real legal consequences.
A Viral Trend With No Easy Off Switch
The Scientology speedrunning trend started with one teenager, one hallway, and one minute of footage. It has since drawn police investigations across three cities, prompted a major institution to physically restructure its buildings, and divided critics who agree the church deserves scrutiny but disagree on how to apply it. The creator who sparked it all wants it to stop. The copycats are not listening. When a prank reaches hundreds of millions of views, it stops belonging to anyone, and that is the part nobody planned for.