Why is 'Daniel Kaluuya joined a cult' trending online? Heir holiness controversy explained as netizens react

Rumors that actor Daniel Kaluuya has joined a cult have been making their rounds online. It all began when X user @THEHORRORGOTH shared a post on Sunday, July 13, 2025, lamenting the lack of movies featuring Kaluuya.

The actor last appeared in Jordan Peele’s Nope (2022) and voice-acted in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023). In a quote repost, user @notcapnamerica wrote:

"He joined a cult."

movies used to have daniel kaluuya

— chu (@THEHORRORGOTH) July 13, 2025

The repost soon went viral, with over 23 million views and over 194k likes. According to The Tap, the user was referencing speculations from 2022 claiming Kaluuya hired a spiritual life strategist named Heir Holiness as his manager. Rumors suggested the actor fired key members from his team upon her request.

It is worth noting that @notcapnamerica's tweet has since been deleted. However, several netizens discovered the rumors for the first time, taking to the platform to express their surprise. Ergo, the topic began trending.

Some even jokingly suggested that Daniel Kaluuya should take lessons from Tom Cruise (known for his association with Scientology). Calling out the Get Out actor's absence, they noted that Cruise continues to receive film offers.

"daniel kaluuya needs to take lessons from tom cruise on being in a cult and working bc I’m tired of no longer seeing him in things," one commented.

"“daniel kaluuya joined a cult” okay then it must be a sh*tty cult because tom cruise’s cult still had him booked and busy," another added.

---

"An unnamed, unverified source has more credibility than what is actually said and the truth of the situation"—Daniel Kaluuya about the speculations

Rumors of Daniel Kaluuya's association with Heir Holiness began circulating sometime in early 2022. Speculations claimed she was with him on the sets of Nope and had influence over the actor's life, sparking concern among his co-stars. This included making him fire his agency (CAA), publicists, stylists, and other team members.

X user @notcapnamerica previously shared a post about the actor and Heir Holiness in March 2022. He included screenshots of an article by journalist Matthew Belloni of Puck News from February 2022. According to the report, she claimed to be the actor's personal manager in a LinkedIn post that has since been deleted, adding:

"She has also described herself as the "Head Mistress" for "The International Alma Mater, Blessed University."

Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya has fired his entire team and his life is allegedly being run by a “crystals guru” named “Heir Holiness” 😧 pic.twitter.com/mb1201KgFu

— chris evans (@notcapnamerica) March 9, 2022

It is worth noting that no such LinkedIn account or post exists as of this writing.

Per Belloni, Kaluuya's Nope co-stars were concerned about Holiness' influence over the actor. The report claimed Daniel fired his talent agents at CAA, adding that a spokesperson for the company confirmed the same with "The Post." Citing an "industry insider," Puck News noted that she had "taken over his life." The report continued:

"Heir Holiness has marginalized DK's usual team," adding, "I've heard there were multiple blow-ups and the production people (on sets of Nope) were afraid of her."

As the rumors went viral, internet users believed Kaluuya had joined a "cult" and expressed their concerns for the actor.

It is worth noting that both Daniel Kaluuya and Heir Holiness have previously addressed the concerns.

In a March 17, 2022, article, Vulture reported that Holiness called the news "fake" in an Instagram story. At the time, she claimed Kaluuya had "some problems in his business with some people" and thus fired them. She rhetorically questioned:

"What does that have to do with me?"

She noted that she had never met them and didn't know the exact reason their employment was terminated.

According to The Tab, the Holiness has greatly reduced her online presence since then.

During his July 2022 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Kaluuya noted that the speculations "showed (him) that (he) was in a paradigm of fame."

He continued:

"An unnamed, unverified source has more credibility than what is actually said and the truth of the situation. Like, ‘Wow, so a bunch of people decided it’s happening, then it’s happened?’ And it’s like, well, that’s not what’s happened."

He continued to add that a lot of the stories were just "journalists being perplexed about things."

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Kaluuya (@danielkaluuya)

It is worth noting that, despite not appearing in a film, Daniel Kaluuya has kept himself busy. In recent years, the actor has focused his efforts as a writer, director, and producer.

Sometime in late 2019, he started his production company, 59% Productions. Through the company, he produced Adamma Ebo’s Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul in 2022. He also made his writing and co-directing debut with the dystopian thriller The Kitchen (2023/2024). He is currently working on producing a live-action Barney film.

In a March 2025 discussion with Variety, Daniel Kaluuya revealed he had signed with WME, a reputable talent agency, for representation. He also helped establish Centre 59 in partnership with the London-based theatre company, Roundhouse. According to Kaluuya's Instagram, Centre 59 completed a year this June.