Yes, as of December 2024, Tom Cruise is still a Scientologist.
The history of Tom Cruise's involvement with Scientology is well known. The renowned actor has long been the de facto representative of the controversial faith. Even though there are a number of well-known Scientologists, such as John Travolta and Elizabeth Moss, Cruise remains the most well-known believer. Star first made public his involvement with the Church of Scientology in 1990, and Cruise later confirmed his membership in a 1992 interview with Barbara Walters.
Cruise initially joined the church sometime in the middle of the 1980s, where he also met Mimi Rogers, his first wife. The actress had grown up in the religion after her father joined it, making her a skilled "auditor" for it. After their 1990 divorce, Rogers allegedly left the church. Despite the breakup of the relationship, Cruise's future with the organization was still promising. Early in the new millennium, Cruise stepped up his public advocacy for the official recognition of Scientology both in the US and abroad, particularly in Europe.
Around the same time, he gave the infamous Oprah Winfrey interview, in which he proclaimed his love for his then-girlfriend Katie Holmes and jumped up on the couch. Additionally, Cruise and David Miscavige, the current head of the church, have a long history of friendship. Cruise married Holmes in 2006, and Miscavige was his best man.
Why do people think Tom Cruise is no longer a Scientologist?
Here, the tabloids share some of the blame. There has been a clear pattern in the tabloid coverage of Cruise over the past few years, particularly when it comes to his religion. Numerous claims have been made that Cruise's commitment to his religion is the reason why his relationships are constantly ending, which has made him consider leaving.
Other false tabloid rumors claimed that after all these years, Cruise was finally leaving Scientology to be with his daughter, Suri. The two have reportedly been estranged since Holmes moved to New York City with her daughter after divorcing Cruise in 2012. According to reports, Cruise is forbidden from speaking with Suri because she is no longer a church member, and this goes against his personal religious beliefs.
Cruise still owns a penthouse in Clearwater, Florida, a few blocks from the Scientology headquarters, despite the blather from the tabloids. According to reports, his son, Connor Cruise, also resides in Clearwater. Isabella Jane Cruise, his daughter, reportedly continues to be an active member and resides there with her husband.
Did Tom Cruise promote Scientology in Europe?
Cruise has advocated for Scientology to be granted the status of a religion in Europe in addition to promoting various programs that introduce people to the religion. The Council of Paris revealed in 2005 that Cruise had lobbied both Senate President Jean-Claude Gaudin and French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy. They disallowed any further interactions with him and labelled him a militant spokesperson for Scientology.
He pushed British Prime Minister Tony Blair to declare the Church of Scientology a tax-exempt nonprofit entity in the UK. In the US, he persuaded members of the Bush administration to oppose the non-recognition of Scientology in Germany in 2003, including Vice Presidential Chief of Staff Scooter Libby and Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage.
He met with Rod Paige, the secretary of education, in 2004 to discuss promoting Scientologist teaching strategies as part of “No Child Left Behind.” In order to provide New York City 9/11 rescue workers with detoxification therapy based on L. Ron Hubbard's writings, Cruise co-founded and raised funds for Downtown Medical. Firefighters and medical professionals criticize this.
David Miscavige, the founder of Scientology, created the Scientology Freedom Medal of Valor for such actions and presented it to Cruise in late 2004. Paul Haggis, a former Scientologist, also asserted that Cruise tried to convert James Packer, Victoria and David Beckham, Jada Pinkett, Will Smith, and Steven Spielberg to Scientology.
What is Scientology?
The American author L. Ron Hubbard created the set of principles and practices known as Scientology, along with a related movement. Scientologists are followers of the religion. It has been described as a cult, a company, or a new religious movement, among other things.
Although many practitioners of Scientology operate independently of the Church in what is known as the "Free Zone," the Church of Scientology, a centralized and hierarchical organization with headquarters in Florida, is the primary exponent of the religion. There are believed to be fewer than 40,000 Scientologists in the world.
According to Scientology texts, every person has an eternal inner self called a "Thetan" that lives inside their physical body and has had many previous lives. Scientologists contend that the thetan's lifetime of traumatic experiences has left it with negative "engrams" that have formed in the mind and led to neuroses and other mental issues.
They assert that the practice of auditing—for which most Scientology organizations charge clients—can remove these engrams. An individual becomes "clear" and is then able to advance through additional "Operating Thetan" (OT) levels, each of which carries a fee. In the OT levels, Scientologists are exposed to additional ideas that are not made public, such as a myth about an alien emperor named Xenu, whose mass murders gave rise to the history of humanity.
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