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Tom Cruise, the Hollywood A-lister, has been a member of the Church of Scientology for nearly 40 years. His association with the controversial religion and its views have hurt his public image for most of his career. However, with a few exceptions, the Top Gun star has refrained from talking about his religious beliefs, helping his career continue with less scrutiny than initially warranted.
In a rare candid moment in 2016, while promoting Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, Tom Cruise spoke about his dedication to the Church of Scientology despite its many controversies. Lucrezia Millarini of ITV News asked Cruise about Louis Theroux's documentary My Scientology Movie, which takes a critical look at his religion. He responded by saying:
"It's something that has helped me incredibly in my life. I've been a Scientologist for over 30 years. It's something that is, you know… without it, I wouldn't be where I am. So, it's a beautiful religion. I'm incredibly proud."
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Tom Cruise defended Scientology in an explosive interview with Matt Lauer
Tom Cruise was introduced to Scientology in 1986 by his then-girlfriend, actress Mimi Rogers. By the 2000s, he was the most popular face of the religion, which counts many Hollywood stars among its members.
On June 24, 2005, Cruise sat down for an interview with The Today Show's Matt Lauer. Things took a turn when Lauer asked him about publicly criticizing Brooke Shields for using anti-depressants. Cruise reportedly flew into a rage and defended his views, calling psychiatry a "pseudo-science."
"And as far as the Brooke Shields thing, look, you got to understand, I really care about Brooke Shields. I think, here's a wonderful and talented woman. And I want to see her do well. And I know that psychiatry is a pseudo-science... But what happens, the anti-depressant, all it does is mask the problem."
Brooke Shields spoke about her struggles with postpartum depression after giving birth to her first daughter, Rowan Francis Henchy, in 2003. The two actors worked together in 1981's Endless Love, Cruise's debut film, but clashed publicly due to their opposing views on the use of anti-depressants in treating postpartum depression. In September 2005, Shields revealed that she received a heartfelt apology from the actor, and the two stars reconciled.
Following the Matt Lauer interview, Tom Cruise refrained from discussing his religious beliefs during film promotions. He told Playboy Magazine in 2012 that he made the decision after much thought:
"What's interesting is, if I don't talk about my religion, if I say I'm not discussing it or different humanitarian things I'm working on, they're like, 'He's avoiding it.' If I do talk about it, it becomes, 'Oh, he's proselytizing.'"
He continued:
"Reviewing the whole thing and how things can be edited and misinterpreted, I decided … when I'm promoting a film, I'm not going to get caught up in anything else, and that includes all my personal things."
With the success of Tom Cruise's latest Mission Impossible movie and his part in the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, refraining from actively talking about Scientology have helped his career regain its footing.
Why is Scientology and Tom Cruise's association with the religion so controversial?
Scientology has come under fire in recent years due to the religious organization being accused of physical, psychological, and s*xual abuse by numerous former members. Documentary films like Louis Theroux's My Scientology Movie and Alex Gibney's Going Clear shed light on these claims. David Miscavige, Scientology's leader, has denied the allegations, saying the former members were expelled after being found guilty of abuse themselves.
Actress Leah Remini, known for The King of Queens sitcom, left Scientology in 2013 and made startling allegations against her former church. She also revealed the close ties between Tom Cruise and Miscavige. In a 2015 interview with ABC News, Remini spoke about Cruise's influence within the church, saying:
"Being critical of Tom Cruise is being critical of Scientology itself."
Scientology also reportedly played a significant role in Tom Cruise's high-profile divorces from Nicole Kidman, Katie Holmes, and even Mimi Rogers. Former Scientologist Mike Rinder claimed in his memoir (A Billion Years: My Escape From a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology) that Miscavige helped orchestrate Cruise's divorce against Mimi so he could pursue Nicole. However, a representative of the church has denied the allegations made by Rinder.
Nicole Kidman met Tom Cruise on the sets of Days of Thunder and married for 11 years prior to their divorce in 2001. They have two adopted children, Isabella and Connor Cruise. In a 2012 interview with Vanity Fair, a high official ex-member of Scientology, Marty Rathbun, claimed Miscavige took care of all the media and legal formalities in the divorce.
"There were allegations and counter-allegations about fidelity, but the central problem was Nicole did not want to deal with Scientology," Rathbun said.
Although Nicole shares a strained relationship with Bella and Connor due to their alleged affiliation with Scientology, she told Australia's WHO Magazine in 2017 that they are free to make their own decisions. She said that no matter their decision is, it was her job to love them.
On the other hand, Katie Holmes, who married Tom Cruise in 2006 and filed for divorce in 2012, was determined to keep custody of their daughter, Suri Cruise. According to Karen De La Carriere, who was once a powerful member of Scientology, Katie "ambushed" Cruise with the divorce that sent shockwaves. Carriere said:
"By filing for sole custody of Suri, she's making it very clear she's not going to let what happened with Nicole Kidman happen to her."
Recent reports have surfaced claiming Tom Cruise has been distancing himself from Scientology after notably being absent from the church's UK headquarters in the last few years. However, no such confirmation is available as of now, and Tom Cruise remains one of the most bankable stars even after 40 years in Hollywood.
His latest role as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One received a positive response from fans and critics. It is considered among the most expensive films ever made and became the tenth-highest-grossing film of 2023.
