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Tom Cruise Defends Scientology In Rare Interview About Religion

By Gregory Wakeman
Published on: 04:14 PST, Oct 26, 2016

Tom Cruise leapt to the defense of Scientology after being quizzed about a new documentary that attacks the religion.

The 54-year-old actor is currently promoting Jack Reacher 2: Never Back Down in the United Kingdom. This also just so happens to be the home of documentarian Louis Theroux, who has written and stars in My Scientology Movie, which was released at the start of the month in the UK and severely criticizes the Church.

While walking the red carpet of Jack Reacher 2: Never Back Down in London’s West End Tom Cruise, who has followed the teachings of the religion for 30 years, was asked about Scientology by ITV News, via the Standard, and the actor only had kind and positive words to say about it.

“It’s something that has helped me incredibly in my life,” Tom Cruise told ITV. “I’ve been a Scientologist for over 30 years. It’s something, you know, without it, I wouldn’t be where I am. So it’s a beautiful religion. I’m incredibly proud.”

Ever since joining the religion back in 1990, Tom Cruise has been an outspoken advocate for the Church Of Scientology. Cruise was actually introduced to Scientology by his first wife, Mimi Rogers, who has since left the Church.

But, while Tom Cruise’s acting career has gone from strength to strength for over 30 years after he originally became one of the biggest movie stars on the planet, his connection with Scientology has resulted in his reputation being slightly tarnished among some of his fans.

Cruise has become more and more outspoken about the religion, especially since 2004 when he received the Scientology Freedom Medal Of Valor from the religion’s leader, David Miscavige. The award that was created just for Cruise.

Over the years, Cruise has become involved in spats with actress Brooke Shields over the use of the drug Paxil. Cruise believes that it should be outlawed because he doesn’t believe in a chemical imbalance, while he also thinks that psychiatry should be outlawed, too. Meanwhile, Shields insists that it helped her overcome her postpartum depression. In June 2005, during a discussion on this topic, Cruise became embroiled in a heated argument with NBC’s Today’s Matt Lauer, as well.

Meanwhile, there have been various rumors that Tom Cruise’s relationships and marriages have been wrecked because of the influence of Scientology. The 2015 documentary, Going Clear: Scientology And The Prison Of Belief, saw former member Marty Rathbun allege that Tom Cruise suggested to the COS that they wiretap his former wife Nicole Kidman, an allegation that Tom Cruise’s lawyers deny.

Meanwhile, it’s been widely reported that Katie Holmes, Tom Cruise’s ex-wife from his third marriage, decided to separate and ultimately divorce the actor so she could protect their daughter, Suri, from Scientology.

Screenwriter Paul Haggis and actress Leah Remini are just two individuals who have attacked Scientology after leaving the Church. They’ve claimed that Scientologists are told to ostracize anyone that leaves the religion, even if they’re related to them.

A representative for Scientology has strenuously denied these claims, though, previously declaring, “We never comment on individual parishioners’ lives… Scientologists respect the faith of others, associate with and befriend members of every religion.”

“Scientologists do not cut ties with non-Scientologist friends or family members because they have chosen another religion. Given that Scientology is a new religion, Scientologists often have family members and friends who are not Scientologists and who may practice another faith or no faith at all. This causes no conflict for Scientologists.”

Louis Theroux’s My Scientology Movie sees the filmmaker auditioning young actors to play the parts of high-ranking members of the Church, who then recreate controversial scenes that former members have opened up about since leaving.

[Featured Image by Mike Coppola/ Getty Images]

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