Bye Bye Mommy, I’m Off To Scientology School

Well, just when I thought I have had my fill on how despicable Tom Cruise can be, he up and announces his youngest child, Suri (who turns 3 on April 18) will be attending a Scientology school.

Bye bye Suri!

Not just ANY Scientology school mind you, but the school of Will “I am a Christian. I am a student of all religions. And I respect all people and all paths” Smith and wife Jada “The Schoolmaster’s” school of course.

Yes, it’s true, Suri will be attending the New Village Academy School in Calabasas California and learning her ABC’s Scientology style.

More like ARC’s, a Scientology acronym which stands for Affinity, Reality, and Communication, which is the meaning of the lower triangle in the cult’s logo.

By now, most of you know the school, the one that Will and Jada dumped a cool $1 mill of their own money into last year? The private school will offer organic meals, laptops for every student and an environment of learning based on “equity” and “respect” to create “citizens of the world.”

Wow sounds kind of fantastic right?

The school accommodates students pre-k through sixth grade.

Laptops? Hmmm I wonder if the laptops will all be installed with a “net nanny” so if students are allowed to connect to the internet, which is doubtful, their wandering eyes won’t be able to access any criticism against Scientology.

Reported by the Daily Mail UK

Tom and Katie Cruise’s doll-like daughter Suri is to be trained in Scientology after her third birthday this week.

The Cruises are sending their daughter five days a week to the Church of Scientology’s £6,000-a-year New Village Academy in Los Angeles, launched last year by Tom’s friend, fellow actor Will Smith.

It is staffed by trained Scientologists and lists ‘study technology’ as a key curricular focus.

‘The children have a lot of responsibilities from a very young age,’ says a source.

‘The school is particularly strict about nutrition, demanding a low-carb, low-sodium and low-sugar organic diet.

‘Katie is understandably a little anxious about being separated from Suri.’

I’ll bet Katie is a little anxious! How will Suri (or Katie) get along without mom carrying her all over the place? Who will Katie and Tom use in all those photo-ops to distract from them being crazy cult followers? Questions, questions and so few answers.

Sarcasm aside, I was really rallying for Katie and Suri to get out if this dang cult, but now I am losing hope. Suri’s budding critical thinking skills will be stunted thanks to the use of L. Ron Hubbard “tech” at the New Village Academy. Suri will be made a zombie even before she even has a chance of being fully potty-trained. Not right!

Katie’s parents must be slipping away more and more from their child’s life, you just can’t help but feel sorry for them. Not only have they lost their daughter, but now their precious grand-daughter. Hopefully a disconnection is not on the horizon, but as Katie gets more indoctrinated into the cult, it seems inevitable.

While sympathy goes hand in hand for those with loved one’s in entrenched in Scientology, there are nagging questions about their complicity. One has to wonder how Katie’s parents can continually look the other way as disturbing images of their ill-looking daughter pop up all over the web and in magazines. Reports state Katie has been following a dangerous Scientology diet called the ‘purification rundown” which consists of high doses of vitamins and sauna treatments. How could her parents not step in to help? This is a sign that something is really wrong here.

And now, the life-long devout Catholics are going to allow their grandchild to attend a Scientology and say nothing?

No one really knows how much time they are given to visit with Suri. Considering the very rare sightings of Katie with her family, my guess is not too often. In fact, we haven’t seen Katie’s parents since her and Tom’s wedding over two years ago. *sigh*

So back to that Scientology school….

(Read the article)

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Bye Bye Mommy, I’m Off To Scientology School

Well, just when I thought I have had my fill on how despicable Tom Cruise can be, he up and announces his youngest child, Suri (who turns 3 on April 18) will be attending a Scientology school.

Bye bye Suri!

Not just ANY Scientology school mind you, but the school of Will “I am a Christian. I am a student of all religions. And I respect all people and all paths” Smith and wife Jada “The Schoolmaster’s” school of course.

Yes, it’s true, Suri will be attending the New Village Academy School in Calabasas California and learning her ABC’s Scientology style.

More like ARC’s, a Scientology acronym which stands for Affinity, Reality, and Communication, which is the meaning of the lower triangle in the cult’s logo.

By now, most of you know the school, the one that Will and Jada dumped a cool $1 mill of their own money into last year? The private school will offer organic meals, laptops for every student and an environment of learning based on “equity” and “respect” to create “citizens of the world.”

Wow sounds kind of fantastic right?

The school accommodates students pre-k through sixth grade.

Laptops? Hmmm I wonder if the laptops will all be installed with a “net nanny” so if students are allowed to connect to the internet, which is doubtful, their wandering eyes won’t be able to access any criticism against Scientology.

Reported by the Daily Mail UK

Tom and Katie Cruise’s doll-like daughter Suri is to be trained in Scientology after her third birthday this week.

The Cruises are sending their daughter five days a week to the Church of Scientology’s £6,000-a-year New Village Academy in Los Angeles, launched last year by Tom’s friend, fellow actor Will Smith.

It is staffed by trained Scientologists and lists ‘study technology’ as a key curricular focus.

‘The children have a lot of responsibilities from a very young age,’ says a source.

‘The school is particularly strict about nutrition, demanding a low-carb, low-sodium and low-sugar organic diet.

‘Katie is understandably a little anxious about being separated from Suri.’

I’ll bet Katie is a little anxious! How will Suri (or Katie) get along without mom carrying her all over the place? Who will Katie and Tom use in all those photo-ops to distract from them being crazy cult followers? Questions, questions and so few answers.

Sarcasm aside, I was really rallying for Katie and Suri to get out if this dang cult, but now I am losing hope. Suri’s budding critical thinking skills will be stunted thanks to the use of L. Ron Hubbard “tech” at the New Village Academy. Suri will be made a zombie even before she even has a chance of being fully potty-trained. Not right!

Katie’s parents must be slipping away more and more from their child’s life, you just can’t help but feel sorry for them. Not only have they lost their daughter, but now their precious grand-daughter. Hopefully a disconnection is not on the horizon, but as Katie gets more indoctrinated into the cult, it seems inevitable.

While sympathy goes hand in hand for those with loved one’s in entrenched in Scientology, there are nagging questions about their complicity. One has to wonder how Katie’s parents can continually look the other way as disturbing images of their ill-looking daughter pop up all over the web and in magazines. Reports state Katie has been following a dangerous Scientology diet called the ‘purification rundown” which consists of high doses of vitamins and sauna treatments. How could her parents not step in to help? This is a sign that something is really wrong here.

And now, the life-long devout Catholics are going to allow their grandchild to attend a Scientology and say nothing?

No one really knows how much time they are given to visit with Suri. Considering the very rare sightings of Katie with her family, my guess is not too often. In fact, we haven’t seen Katie’s parents since her and Tom’s wedding over two years ago. *sigh*

So back to that Scientology school….

(Read the article)

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I know this is old news, but I just can’t let go of the fact that if Katie Holmes stayed with her Dawson’s Creek sweetheart, perhaps she would still look and act like the Katie we once knew.

Joshua Jackson co-starred with Katie on “Dawson’s Creek.” But the Creek is not the only place they found love. They began dating off screen in 1998. Eventually they split up. Perhaps they were too young.
They were still under contract with the Creek, and still had to act like they were a couple. AWKWARD!

In a previous interview Joshua said: “We never officially fell out of graces but once she got engaged or married, I think her life moved in a different direction.”

Different direction??? Try a complete 360!

Sweet and adorable Katie went from the Creek to being “hand-picked” by Tom Cruise (well really is was a set up, kind of like a audition if you will). Her whirlwind romance with Tom Cruise began with a motorcycle ride and was sealed with a Scientology wedding complete with Scientology cult leader David Miscavige as a stowaway on their honeymoon.

Of course Katie had to drop her Roman Catholic beliefs (much to her family’s dismay), was indoctrinated into the cult of Scientology, was impregnated, had a child by “silent birth”, declared the Beckhams as brothers and sisters, participated in the dangerous Scientology detox diet and must now make mandatory confessions to Tom every week. Oh, and she’s aged 20 years, all in a very short period of time, approximately 4 years according to our records.

But what about pre-Scientology Katie, what would she want?

When Katie was asked about her one-time lover Joshua in an interview with Rolling Stone, Katie gushed:

“I fell in love. I had my first love, and it was something so incredible and indescribable that I will treasure it always. And that I feel so fortunate because he’s now one of my best friends.”

Well, she’s never said that about Tom and I’m not so sure if she ever will.

It was a hopeful sign when Joshua went to an All My Sons rehearsal and brought his ex a big bouquet of flowers. I thought, Wow! She will snap out of it now. Pack up your shoe lifts Tom, you’re outta here! Wishful thinking.

Sources stated Jackson was concerned about Katie, having seen pictures of her looking distressed. According to a report in MSNBC, Joshua thought he should stop by and see his old friend :

“They haven’t spoken in a while and, naturally, he was worried,” an insider revealed. “So he just decided to drop by. It was really sweet, he just turned up unexpectedly with a bunch of flowers and said: ‘Hello stranger.’ Katie was shocked, but so happy to see him. It was a wonderful surprise. She gave him such a big hug.”

“He’s not out to cause trouble.” the insider said. “Josh would love to see Katie as the carefree and relaxed woman he once knew.”

Oh well, sorry Josh, we would all like to see that again.

In this video a reporter tells Joshua he walked right by Katie’s apartment in NY! Oh it was SO close. If he only stopped in. He looked sad too after she told him too. Don’t know exactly when the video is from other than it was New Years as indicated on the video.

Joshua has been in a happy relationship with Diane Kruger, a model turned actress, known for her role in Troy and the National Treasure films.

One has to wonder though, if Katie came knocking, if the Creek days with Josh could ever be rekindled? No offense Diane!

I don’t think Katie ever really “fell” in love with Tom Cruise. Perhaps, rather, she fell in love with the idea of being Mrs.Tom Cruise. Unfortunately for her, it’s turned out to be one of the worst decisions of her life, at least from my perspective.

Being associated with Scientology is difficult enough for a celeb to overcome, but being married to the de facto leader/spokesperson is all the more difficult. Katie had just finished the wildly successful Batman Begins film when she and Tom began their “fauxmance.” From that point on, her career has taken a nosedive and her coveted role in the Batman films was taken over by Maggie Gyllenhaal, apparently at Tom’s insistence. Katie’s only complete one film since, Mad Money, and that was no hit. Her Broadway debut in “My Three Sons” was overshadowed by Scientology protests rather than critical reviews of her performance. And it’s not news to anyone Holmes has been dogged by negative media attention since Tom Cruise first laid eyes on her.

One has to wonder if she regrets her decision to “exchange a walk on part in the war, for a lead role in a cage.”

These days, Katie and Joshua are just a distant romantic memory for the two, but few of us who’ve followed her transformation from the vivacious and spirited beauty next door, to the withdrawn, spark-less dead-eyed Katie of now, can forget what might have been had she chose differently.

The most difficult part in all this is Katie is well aware of the trade-offs she’s made in her decision to live a “fairy-tale” turned nightmare. Katie knows what the media says about her, which is why she and Tom use their youngest (yes they do have older, less “photogenic” children) child Suri to shield and deflect from the obvious. This may also explain why Katie tried on her “old self” in Tokyo a couple weeks back.

Katie and Tom in Tokyo to promote Valkyrie

Katie’s $40,000.00 make over and hair extensions may have given her a temporary “Scientology Sparkle”…but by the next day it was back to “Cult Katie”.

*sigh*

(posted by Glosslip contributor Queen)

Source: D

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With these tough economic times, it’s no wonder the fashion police haven’t been out in full force these days. I doubt they would have let this little number fly under their radar.

Yes of course I am guilty of wearing mismatched clothes around the house with two different color socks, staying in PJ’s all day and one time I wore two totally mismatched shoes to the post office, but my husband is not Tom Cruise (thankfully), I don’t have the dough to shop in haute couture boutiques, and I am not a gazillionaire. Never mind the fact that she is in the Tokyo airport with paparazzi galore for the NOT so popular debut of Valkyrie in Japan.

Just a thought: Will Tom’s role as WWII hero Col. Claus von Stauffenberg seem more convincing with Japanese dubbed in? ‘Cuz the absent German accent he was trying to get away with didn’t fly elsewhere.

Perhaps you think I am being catty, but sorry, the spike heeled beatle boots, the too tight black leggings, the 60’s style flowered dress,the red PLAID shirt and the navy swing style coat all scream crazy cat lady to me. MEOW!

At least Suri (who’s adorable btw) out-shined her Mom, with her red frock, cute white cardigan and little leopard flats, but her Mom’s fashion sense still showed through with Suri’s black tights. Why, Katie, why?

There are probably many reasons why she looks like she fell on a table full of clothes from a garage sale. So I listed five reasons which can be possible explantions for her giant fashion faux pas.

1. She got dressed in the dark

2. The airport lost her baggage, and this is the only outfit that she can get together from the lost and found department.

3. Suri picked out Mom’s outfit that morning and Katie didn’t have the heart to say no

4. Her body thetans couldn’t agree on the same outfit

5. OR Tom dressed her that way, because he knew it was a fashion disaster and he was counting on the PR. After all…he himself looked fine, well, except for his three-inch lifts. (For the record…fine as in ok, not as in, oh baby you look so fine.)

Dear Katie,

I know you can’t help the jam you’re in being married to the poster boy for Scientology, but please consult a stylist or at least buy a new mirror, ’cause yours is way broke girlfriend!

(Posted by Glosslip’s very own Queen)

Source: D

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Tom Cruise, Sci-bot wife Katie and PR dream daughter Suri are soon to hit the road on a “no frills” camping trip. No luxury hotels or resorts for the Cruises. Nope! They are going to rough it. No word yet as to just how “rough” it will be, but I am sure it’s going to be designer tents with futons, San Pelligrino water and gourmet food. Oh and one more TINY thing I forgot to mention…

No camping trip is complete unless you bring along a “church” buddy. That’s right. Tell Father O’Malley to pack up his holy water, and bible and jump in the SUV.

Yes, Tom and Katie are bringing along a “friend” from the cult of Scientology, complete with an entire security team camped down the road, (boy I bet that security is going to really enjoy this gig). Tom got the idea to camp in this rogue fashion when he was inspired by his trip to the Brazilian outdoors in South America last year.

He states “This is what Tom wants for Suri. He doesn’t want her to miss out on the things he and Katie enjoyed as kids, just because she is growing up in the spotlight.”

Huh? He doesn’t want Suri to miss out on a NORMAL childhood? The fact that she is being taught about Xenu, literally never walks anywhere, and has a camera shoved in her face every waking moment is normal enough I guess. I am surprised he hasn’t dressed her up like a monkey and have her perform with an organ grinder for cripes sake. Apparently there’s no room in their tent for his other two kids, or as they call them the Cruise house “the non-Suris.”

Was Katie’s childhood normal? I guess growing up on the “Creek” can be considered normal in comparison to the Scientology Purification rundowns, e-meter auditing, the now confirmed alien stories (thank you Tommy Davis!) and the brainwashing that she lives with now.

Katie also has shared her love for camping by stating, “We love the outdoors. Once when we were camping Tom made his pasta carbonara for me.”

Pasta carbonara? That must be some of the “roughing” they are talking about. Back in the day, when I went camping, it was always hot dogs, Dinty Moore stew and roasted marshmallows. What was I thinking?

I can just see it now. The “three” of them, all cozy around the camp fire singing “John Jacob Xenu Heimer Schmidt” and “99 Body Thetans on the Wall” while eating niacin and oil smores. Then that wacky Tom will put a flashlight under his chin and scare little Suri with tales of how LRH traveled the globe and hiding out in his old spooky trailer from all the SP’s and creepy wogs until he dropped his body for the good of all Scientology. Good times, good times.

Of course, the crack security team will be hiding in the bushes with night goggles waiting to pounce on anything that moves. Like maybe an ALIEN!!

Hey Tom, pass the old e-meter….. it’s my turn next! Ahhh the great outdoors, KOA is in for a BIG surprise!

(Posted by Glosslip contributor “Queen”)

Source: D

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All celebrity gossip is subject to the side-eye, with the exception of anything involving celebrity Scientologists. Pretty much every crazy-ass story you hear about these cult-lovers is true, including Scientology making Katie Holmes’ hair grow five inches overnight. They are magical, you know, like unicorns!

So this week in Katie “Scibot” Holmes news, we have two fairly juicy stories. One has to do with her hair and one has to her keeping a confessional diary for husband Tom Cruise.

Let’s start with the confessionals. The Daily Mail had an article out this weekend about Katie writing down her “marital transgressions” and gives them to hubby Cruise. From the Daily Mail:

Katie Holmes may be coming to the end of her Purification Rundown diet, but it seems she isn’t stopping there with her commitment to Scientology. I can reveal that the 30-year-old actress resolves problems with her husband Tom Cruise by making weekly written confessions, as laid out in the Scientology code.

‘Katie has to confess to something as minor as forgetting to tell him she has met with a friend,’ says a source. ‘If she commits a transgression against the moral code of their marriage, she has to tell Tom in writing, giving full details of the time and place and what happened.’

Katie is currently filming The Extra Man in New York but will return to Los Angeles in May to try for her second child.

Sound weird, crazy, absurd? Well, that pretty much describes Scientology. Sadly, this isn’t out of the ordinary for followers of the strange cult. Part of the entire process of Scientology’s teachings is to dig deep into a person’s life and find their “ruin,” which is just another word for secrets. We all have them. I remember that one time when I was four years old and I swiped a pack of gum from the store when my mom wasn’t looking and like a dumb-dumb, told my mom while we were heading to the care. Well, my mom, who is NOT a Scientologist, made me march back in, return the gum and plead for mercy. I learned my lesson, but in Scientology’s world, you’d have this and much, much worse taped or transcribed and put into your folder for “safe” keeping.

Not unlike Catholic confessions the Scientology confessionals are meant to help you get to the heart of what is troubling you. Sounds like therapy, but unlike traditional therapy, Scientology keeps these secrets on record and will threaten to expose them if you leave or speak poorly of the cult. Yeah, they are that creepy.

So basically poor Katie has to tell Tom every time she keeps something from him, even the most mundane and ridiculous. Sounds like my marriage, except I tell my husband to STFU if he questions me. What? Can’t a wife have secrets?

Now, about that new weave of Katie’s.

Katie and her master Tom were out in Tokyo for the premiere of that movie Valkyrie, and Katie looks different.

Just last week we were seeing pictures of Katie looking like some kind of cult-escapee. Oh wait, she hasn’t escaped, but she still looked like absolute hell. Now, hundreds of reports of her being on a weird Scientology detox program later, and she’s back to the Katie we used to know. The Katie who still had her brain in tact. Color me jaded and NOT surprised.

This is so typical of Scientology’s damage control. They are like politicians scanning the polls, but in this case, the tabloids. They see the tide turning against the new Stepford Katie and her washed out look, and they decide to bring back the “old” Katie. The only problem with that strategy is we know it’s the same Katie but with a weave. Unless they put Katie’s brain and personality back, it’s still the same old brainwashed Katie we’ve come to know and shake our head at. Nice play Scientology, but it’ll take more than a synthetic weave to fool us!

Source: D

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I don’t typically like to pick on little Suri Cruise – a.) she’s cute as a button and b.) it’s not her fault her dad Tom is a crazy cultie and her mom Katie (”Kate” if you know what’s good for you) sold her soul in exchange for wealth and fame. But the above pic of Suri at the Magic Kingdom with Mickey and Minnie is too fraught with meaning to ignore.

Sure, most kids would get excited by a life-sized Mickey and Minnie, but the look in Suri’s eye isn’t excitement, it’s rapturous. It’s as though Suri *KNOWS* magical creatures exist.

Of course, her mom and dad believe this guy is buried underneath the earth’s core somewhere and is waiting to reclaim his throne as Lord of The Universe…or some such nonsense.

Suri, enjoy these innocent days you precious little thing you, it won’t be long until you are forced to confront the crazy head on. Then you too will be sipping the tainted barley water.

Source: D

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This past fall, Tom Cruise was preparing for a press tour to promote his new WWII epic, Valkyrie. It would be a serious understatement to say Cruise has had a bad year. In fact, 2008 began as a disaster for Tom Cruise.

The Downfall
Last January, just as Andrew Morton’s controversial book, Tom Cruise: An Authorized Biography was set to release, a video was leaked to the internet of a private Scientology-propaganda film featuring the star addressing his “congregation” on how Scientologists must save the planet from itself. Cruise, using almost indecipherable-to-outsiders terminology, seemed unhinged and fanatical in the video, which was subsequently pulled from the user-generated video site YouTube. With threats of copyright infringement from the Church of Scientology looming, YouTube yanked the video from their site, but tabloid site Gawker claimed fair-use and has hosted the video on their domain ever since.

With the video controversy reaching a fevered pitch, an internet group calling themselves Anonymous, took exception to the censorship and waged a public war against the Church of Scientology, which including a viral video campaign which eventually spawned global monthly protests against the cult. These protests extended to Cruise (alleged in Morton’s book to be second in command of Scientology) and his wife Katie Holmes. Tom and Katie, who were already popular targets of the tabloid media because of suspicions about the legitimacy of their relationship and how quickly it blossomed, were now being ridiculed daily on celebrity blogs.

It’s significant to note, prior to all of this heightened Scientology/Cruise scrutiny of 2008, recent years weren’t kind to Tom Cruise. The once Hollywood sex symbol departed his second marriage to actress Nicole Kidman, looking like an insensitive jerk. Pregnant with the couple’s second biological child (their first ended in a miscarriage), it was during this difficult period in 2001, only weeks after celebrating their ten-year anniversary, that Cruise informed Kidman he was leaving her. Kidman miscarried three months into her second pregnancy after they separated. This was the beginning of what would be a slow, but steady descent into Tom’s career suicide.

Fast forward to 2004 when Tom fired his longtime and highly competent PR flack Pat Kingsley (who successfully navigated his popularity for 14 years) and replaced her with his sister Lee Anne, also a Scientologist. From that point on, Scientology became a beacon of importance in Cruise’s life. Cruise’s image began to center around his “faith”, with the star insulating himself with Scientology minders. This shift ultimately led to his falling out with Paramount Studios and a quiet war with Hollywood heavyweights like Sumner Redstone (Paramount chief) and director Steven Spielberg. Without rehashing all the intimate and grisly details, Cruise has taken more hits to his image on behalf of Scientology than a bong at a Michael Phelps house party. (groan)

Cruise, Church Rethink Strategy
(Read the article)

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This past fall, Tom Cruise was preparing for a press tour to promote his new WWII epic, Valkyrie. It would be a serious understatement to say Cruise has had a bad year. In fact, 2008 began as a disaster for Tom Cruise.

The Downfall
Last January, just as Andrew Morton’s controversial book, Tom Cruise: An Authorized Biography was set to release, a video was leaked to the internet of a private Scientology-propaganda film featuring the star addressing his “congregation” on how Scientologists must save the planet from itself. Cruise, using almost indecipherable-to-outsiders terminology, seemed unhinged and fanatical in the video, which was subsequently pulled from the user-generated video site YouTube. With threats of copyright infringement from the Church of Scientology looming, YouTube yanked the video from their site, but tabloid site Gawker claimed fair-use and has hosted the video on their domain ever since.

With the video controversy reaching a fevered pitch, an internet group calling themselves Anonymous, took exception to the censorship and waged a public war against the Church of Scientology, which including a viral video campaign which eventually spawned global monthly protests against the cult. These protests extended to Cruise (alleged in Morton’s book to be second in command of Scientology) and his wife Katie Holmes. Tom and Katie, who were already popular targets of the tabloid media because of suspicions about the legitimacy of their relationship and how quickly it blossomed, were now being ridiculed daily on celebrity blogs.

It’s significant to note, prior to all of this heightened Scientology/Cruise scrutiny of 2008, recent years weren’t kind to Tom Cruise. The once Hollywood sex symbol departed his second marriage to actress Nicole Kidman, looking like an insensitive jerk. Pregnant with the couple’s second biological child (their first ended in a miscarriage), it was during this difficult period in 2001, only weeks after celebrating their ten-year anniversary, that Cruise informed Kidman he was leaving her. Kidman miscarried three months into her second pregnancy after they separated. This was the beginning of what would be a slow, but steady descent into Tom’s career suicide.

Fast forward to 2004 when Tom fired his longtime and highly competent PR flack Pat Kingsley (who successfully navigated his popularity for 14 years) and replaced her with his sister Lee Anne, also a Scientologist. From that point on, Scientology became a beacon of importance in Cruise’s life. Cruise’s image began to center around his “faith”, with the star insulating himself with Scientology minders. This shift ultimately led to his falling out with Paramount Studios and a quiet war with Hollywood heavyweights like Sumner Redstone (Paramount chief) and director Steven Spielberg. Without rehashing all the intimate and grisly details, Cruise has taken more hits to his image on behalf of Scientology than a bong at a Michael Phelps house party. (groan)

Cruise, Church Rethink Strategy
(Read the article)

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This past fall, Tom Cruise was preparing for a press tour to promote his new WWII epic, Valkyrie. It would be a serious understatement to say Cruise has had a bad year. In fact, 2008 began as a disaster for Tom Cruise.

The Downfall
Last January, just as Andrew Morton’s controversial book, Tom Cruise: An Authorized Biography was set to release, a video was leaked to the internet of a private Scientology-propaganda film featuring the star addressing his “congregation” on how Scientologists must save the planet from itself. Cruise, using almost indecipherable-to-outsiders terminology, seemed unhinged and fanatical in the video, which was subsequently pulled from the user-generated video site YouTube. With threats of copyright infringement from the Church of Scientology looming, YouTube yanked the video from their site, but tabloid site Gawker claimed fair-use and has hosted the video on their domain ever since.

With the video controversy reaching a fevered pitch, an internet group calling themselves Anonymous, took exception to the censorship and waged a public war against the Church of Scientology, which including a viral video campaign which eventually spawned global monthly protests against the cult. These protests extended to Cruise (alleged in Morton’s book to be second in command of Scientology) and his wife Katie Holmes. Tom and Katie, who were already popular targets of the tabloid media because of suspicions about the legitimacy of their relationship and how quickly it blossomed, were now being ridiculed daily on celebrity blogs.

It’s significant to note, prior to all of this heightened Scientology/Cruise scrutiny of 2008, recent years weren’t kind to Tom Cruise. The once Hollywood sex symbol departed his second marriage to actress Nicole Kidman, looking like an insensitive jerk. Pregnant with the couple’s second biological child (their first ended in a miscarriage), it was during this difficult period in 2001, only weeks after celebrating their ten-year anniversary, that Cruise informed Kidman he was leaving her. Kidman miscarried three months into her second pregnancy after they separated. This was the beginning of what would be a slow, but steady descent into Tom’s career suicide.

Fast forward to 2004 when Tom fired his longtime and highly competent PR flack Pat Kingsley (who successfully navigated his popularity for 14 years) and replaced her with his sister Lee Anne, also a Scientologist. From that point on, Scientology became a beacon of importance in Cruise’s life. Cruise’s image began to center around his “faith”, with the star insulating himself with Scientology minders. This shift ultimately led to his falling out with Paramount Studios and a quiet war with Hollywood heavyweights like Sumner Redstone (Paramount chief) and director Steven Spielberg. Without rehashing all the intimate and grisly details, Cruise has taken more hits to his image on behalf of Scientology than a bong at a Michael Phelps house party. (groan)

Cruise, Church Rethink Strategy
(Read the article)

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