They reportedly have armed men following Katie Holmes 24 hours a day and are said to have poisoned Nicole Kidman’s adopted children against her — so what is the real story behind the Church of Scientology?
Tom Cruise has been in more blockbusters than any other star, but for the past 20 years, his career has been overshadowed by one thing: Scientology.
The 50-year-old star was introduced to the bizarre religion by his first wife Mimi Rogers in the late 1980s and quickly became obsessed with it.
Tom’s devotion to the sci-fi cult has been blamed for the end of his marriage to his third wife Katie Holmes, as well as the demise of his relationships with Nicole Kidman and Penelope Cruz.
As Tom and Katie prepare to face court to battle for custody of their daughter Suri, the spotlight has fallen on Tom’s other children, Bella and Connor.
Tom and Nicole adopted the kids in the 1990s, and raised them together until they divorced in 2001.
But while the teenagers now enjoy a close relationship with their father, they are said to be practically estranged from Nicole, and several former members of the Church of Scientology claim the religion is 100 percent to blame.
Former Scientologist leader Marty Rathbun told the Hollywood Reporter that senior church member Tommy Davis actively poisoned Isabella and Connor against Nicole, feeding them “false information”.
“Tommy told them over and over again their mother was a sociopath, and after a while they believed him,” Rathbun claimed. “They had daily sessions with Tommy. I was there. I saw it.”
Another unnamed former member said Katie Holmes is determined Scientology will not succeed in cutting her off from her children.
“You’re either in or out when it comes to Scientology,” the source said. “That’s why Katie is making custody such an issue in the divorce petition. If you’re out, the way she seems to be, they want to cut you off from everyone, including your kids.”
Katie’s parents are reportedly terrified of how the Church of Scientology will react to their daughter’s public betrayal.
They are said to be insisting Katie or her bodyguards check in with them hourly to make sure she is safe, especially after claims the actress was being followed by “heavily armed” men working for the church.
“Katie’s father and mother are in constant communication with their daughter,” a source told RadarOnline.com.
“They are being told what she is doing and where she is with Suri. One of Katie’s bodyguards is also calling her father throughout the day and night to inform him of Katie and Suri’s physical location and there is an electronic security log that Katie’s parents receive that is updated hourly.
“Katie is taking these extraordinary measures for obvious reasons. She knows now that in the eyes of Scientology she is the enemy. Her father advised her to spare no expense in hiring the best security team possible.”
Katie has also reportedly hired a new staff, at her parent’s insistence. Mr and Mrs Holmes were said to be concerned their daughter’s old employees were under the influence of the Church of Scientology.
“Katie’s past bodyguards were Scientologists and she just didn’t feel that she could trust them, so they were fired the day before she filed for divorce,” the source continued.
“Katie already had her new team in place and Suri was already in the new apartment when Katie told the old team their services were no longer going to be needed.
“Katie was at the apartment she shared with Tom and when she stepped out into the hallway she had four new bodyguards that took her downstairs, where she got into the car and drove off to her new life. It was very, very dramatic.”
Tom and Katie’s divorce has also brought another mysterious Scientology issue into focus.
Shelly Miscavige — the wife of Scientology head David Miscavige and the woman who allegedly introduced Tom and Katie — has not been seen in public for five years, leading many to ask what has happened to her.
Several theories on Shelly’s whereabouts exist, including claims she died from cancer, and reports that she is in hiding after escaping the controversial religion.
A spokesman for the Church of Scientology has denied all the sinister claims, saying people speaking against the church were disgruntled and looking for 15 minutes of fame.
“All of these people are excommunicated self-promoters who are sadly exploiting a private family matter for their own personal financial gain,” the church said in a statement.
“They cannot be believed given they have acquired no firsthand knowledge of the church for many years and have a record of making false and/or misleading statements about the church.”
Scientology is a contentious religion based on the writings of sci-fi author L Ron Hubbard. It preaches, among other things, the existence of aliens as superior guiding beings.
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