As the details of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ marriage breakdown come to light, so too do glimpses of the future Suri Cruise could have if she is raised by her father, something that Katie is determined not to let happen.
Holmes, who is seeking sole custody of the pair’s six-year-old daughter, had reportedly been planning her escape from Scientology for years . And as details emerge of the organisation’s rules it’s not hard to see why she felt she couldn’t simply walk away.
Holmes’ carefully structured escape plan was reportedly cautiously put into action for fear of losing access to her child. Following her divorce from the Rock of Ages star in 2001, Nicole Kidman has limited access to her two adopted children with Cruise, Bella and Connor, who are both devoted Scientologists.
“[Bella and Connor] lived with their father and Katie during the marriage full-time. They aren’t that close to Nicole, and Katie is determined that she won’t be cut out of Suri’s life,” an unnamed source close to the situation told Radar Online.
“Bella and Connor are devoted to their father and Scientology, and Katie saw this firsthand, and this is one of the reasons she filed for sole custody.”
Meanwhile, details have emerged of the Scientology school that Cruise planned to send Suri to: the headquarters of Scientology’s higher order, Gold Base, a 200 hectare property in Gilman Hot Springs, California.
Here, members reportedly pledge their allegiance for 1 billion years, are banned from having children, are paid just $50 a week and can be punished by being thrown in “The Hole”.
Details have also emerged of the religion’s Sea Organisation — a subsection of the movement’s headquarters, which is heavily guarded and secured by motion sensors and razor-tipped wire.
Members are not permitted to leave the property, and if they do, face being hunted down by military style teams, US ABC News reported. In some cases members are subject to “voluntary punishment”, which can include isolation, manual labour, malnutrition and sleep deprivation. Reports by the New York Post in February state that the FBI have investigated the site and its associates for connections to human trafficking.
With the reality of her daughter attending a Scientology school in mind, Holmes was reportedly constantly careful with what she said during the Scientology audit sessions she took part in while married to Cruise.
“Katie wasn’t exactly forthcoming with information during her Scientology audit,” an unnamed source told Radar Online.
“Katie’s father, Martin, advised her to be careful with what she said during these sessions so that nothing negative could get leaked to the press or be used to make her look bad.”
Both Holmes and Cruise’s audit sessions, a practice that Scientologists believe clears them of negative influences while heightening spiritual awareness and enhancing their potential, were always recorded and videotaped and kept inside the church of Scientology.
Despite taking part in the sessions the source told Radar Online that Holmes’ heart just wasn’t in it.
“Look, Katie led a very ordinary and honest life before she met Tom and tried to continue to do so during the time she was with him. Katie is level headed and extremely smart,” the source said.
“She was never completely committed to Scientology, but she participated because she truly was in love with Tom and she knew it meant a lot to him.”
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