A former high-ranking Scientology official has claimed he ordered to have Nicole Kidman’s phone tapped at the suggestion of her ex Tom Cruise and head of the church David Miscavige.
The extraordinary claims form part of a new documentary titled Going Clear: Scientology & The Prison Of Belief, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this week.
Amongst the allegations, the documentary claims that the church essentially broke up the A-listers’ marriage by using a number of intimidation tactics designed to force Tom to split from Nicole.
According to the testimony of Mark “Marty” Rathbun, who was previously the second-highest ranking official in the Church of Scientology but who left in 2004, the head of Scientology, David Miscavige was suspicious of Nicole, whose late Australian father Anthony Kidman was then widely known as a respected psychologist.
The documentary claims that it was because of this connection that Nicole was labelled a “Potential Trouble Source” (PTS), which the church defined as “a person who is in some way connected to and being adversely affected by a suppressive person.”
The Church of Scientology has denied the film’s claims in a statement, saying: “The accusations made in the film are entirely false and alleged without ever asking the Church.”
It should also be noted that both Tom and Nicole refused to be interviewed for the documentary, and it was only former members such as Marty, who the church claim are “disgruntled” and “who have a documented history of making up lies about the Church for money,” who took part. Any current members reportedly refused to be interviewed for the film.
Going Clear, directed by documentary maker Alex Gibney, claims Nicole, who was raised as a Catholic, originally convinced Tom to distance himself from the church and at one point Tom wasn’t returning David Miscavige’s phone calls.
This reportedly infuriated David, who was close friends with Tom and best man at his wedding to Nicole. Marty Rathbun says it was at this point he was asked to step in.
From here on in Marty, at the behest of David and the church, says he waged an aggressive campaign to force a rift between the couple – including having Nicole’s phone tapped by a private investigator.
The Church allegedly also began intensive “auditing” of Tom – which amounted to continually psychoanalysing him, and gathering personal information which was relayed back to David Miscavige.
Tom and Nicole with their children Connor and Isabella, in 1996.
Perhaps most upsetting among the claims Marty puts forward in the documentary, is that the church “re-educated” Nicole’s adopted children with Tom – Connor and Isabella – so they would turn against their mother and Tom could retain custody.
After his 2001 split from Nicole, it was noted that Tom then became more passionately reinvolved with the church, receiving the organisation’s Freedom Medal of Valor in 2004, and generally was much more vocal in his beliefs. The church, in turn, reportedly showered Tom with flashy gifts and ensured he was well cared for at all times.
The Going Clear documentary, which is based on information from Lawrence Wright’s book of the same name, is set to premiere on HBO in the United States in March. The network reportedly had a team of 160 lawyers review all claims put forward in the movie – no word yet, though, on whether there will be an Australian release.
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