Is Tom Cruise leaving Scientology behind? A new tabloid report suggests that the actor has made the decision to cut his ties with the Church of Scientology in order to have more contact with his daughter, Suri Cruise.
Since his divorce from Katie Holmes, the actress has limited the amount of time Tom Cruise can spend with his daughter because of his beliefs. After their divorce, Holmes left behind Scientology, and she is now raising their daughter in Los Angeles.
These new rumors surfaced online on July 1 after a report in Star , so that immediately brings out questions about the validity of the report. According to Hollywood Life , Cruise made the decision to leave the religion behind after a phone conversation with Suri.
“She was going on and on about her ballet class and how much she loves it. That’s when Tom realized he’s never seen her perform ballet and he started to tear up. It hit him that she’s growing up before his eyes and he’s not there to witness most of it. They talk on the phone and video chat, but it’s not the same.”
A report from Celebrity Dirty Laundry late last month revealed that Tom has not seen his daughter, Suri Cruise , in person in over two years.
After the initial report was released last week, many started to ask questions about Tom Cruise and his connection to Scientology. Many have revealed that cutting ties from the Church of Scientology is not an easy task. Leaving Scientology would mean cutting all ties from your friends and family who are still members of the church. Once a person leaves the religion, they are on the outside.
Chris Shelton, a former member of the Church of Scientology, spoke out about Cruise and the rumors surrounding him with Hollywood Life .
“I don’t personally believe that Tom Cruise left the church. For anyone who leaves the church of Scientology, there would be massive consequences. There are always consequences for leaving the church. The church has demonstrated that they have no qualms whatsoever about releasing so called confidential audits of members who leave. These audits are supposed to be confidential, but have been used against members, who are considered ‘suppressive people’ because they left the church. You have to remember — Tom has been part of the church since the 1980’s. That’s a long time. He has surrounded himself with Scientologists. If he left the church, he would have to ‘disconnect’ from the rest of his family who are in the church. That includes his older children, too.”
Shelton left the Church of Scientology after being a member for 27 years. He was also a high-ranking member of the organization, and he revealed that leaving was “the scariest thing” he had ever done. He also revealed that Scientology puts a fear into their member’s minds that “something terrible” will happen after the leave.
Tom Cruise is a high-ranking member of the Church of Scientology. In fact, he was one of the most public faces of the church in recent years. His departure would shake things up in more than one way. The actor has not spoken out about the latest reports, but that is out of the norm.
Others have spoken out about their own decision to leave the Church of Scientology. Leah Remini , star of King of Queens , decided to leave after she made her own realization about her daughter, according to the Christian Post .
“I was working on a Scientology course one day. I was at one of these hotels in Florida and I saw my daughter swimming for the first time while I’m reading this Scientology thing. A tear came down my face. I was like, ‘What am I doing?’”
Carmen Llywelyn , star of Never Been Kissed and ex-wife of Jason Lee, left Scientology after 13 years, and she revealed her own experience in a lengthy essay published by Gawker last month.
“I’ve realized that the religion is built on a foundation of violence. […] I did what so many other people who join Scientology do: I lost all sense of individual identity in the name of the cult. Scientologists believe that such a person, like an ex-Scientologist who speaks out about their former beliefs and/or who doesn’t disconnect from one who has, will make everyone around them sick. I lost Gay [her agent], Jason, and every friend and source of love I knew besides my family in Georgia, 3,000 miles away. No one imagines themselves as so fragile to ever let something as sinister as a cult take control of their minds. I didn’t think anyone would ever tell me how to think and when to think it. We all believe we’re above such things and only stupid people could fall for that.”
Llywelyn revealed that after she left the church, she received a “letter of disconnection” from her husband. Tom Cruise is just one of the high profile members of the Church of Scientology. Other members include John Travolta, and some believe Will Smith is a member. People were given an inside look at the organization with the release of Going Clear . The documentary has not been well received by members of the church.
Cruise turned 53 on Friday, and he has been busy filming Mena in Georgia in recent weeks. He did take a break from filming to enjoy a fireworks show in Nashville on Saturday night, according to ABC News Nashville . The actor watched the fireworks from the roof of the ACME building, and he willingly posed for photos with fans when asked. Some fans shared their photos with the actor online.
In recent weeks, other rumors surfaced about Tom Cruise’s love life . Since November, reports have connected Cruise to his assistant. Those rumors heated up after the pair were seen on the set of Mena last month, according to a previous Inquisitr report.
What is next for Cruise? The actor is still filming Mena , and Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is set for release later this month. Cruise is now in talks for Top Gun 2 . The sequel will bring back his character Maverick, and it will focus on the changes pilots are now facing due to drones, according to David Ellison. Time shared his comments.
“When you look at the world of dogfighting, what’s interesting about it is that it’s not a world that exists to the same degree when the original movie came out. So really exploring the end of an era of dogfighting and fighter pilots, and what that culture is today, are all fun things that we’re gonna get to dive into in this movie.”
What do you think? Is Tom Cruise really ready to leave Scientology behind?
[Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images]