Tom Cruise Is Never Asked Scientology In Interviews For One Clever Reason: “He’s Completely...”

Asking Tom Cruise about his personal life or bringing up his affiliation with Scientology is considered risky in the world of celebrity interviews. Journalists have been prohibited by his staff from doing so. The practice was put into place during Cruise's Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation promotional campaign, as just a few months earlier, a Scientology documentary Going Clear accused the church of severe misconduct.

His affiliation with Scientology, a controversial religion established in 1953 by science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard, is arguably the biggest cloud that hovers over Cruise's otherwise illustrious career. Sophie Gilbert of The Atlantic, once opined, “At the very least, Cruise is the highest-profile advocate for an institution that’s been repeatedly charged with human rights abuses over the past few decades.”

As reported by The Independent, she added, “If [accounts] are accurate, he’s the second-most-powerful person in Scientology, and he’s completely insulated from even the most irreverent television personalities in the country asking him questions about it.” Mimi Rogers, Cruise's ex-wife, reportedly introduced him to Scientology in the late 1980s. As reported by HuffPost, Rogers' father was one of the most important members of Scientology in its early years.

An insider who collaborated with Cruise in 2006 on media and public appearances noted that while the actor was once outspoken about his beliefs, he has now grown significantly more reserved about the religion, as reported by The Wrap. Filmmaker Paul Haggis also confirmed that during the Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation press tour, reporters had to agree to refrain from asking questions about Scientology. According to reports, the interview would be completely rejected if the interviewer refused to comply. Haggis claimed that journalists' integrity was compromised when they consented to such limitations.

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, he said, “His PR people are very smart. But I don’t know how journalists can continue to call themselves journalists if they aren’t brave enough to ask a question. I mean, how big does the elephant in the room have to be before you ask about it?” He stressed that journalistic integrity should take priority, emphasizing that some principles matter more than simply promoting a movie. Haggis questioned, "Every journalist agreed not to address it. Why? You’re just a PR person at that point. Shame on you.”

Publicists are known to maintain a stringent list of prohibited topics when interviewing A-list celebrities. To preserve the delicate ecosystem of reciprocal benefit, there is an unspoken understanding between celebrities and entertainment organizations: stars require publicity, and organizations require viewers. Another example of this was when, only a few weeks after her intimate images were notoriously posted online, Jennifer Lawrence made an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman to promote the Hunger Games movie. The unwritten norms of celebrity PR were on full display as the hack was never discussed during the interview, despite the media's immense coverage of it.