Tom Cruise’s relationship with Scientology has been well documented over the years. The renowned actor has served as the de facto face of the controversial religion for decades, but constant tabloid rumors have made some people question whether Cruise is still a member of Scientology. We look back at some of the rumors we’ve covered and explore why people have recently begun to question his ties to the religion.
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Is Tom Cruise Still A Scientologist?
There are several high profile members of Scientology, including John Travolta and Elizabeth Moss, but Tom Cruise still tops the list of the most famous members of the religion. His involvement in the Church of Scientology was first revealed in 1990 by Star, with Cruise later confirming his membership in a 1992 interview with Barbara Walters.
Cruise first joined the church sometime in the mid-’80s, which is how he met his first wife Mimi Rogers. The actress was a well-trained “auditor” for the religion, having grown up in it after her father joined the church. The couple divorced in 1990, and Rogers reportedly later left the church. Even as the relationship that began in Scientology ended, Cruise’s future with the church remained bright.
In the early aughts, Cruise became much more vocal about Scientology in public and advocated for the religion to be officially recognized both here in the US and abroad, particularly in Europe. This was also around the same time as his infamous interview with Oprah Winfrey, where he shouted out his love for then-girlfriend Katie Holmes and jumped on the couch. Cruise has also been famously close with the current leader of the church, David Miscavige. Miscavige served as Cruise’s best man at his 2006 wedding to Holmes.
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Why People Think He Might Be Distancing Himself
So, why do people seem to think that Cruise has begun stepping away from the religion in recent years when he’s historically been a very active member? The tabloids are partially to blame here. For the past few years, Suggest has noticed a distinct pattern in tabloid coverage of Cruise, particularly when it comes to his religion. There have been endless claims that Cruise’s romantic endeavors keep failing because of his devotion to the religion, causing him to consider getting out.
Other bogus tabloid rumors have insisted that finally, after all these years, Cruise is quitting Scientology in order to finally reunite with his daughter, Suri. The two have famously been estranged since Holmes divorced Cruise in 2012, later moving with her daughter to New York City. As Suri is no longer a member of the church, Cruise reportedly is not allowed by his religious doctrine to have contact with her.
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The question remains: is Tom Cruise still a member of the Church of Scientology? All signs point to yes, despite the blathering from the tabloids. Cruise still owns a penthouse in Clearwater, Florida, which is just blocks away from Scientology headquarters. His son, Connor Cruise, also reportedly lives in Clearwater.
Cruise has also been spending quite a bit of time in London lately, which is also another enormous hub for Scientologists. His daughter, Isabella Jane Cruise, lives there with her husband and is reportedly still an active member herself. If Cruise ever were to leave Scientology, it’s not a story that would be broken by the likes of Life & Style or some random Australian tabloid, that’s for sure.