Tom Cruise has long fascinated conspiracy theorists. The fact that the actor is so deeply entrenched in the mysterious cult of Scientology has led many to believe that there's more to his relationships than meets the eye. And his final divorce from the young actress, Katie Holmes, only served to cement the doubts that people have had about him. The most pernicious piece of evidence against Tom Cruise? His bizarrely distant relationship with his daughter, Suri.
And then fellow actors spoke about him including actress Thandie Newton regarding her horrific experiences with Cruise on set. Something that she now says she thought would get her in 'trouble'...
Many of us used to think of Tom Cruise as a successful movie star.
But, for a while now he's been in hot water.
Thanks to a long streak of poor behavior recorded on set.Earlier this year his co-star Thandie Newton spoke out about his actions on set.
And it's safe to say that if we were Thandie, we wouldn't be working with him again.It did not sound like a pleasant experience.
Or a nice workplace environment.Now Thandie has spoken again...
Before all this, Tom Cruise was a well-loved Hollywood actor.
His best-known role is as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in action-drama smash hit, Top Gun, released in 1986.You may also recognize him from Mission Impossible.
This movie franchise is one of the highest-grossing in Hollywood. In the films, Cruise plays Ethan Hunt. He starred in the role between 1996 and 2018.Alongside his action roles, Cruise has shown impressive range.
In fact, he's won three Golden Globes and has been nominated for three Oscars for his more "serious" ventures, including Rain Man, The Fourth of July, and Jerry Maguire.ÂBut, aside from his movie career, there's something else that Cruise is known for.
And that is, quite simply, being a weird guy. His disingenuous persona in interviews alongside the oddly secretive nature of his private life has led many to believe that all is not what it seems with Cruise.There's been a fair amount of speculation as to what's really going on.
So much so, in fact, that it's turned into something of a full-blown conspiracy theory. Feeling confused? Let's start from the beginning.Let's start by introducing a major player in this story.
There's something else that Scientology is known for.
It has a lot of associations with high-profile Hollywood celebrities. And one such celebrity is, you guessed it, Tom Cruise.The Church has a certain modus operandi.
It relies on a process called "auditing." During an audit, you're required to reveal your deepest held secrets to the Church, in order to cleanse your soul (or "thetan"). But there's another side to this. Because, after an audit, the Church essentially knows all of your deepest secrets.Tom Cruise has been entrenched in Scientology since 1990.
He came to the Church through his first wife, Mimi Rogers.
Cruise's next marriage was even more high-profile.
The two even started a family together.
Again, many noticed something strange about the partnership.
And, for further evidence:
After Cruise's second one-year marriage came to an end, some suspected outside intervention.
Many believed that the reason that Cruise was undertaking repeated short and failed marriages is because he's secretly not attracted to women. Scientology couldn't have this - and so it supposedly stepped in to ensure that his next marriage would be a success.Scientology puts a lot of stock in its celebrity associations.
So religious leaders buckled down.
There are claims that the whole thing was like an audition.
Girls were shipped in and tested for their qualifications to be a good Scientologist partner for Cruise.And the eventual winner?
It was young and aspiring actress, Katie Holmes. Want to hear something weird? In a previous magazine interview, Holmes had claimed that she'd dreamt of marrying Tom Cruise since she was a little girl. Creepy stuff.The pair went public with their relationship in April 2005.
And the less he said about this, the better.
(For those who don't remember, Cruise was interviewed by Oprah and jumped on his sofa in one of the most unconvincing displays of love of all time.)Shortly after, Holmes announced that she was pregnant.
In April 2006, just a year after the pair met, Suri Cruise was born.
Suri Cruise, child of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes and Vanity Fair cover star, is 11 years old and I'm horrified https://t.co/v7Jeit9vbA— douglas greenwood (@douglas greenwood)1513012613.0
Soon after, the pair married.
The wedding was subject to much speculation.
Many suspected that it was an arranged marriage set up by the Church of Scientology. These rumors weren't helped by the fact that Cruise's best man was none other than David Miscavige.But things between the pair soured.
The divorce was pretty suspicious to many.
There was speculation about the reasons for the split - which have never been made public.But there's one large presence that many believe is to blame.
Holmes had one specific worry.
As with any divorce, there were important factors to consider.
The reason?
On the other hand, Katie and Suri are together a lot.
And that's not all.
Holmes regularly dedicates social media posts to her daughter. And it appears that she's dedicated to raising Suri right, getting her involved in charity work at a young age.But Cruise is very distant from his daughter.
And things look set to get even worse for Cruise.
"Oh, I was never asked [about Scientology]. I was so scared of Tom," Newton claimed.
"But the pressure."
Leah Remini also spoke up in support of Newton.
"Tom has gotten away with being this ‘nice guy,’ because that’s what Scientology policy says—to create good PR in the world and make those ‘good actions’ known."
"He can’t keep a marriage together, he’s jumping on couches, he’s acting like he knows anything about postpartum."
"This is a man who has not even seen his own daughter in years."
Fast forward a month from when Thandie spoke out, she explained why she spoke with her story.
Adding that she thought her action of speaking up would land her in trouble.
"I am not even supposed to be viable anymore. I am a Black woman, from a conventional stereotype."
She also added, "There is such a quick turnover; people aren't famous enough to reveal things and have people listen. Once someone pops out of their fame, people are no longer going to pay attention, they are not going to listen."
She delved deeper into the BTS industry, and on the subject on Cruise.
Adding, "I have nothing to lose because I can just not get hired, which is normal for people in my generation. I would rather go out using this moment..."
Reflecting briefly on speaking out, she said "I felt solid. That whole time... That I know that it made people frightened. Individuals were very frightened at what might happen."
Adding "There is no place for casual racism. It is a symptom of systemic racism and we have to weed it out."
Tom Cruise isn't quite the superstar we once thought, that's for sure.
Want more from the saga? Scroll on for Katie Holme's recent relationship drama...