He is one of the best actors of the last three decades. The backlash against him is immature and pathetic.
Ever since jumping on Oprah’s couch like a maniac in June of 2005, Tom Cruise has become the most vilified actor in the world. When you hear the name “Tom Cruise” these days, it is most likely the topic of a joke. Never has an actor fallen from the top so quickly without committing a crime. What babies did one of the greatest actors of the past three decades murder in order to earn such harsh treatment?…
Article comments
26 - JeraldR
Remember everyone, Google is your friend. :)
Google;
scientology and ellie perkins
scientology and crimes
scientology and deaths
cchr and Virginia Tech
cchr and protests
Or visit whyaretheydead.net
27 - Mark Saleski
don't forget: google scientology and cult
28 - reggie von woic
Tom Cruise is fat
29 - Joxe Arkaitz
Tom Cruise is probably one of the most ethical and honest actors we have nowadays but the world is gone crazy and some people in America are attacking him for stupid reasons like "he showed his love for Katie with enthusiasm" on TV. What a crime!!!! The world would be doing much better if more people showed love or enthusiasm.
Some people make fun of his religion. Well, that's very disrespectful to say the least and it violates the Constitution and the Human Rights for example. It shows bigotry - bullying. How would you like to be trated like that yourself for being let's say... a jewish or a catholic?
No, there are things that are absolutely not OK in this world and the way some people treat Tom Cruise is one of them.
30 - James Lightfield
"All non-believers shall be consumed in the wrath of hell! Let he who does not accept without question... "
Whether "good" Christian or "devout" Muslim doing the ranting it's all the same. Fear and hate (masked by, "Oh, I'm doing it for your own good. For the 'sake of your soul.'")
No basis in wisdom. Just more of the same, century after century.
31 - tellallnow
Hey, joxe right on! Sharptom says Romney shouldn't be elected cause he's a Mormon, Mel Gibson hates Jews, jeraldr dumps on scientology -=- ugly people
32 - Omega3
""All non-believers shall be consumed in the wrath of hell! Let he who does not accept without question ... "
Whether "good" Christian or "devout" Muslim doing the ranting it's all the same. Fear and hate (masked by, "Oh, I'm doing it for your own good. For the 'sake of your soul.'")
No basis in wisdom. Just more of the same, century after century."
So that statement makes it ok for the CoS to do what it does?? NOT!
33 - roger gonnet
Well, Tommy should NEVER sell this fraudulous scam called scientology, for which his mentor Hubbard was sentenced to 4 years unsuspended jail in France, 1978.
He can't ignore that his cult is also in BIG debts toward french state.
He can't ignore that if he get such a treatment in the most secretive HQ from the cult, it's because he was the superstar: almost nobody is allowed to come in or out of that stronghold heavily guarded.
If he keeps on ignoring such evidences, while he has all these knowledgeable guys and girls around, that's dishonesty or intolerance.
So, my estimation is that he is a willing accomplice of the cult and that will hold till he accepts a real face-to-face with some of the best critics of his cult. Then we'll see what the cult did to his mind.
34 - JeraldR
I'm not dumping on what you guys belive. I am talking about the action's of scientology. There is a big difference.
One of those actions is called fair game, for all the complaints here about critics scientology has master the attacks on people.
goole; scientology and fair game.
Like James posted, you should question everything and check for yourself. I think you should look at both the scientology and xenu sites and decide for yourself.
But really guys, its not about faith and you know it. I have not said one thing about your faith, only the actions.
35 - Chris Beaumont
Joxe: How is making fun of someone's religion a violation of the Constitution?
36 - Jon
Some of my favorite movies growing had Tom Cruise (although I am not sure it was so much him or the movies he chose).
In the past years he's become pretty flaky; it's hard to deny that. It's difficult to identify with a lead character when you wouldn't want to have a dinner with the actor. So watching him has a bad taste now regardless.
And then, watching him also now comes with a social cost. He's down right dangerous when he fervently propogates Scientology's insistence that psychiatric medications are evil. That space aliens are inside of us is a bizarre belief, but his trying to keep needed medications from people desperately in need of them puts going to a Tom Cruise movie in the same category as buying a baby seal coat.
I can live without the guilt.
37 - JeraldR
And lets remember freedom of religion doesn't mean freedom to do as you please. Funny how you bring up your freedoms and forget I have the same ones you do.
38 - sean Paul Mahoney
Darryl D, you certainly opened a big nasty can of worms with this one didn't you? I see your point but I don't think Cruise has been villified and we shouldn't feel too sorry for the guy. He's rich. He's attractive to some people. He's been in tons of succesful films.
So I won't be crying in my pillow if some people want to take a whack at him. He's a celebrity and that's part of the job.
My major beef with Cruise is he's really a one trick pony. I stopped watching his movies after Jerry McGuire because I felt I'd already seen the entire scope of his acting range. His inability to take risks have turned him into a relic from the 80's. Couple that with the bizarre behavior and you've got a career in the toilet.
39 - Jodie
I pretty much agree with a lot of stuff in this article, but I haven't stopped liking Tom. Actually at first, the one I didn't like was Katie Holmes, cause I thought she was trying to get with TC for money or fame or something just to dump him later. Now I think she really does love him. I think he made a big sacrifice by jumping on the couch like that. I'll still go watch his movies cause I like his face and all the controversy and stuff around him just makes me more curious about him and I admire that a lot of things don't faze him. I mean the guy has jumped off a skycraper and done his own stunts! I think there are lots of mean spirited people out there who like to hate, I mean they say bad shit about his baby girl who is just an innocent lil kid who has done nothing wrong but be the child of a man who has his own opinions, opposes drugs for mental issues, has his own religion and strong views and is pretty much a better example to people than a ton of the other celebrities out there like Paris Hilton driving under the freaking influence!
40 - James Lightfield
A bigot has every right to spew disharmony. The use of "sick group" "cult" and similar is constitutionally protected.
Scientology vs. Psychiatry has EVERTHING to do with spirituality vs materialism
Too many Chrisitans' understanding of Jesus' wisdom was perverted centuries ago by political hacks (and worse), manifested by such characters as inhabiting these blogs who spew their hatred in the guise of "I am protecting you despite yourself."
The dogma of materialism promoted by the psychiatry industry (not all psychs, but the industry itself) cuts right into the heart of every religion.
41 - Sam
i bet some of u are christians(not a believer so smal G),
Tom talks about his religion and u talk, u say scintology is whack, why? I myself see catholism more whack than it, why? i don't know i just don't like catholism
u can change ur believes anytime, wasn't it that some church leader changed the church's views that unborn children don't go to ur heaven and said now they do.
And i think catholics are more secretive than any church/religion, they thimk highly of themselves.
the pope, who is this person, whats his progative,what does he do? what what what.
christianity, the religion that broke from the jews,christianity, the religion that started wars because they believed themselves superior, christianity a homophobic religion, christianity a religion which sanctioned slavery,christianity a religion which burned people because they were witches from the devil( based on fear) anti-science,
christianity christianity christianity!!!!!
leave the Scientologists alone and look at your own religions
42 - Mel
Born on the 4th of July was a great movie and Top Gun, Magnolia and the Mission impossible ones. He does great stunts!
43 - JeraldR
Sorry James,
But any group that puts out a press release claiming the VT shooter was on meds a full day before we even knew his name is sick. And they are still pushing it even though everyone has said he refused treatment.
It is sick to use the deaths of 33 children to promote your views. Even more so when its not true.
You can call me and others here a bigot all day long and all it does is show you can't make your point without resorting to name calling. Sad if you ask me.
44 - James Lightfield
Besides the misrepresentation to the wording of HIS OWN prior entries in this series in which he uses offensive terms (a constitutional right), jerald also manufactures information with no basis in fact, such as his last posting in regards to Virginia Tech and Cho. jerald wrote: "...even though everyone has said he refused treatment."
For a non-Scientologists commentary on this:
45 - JeraldR
Misdirection is not nice James. No where does Dr. Breggin say he was on meds. Which was my point. CCHR put out a press release that was a lie.
The simple fact is million's of people and families are saved every year by doctors and meds.
But even if scientology and CCHR doesn't belive that why put out a press release that is a lie?
Why say VT, the Red Cross and the SA asked them to come and help when that also was a lie?
Actions James, not faith.
46 - James Lightfield
Interesting ... jerald stopped writing that Cho refused psych treatment (not true)and is on a new slant. That's his right. Of course, more to the point is the following:
Dr. Breggin wrote:
"As a psychiatrist and medical expert, I have personally evaluated dozens of cases of individuals driven to violence by psychiatric drugs of every type, but most commonly the newer antidepressants. One of the cases I evaluated, the Columbine shooter Eric Harris, looks the most like Cho. Both were very emotionally disturbed in an extremely violent fashion for a prolonged period of time. For the entire year that Eric Harris was evolving his manic-like violence, he was taking Luvox, a drug known to cause mania at a high rate in young people
In my book Reclaiming Our Children, I analyzed the clinical and scientific reasons for believing that Eric Harris's violence was caused by prescribed Luvox and I've also testified to the same under oath in deposition in a case related to Columbine. In my book the Antidepressant Fact Book, I also warned that stopping antidepressants can be as dangerous as starting them, since they can cause very disturbing and painful withdrawal reactions.
We have not been informed whether or not Cho was taking psychiatric drugs at the time he unleashed his violence; but even if he wasn't, he might have been tipped over into violent madness weeks or months earlier by a drug like Prozac, Paxil, or Zoloft. He could also have been undergoing severe drug withdrawal. Investigators should set a high priority on obtaining and publishing Cho's psychiatric drug history."
47 - Omega3
"leave the Scientologists alone and look at your own religions"
I don't subscribe to any "organized" religion and that fortunately includes the CoS.
48 - Janice
Great post Daryl. I also enjoyed your post about Angelina Jolie. I thought she was doing a good job turning her life around till she started seducing people's husbands, but that is another story. This is Tom Cruise. I have never seen anything wrong this guy has done. I also disagree that he is a joke. The tabloids and press are working hard to make him seem like a joke because they don't want people to take seriously what he says about drugs. If people listened, the whole drug industry stands to lose alot.
Most of what I would have said has been said but what I want to add is that I admire Cruise more for the way he has conducted himself these last two years. I was never his big fan to begin with because I always thought him stuffy and uptight but in the face of all this, a smile never left his face and he treated the press and every one else, friend and foe with respect. Gave the photogs a chance to take pictures and even after paramount, he did not retaliate, he just went ahead and opened a defunct studio which to me was the best form of teaching Redstone a lesson.
Tabloids have written so many ugly fabrications about him and his controlling nature failing to realise that he has contibuted most to their gross revenue for the last two years. I admit for the first time I looked out for his and Holmes movies trying to understand what kind of people they are since a movie may be acted but it tells a lot about an actor.
Why do we treat this man so badly when Paedophiles like R. Kelly are not bothered. I understand attacking Jolie and Pitt because they hurt someone and are hell bent on humiliating her at every turn, but Cruise's antics did not even hurt any one and he even apologised to Brook Shields whose image has had a boost ever since.
I just wish the public would stop blindly following whatever these rags dish out. But keep in mind that the same people who own drug companies run the media.
Just for the record Daryl, I have never believe that Cruise is gay. He has to be a genius to keep that under wraps for thirty years in this industry. Remember too that there is no scientific proof that any one is born gay so it is just a choice people make.
49 - JeraldR
No James I did no such thing. Every interview I have seen with the school and others how knew him have said just that.
So you are saying that because he may have taken a pill at one point in his life it may have caused him to kill 32 kids no matter how long ago he took them? Thats just silly.
And it still doesn't make the CCHR press release ok. It still doesn't make the lie that they were invited to the school but the school , the Red Cross and the SA ok. Its still useing the deaths of 33 children without any proof what you are saying is true.
50 - Mary
I have seen men who ate less than 5'5' joke about Cruise's height. I even watched a midget make a joke about the wedding pictures on TV till the moderator rudely pointed out that he should not be talking. I noticed a growth in the celebrity hate culture today. Peaople love to hate people like Cruise because they seem to have it all. They prefer it if stars were like Kate Moss so that they can feel better than them. People are used to celebrities whining and being in rehabs and being treated for depressio. Lohan was filmed taking coke last week but because she is already 'beneath us' so to speak, no back clash but imagine if Katie Holmes was caught on camera doing that! Tom and Katie are being punished for breaking the norm. Being happy when you are rich and famous.
51 - daryl d
janice:
It is all a cruel backlash cycle major celebrities have to go through. If they are strong enough, like madonna or mariah carey, they will come out of it. If they aren't strong enough, like michael jackson, they will continue their downfall. I believe Tom Cruise is strong enough. I can guarantee you that within a year, Brad Pitt will be the target. I am surprised there has been no huge Oprah backlash yet because she is due for one.
52 - zingzing
the reason why i don't like tom cruise much these days: HE HASN'T BEEN IN A GOOD MOVIE THIS DECADE!
not since 1999, when magnolia and eyes wide shut came out, has cruise done one movie worth the time to watch it.
not only that... but he took katie holmes, impregnated her and locked her up somewhere. what has she done since they met? i dunno. she was okay. not a bad actress. strangely cute for having such a screwed up face.
first he was short, then he was gay (top gun is remarkable), then he was a scientologist. he's obviously got issues. it happens when you are famous for your entire adult life. you go a little nuts.
all of this would be forgivable if he would just stop making silly action movies and actually act, which he can do quite well given the right settings.
53 - JeraldR
The Forth of Jult was great and the later movies were good date/popcorn moives. I think he loves his wife and child. I also think he is doing and saying the stuff he does because he really belives in it. I was upset when he trashed someone on TV for doing what her doctor told her to and then claimed to know something it takes years of study to really understand.
The sofa jumpping wasn't a big deal to me. We guys in love do silly things. I don't think Cruise is a bad person. Just misguided and uninformed.
But as long as he chooses to attact hard working doctors and the people they treat he will be seen as a nutcase. He's an actor not a doctor. And as long as he alines himself with groups like scientology and cchr he will always have problems. If he wants to preach to us about what he thinks and feels he has that right. Just as we have the right to speak back and not buy tickets to his movies.
54 - Lettermenow
Cruise should have gotten an academy award for 4th of July. the last Samaura swordmanship was fantastic and he did it all himself. The one scene where he was attacked by five guys was done in all one take. TV show Actor's Studio had Cruise and it was really interesting to see all that he did in movies and the preparation and the stunts. MI2 and MI3 stunts were amazing. No stunt doubles. So he's a scientologist and talks about it. My mother died two days after getting electric shock treatment -- so I think cruise is fine for standing up to the frigging psychiatrists!! I joined a support group -- not scientology -- there are a lot of people out there sick and tired about what psychiatry is doing who aren't scientolgoists. I am one of them!!
55 - JeraldR
Lettermeno, I agree with you that a lot needs to be fixed. But scientology doesn't belive in mentall illness and their goal is to scrap it compleatly. They say every single mental health med is no good at all.
Fix it yes, destory it and we destory millions of lives.
Remember they belive doctors are for blame for the Holacoust and 9/11. They have videos showing doctors being gunned down as they cheer in the background.
Not the one I want trying to fix the problem.
On a aide note. As James or one of the others if the mentall ill or those who have been on meds can join scientology.
56 - James Lightfield
The documentation regarding psychiatrists not only setting the stage for the Holocaust but justifying the murder of Jews and others is detailed in the DVD: Psychiatry: An Industry of Death. www.cchr.org
Dianetics: Modern Science of MENTAL Health.
Lettermenow, I'm sorry to hear about your mother's death two days after electric shock. Not uncommon. I'm glad you found a support group. There are many.
57 - JeraldR
Wow James, I would love to see that. I'm just not willing to hand 30 bucks over to CCHR so they can keep doing the stuff they are doing.
And lets face it here James. The only people who think that are in scientology or CCHR.
But you know, i hope everyone does go to cchr.org and read it.
then i hope they go to xenu.net and xenutv.com
I have enough faith in what I belive to list both sides because I think most people are smart enough to decide for themselfs.
And it still doesn't excuse the sick press release that CCHR/scientology put out. Or the lies told at VT after the shootings.
58 - Butterflygrrl
James-- Twice now you have mentioned the wisdom of Jesus Christ. Why are you doing that, since in OT III, (One of the upper levels of scientology) Hubbard states that the idea of Christ even existing is just an implant put in our minds by the alien Overlord Xenu?
Or have you not reached that level yet?
Go to www.scientology.org and see if you can find a description of what scientology believes and then go to www.xenu.net for the truth that they're trying to hide.
Then, if you want more, go to www.lermanet.com and www.xenutv.com
59 - James Lightfield
L Ron Hubbard clearly acknowledged the importance of Jesus Christ as a harbinger of spiritual wisdom. One such example is in his lecture "Hope of Man" which can be purchased on line.
The turning of God into a guy with a flowing beard, sitting on his ass on some thrown with lutes and cherubs and all the rest might make for good artistry but has nothing to do with Christ's teachings.
60 - gina
I have read statements made by Scientologists about having "cause" over the physical world (I think that's how it's put), and how, as you work your way up the Bridge, you are able to become exterior, your vision improves, you have perfect recall, you never get sick, etc. I've also seen Scientologists claim to have successfully used Scientology tech to help heal broken bones, paralysis, and other physical ailments.
It seems that whenever something goes right for a Scientologist, Scientology gets the credit. But when things go badly for Scientologists, the fault is placed on them or people around them: they are being influenced by "suppressive" people in their lives, or they're being out-tech somehow.
I know of a Scientology celebrity who is in extremely bad shape, physically. If this person had a big success in his field, like a box-office hit or a number-one album, I guarantee you that the CoS would be trumpeting that success, gushing with pride over how well one of its "opinion leaders" is doing in life. But what does the CoS have to say about that guy being practically crippled? Why hasn't he been healed by touch assists? I hate to think what kind of crap they are feeding him about what's causing his physical problems. How have they made him feel responsible for this? Who have they made him disconnect from? What kind of bogus vitamin regimen do they have him on?
61 - Janice
Daryl I know what you mean about Brad Pitt. People are just waiting for a trigger. A lot hinges of the box office performance of A mighty heart and Oceans 13. Especially the former. I can't believe the way Jolie tries to blatantly manipulate the public. Pitt is a pawn in her game. This week's interview with Reader's digest and donations to New Orleans and Darfur were rather a cheap PR shot and too unsubtle for my taste. It as though they are saying 'look at us we donate and take in orphans, go watch our movies if you want us to continue'. The public is fickle and may buy it but I have my doubts.
Pitt is like a puppy that lost its way and was found by Jolie. The fact that people have called him Pussy whipped on national TV does not help. When he is with Jolie, he looks so pathetic that you actually feel sorry for him. For now the media is playing cat and mouse with those two, hailing their charitable efforts while deriding their private life and never letting the public forget the genesis of their relationship.
She set out to get him, no doubt about that, even if his marriage had been a happy one, she would have seduced him anyway. Their biggest folly has been in rubbing the whole thing in Aniston's face, Jolie enjoys this and I think to her it is the highlight of the relationship, she is a sadist and a sadomasochist so I don't think any tabloid slander will affect her much. She has no friends and not much to lose, her movie career has never hinged on a glossy public image and when you think about it, she has never had a box office hit.
Both their last movies, Babel and the good Shephard did not perform well at the box office, but too much was going on at the time for the media to dwell on that.
I am sorry but I do not buy their charitable causes, I believe Jolie has always craved fame and publicity, I think she also wanted to be more famous than her father. After over a decade in the movie business without mcuh success, she realised that unless she changed strategy, that is as famous as she would get even with her bizarre sexual antics, so she apporached the UN to be an ambassador, note that she approached them not vice-versa as is usually the case.
There are several reasons she hooked up with Pitt, first, she realised that even after becoming the UN ambassador and adopting a child she was still not as famous as she wanted, but rumours of liason with Pitt got her into the headlines, so she laid out her strategy, she would adopt more, increase the charity dos all with Pitts money. She does not have much, but Pitt is quite wealthy, so she uses his money and gets all the credit. Also the children are financially secure, that is why she emphasised in an interview a while back that all that matters is that they are both legally bound to the children.
She is very cunning she realised that Pitt had nothing binding him to her and knew that if he could leave his wife, he could leave her, so she broke her vow never to have kids and gave him a biological child. All the giving birth in Namibia was to get attention, she claims it was to bring attention to the country, so a year later how has that attention helped that country?
Adopting Pax had two purposes, making money from the pictures and strengthening the noose around Pitt. How will he looks when he walks out on four orphans!I don't think Pitt was enthusiastic about the idea, thus his absence from Vietnam, notice too that there was a name change but no adoption by Pitt. He is the woman in the relationship and grossly underestimated Jolie.
In her latest interview she talks about finding reading to her children very sexy and generally reading a lot. She wants to paint a picture of an intellectual, I laugh sometimes when I listen to her these days, she believes that every one is a fool like Pitt and they cannot see right through her.
The media will continue using her as she is using them, but for how long? I am not sure Brad Pitt has any true friends, like Matt Damon was to Ben Affleck with Jlo, they would by now have told him that his image is in ruins and boy is he going to have a giant fall! Never before in my career have I seen a man change from macho to wimp in a blink of an eye.
But this is what makes Showbiz fun.
62 - Ken
Whatever people say, Cruise is right about pysciatry. Most of these drugs are addictive and dangerous but because there are powerful people beind them, little can be done about it. I just appeal to every one to be careful what treatment they use and should reaearch on a particular drug before using it. Also try and exhaust non drug treatment and let drugs be the last recourse.
Daryl, you are right, I have all the confidence Cruise will come out of this stronger. He is made of tough fibre adn has a good head on his shoulders.
63 - Amy
When a rumour is heard one too many times, it starts sounding true and people start believing it. I love your article Daryl but I do not agree about Cruise being queer. Remember when we all thought he was sterile? Up to now there are those who still believe Suri is not his child and when she showed physical resemblance to him, they changed the prospective father from Chris Klein to Bill Mapother his cousin. Cynics will always be cynics.
64 - Brenda
Im a new Tom Cruise fan and I think he's a good man and one of the best actors of our time.
He found the one too and that's Katie Holmes.
She seems like a wonderful woman. Its true some are just insanely jealous of Tom Cruise. They actually cant find any fault in him. Many actors and actresses are WORST.
65 - gina
"Its true some are just insanely jealous of Tom Cruise. They actually cant find any fault in him."
Uh...right.
66 - Darwin
James Lightfield and Jerald R should stop fighting here and go elsewhere.
We're talking about Cruise, scientology is always taking the main subject; it's related big time, but we are missing the human subject.
Tom cruise.
Why is Janice talking about Pitt? Pitt is such a flake. c'mon!
67 - Belle
I am a new Tom Cruise fan as well. I like many of his movies but not him as a person. I was not so interested in showbusiness but this Tom and Katie Affair just got me hooked. I think he is genuinely nice person. Look at the way he has taken all the criticism and ridicule directed at him. I also agree that he is strong and will defintiely rise above this.
I don't think that people are Jelous of Cruise but they are envious like the writer says, there is a huge different. Too many people today are unhappy and dissatisfied with their lives so when someone comes and throws their happiness in their faces, they retaliate. They turn envy into anger and try to bring that person down but trying to rpove that they are no possibly happy as they want us to believe. Many people never see this kind of happiness in their life time. Many believe that rich people should be unhappy as Britney with problems like Paris or in love triangles like the Jolie- Pitts.
I hope Tom and Katie remain happy, atleast it shows that there is such a thing as being truly happy.
68 - Sandy
So happy that Tom Cruise has gotten to many readers and are supportive of him as to the dangers of some drugs. His acting ability is superb. For example, just see "The Last Samurai". Movies like MP are strictly exciting and entertaining.
Tom is a gorgeous hunk and I can say that since my husband is 5'4" and is sexy as can be. Just ask me....I'm married 48 years.
Tom is a successful, talented and sensible, loving, sweet man and is loved by many friends and respected by his industry. Give him an Oscar or some special acting recognition by the Oscars!!!
69 - Simon N. Garfunkle
If Cruise was a real hero, not a movie hero, he would tell us what really goes on inside the cult of Scientolgy. Are they blackmailing him with the so-called confessionals? Does the rumoured gay tape of him really exist? Are the perks he is given like having a field of oat grass sown for him by slave-labour scientologists so that he and Nicole can run through it that important? Why doesn't he tell us what happened to him after he did OT3? Those things would make him a hero. As is he is just a very wealthy schnook.
70 - Simon N. Garfunkle
I notice we don't hear a peep out of Nicole Kidman on Scientology now. I wonder why?