Tom Cruise Cans Sister As Publicist

After a year in which his public actions led many to believe he is an unstable, doctrinaire, shameless, manipulative, tawdry, manic, controlling publicity-monger, Tom Cruise has hired a new publicist to replace his sister and fellow-Scientologist Lee Anne DeVette, after apparently being rubuffed in efforts to fire himself.

For example, in what would probably not be called a publicity coup for the siblings, Lauren Bacall told Time magazine in August, "His whole behavior is so shocking. It's inappropriate and vulgar and absolutely unacceptable to use your private life to sell anything commercially, but I think it's kind of a sickness."

Publicity for Cruise and his production company will now be handled by industry veteran Paul Bloch of Rogers and Cowan, who also represents John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone, and David and Victoria Beckham. You don't see any of them jumping on couches and gushing about Katie Holmes on Oprah, publicly duking it out with with Brooke Shields over her use of psychiatric medication to treat postpartum depression, or waxing creepily evangelical about Scientology - do you?

Being a publicist and all, Bloch was diplomatic about Cruise and DeVette, "I think Tom has handled himself magnificently, and I think Lee Anne has handled it magnificently, and I'm so pleased they brought us on," he told the LA Times.

I guess that would depend on your meaning of "magnificent."

In a statement, Cruise said his sister had "always expressed a desire to oversee and expand the day-to-day activities of my charitable endeavors," which she will now be relegated to publicizing.

"This seemed an appropriate time to make that segue and bring Rogers and Cowan on board to handle mine and the company's entertainment-related publicity needs."

"I know how important Tom's charitable goals are to him," said DeVette in the same statement.

She said she looked forward to raising the profile of her brother's involvement in children's health issues, social reforms and "the general betterment of the human condition."

Like through Scientology and stuff.

Article Author: Eric Olsen

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