Scientology Branches Out Into Matchmaking: How Tom Met Katie
The coupling of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes has been the fodder of tabloid rags for the last two and half years — or as we like to call it — BOCJ, aka Before Oprah Couch Jumping.
It would seem the rumors swirling as to the exact circumstances of their meeting are heating up again, with a new twist coming forward at the hands of ex-Scientologist Mark Headley. In a post on Cleveland Leader (a pretty cool site btw) they quote Headley from a News Of The World article:
After [Tom split with Penelope Cruz], he started complaining to his best buddy David about his luck with girls. So Miscavige assigned a high-ranking official with the order: ‘Find a wife for Tom Cruise.’
“The official put out a casting call to female actresses, including Scientologists, saying, ‘There’s an upcoming Tom Cruise movie you might get a part in. Come for an audition.’ But in the end no movie was made. They had to be single, they had to be pretty and in their 20s.
“First they rounded up Scientologist actresses like Erica Christensen, Erica Howard and Sofia Milos. But they were all rejected.”
“Then… they went for Jennifer Garner, Scarlett Johansson and Jessica Alba, in that order. They came up with the same plan. Jennifer and Jessica didn’t bite but Scarlett took the bait and came in for an audition. When she arrived at the audition address and found out it was the Scientology Center in Hollywood she freaked out and didn’t do a tape…
“So they worked the audition tape on Katie, got her to L.A. and introduced her to Tom. The moment he meets her, he’s enthralled with her and he told Miscavige later, ‘I knew immediately she was the one.’”
Not one bit of this surprises me considering what I have read so far in Andrew Morton’s: Tom Cruise, An Unauthorized Biography. Andrew describes Tom Cruise as a hopeless romantic who woos his ladies with flowers and expensive gifts, doting on them until the inevitable charm wears off, as it did with his first wife, Mimi Rogers and second wife, Nicole Kidman. Far from the media’s dogged pursuit of the alleged “gay scandal” which has plagued Tom since a handful of beefcake pictures surfaced in gay magazines in New York in the early 80’s, Tom is a “man’s man” and pursues his conquest with stalkery devotion until as one ex-girlfriend from his hometown in Glen Ridge, Diane Van Zoeren states, “When he was done with you, he was done with you.”.
Katie was likely swept off her feet in the same way Nicole was initially, with Tom smothering her with grand gestures of long-stemmed roses and diamond jewelry. It certainly couldn’t have hurt matters that Katie once admitted she told her siblings she would one day “marry Tom Cruise.”
What’s also interesting about this book, which I highly recommend not only for its insight into the core and essence of Tom Cruise, but also a stark and revealing look at Scientology and church leader David Miscavige, is how even-handed and well-written it is. Andrew Morton, despite the bad press the CoS tried to paint about the book, took great pains to present Tom in the most honest light, showing all of his inherent positive qualities like his aforementioned romantic spirit, love of family, hands-on parenting, drive and dedication and superior work ethic, but also the negative, which include a cruel streak a mile wide (as demonstrated with how he treats the women he’s “done with”), his blind devotion to Scientology, a hair-trigger litigious sensitivity and an obvious lack of good judgment of people’s character (ie, he is essentially BEST friends with David Miscavige despite overwhelming evidence showing DM as being a petty, angry, violent paranoid).
Tom Cruise is no doubt a complicated figure. I fear for Katie Holmes should at any point she even slightly deviate from the path of Scientology, like Nicole Kidman did. It will be the end of her fairy-tale marriage to Tom and likely, the last she will see of her precious Suri. Tom’s heart, as painted by Andrew Morton, has room for only one true love, and that is Scientology. For within the arms of the Church, Tom finds the validation, security, adoration and sense of belonging he clearly never received in any of the women, family, awards, or fan worship he was ever bestowed.
And that my friends, is where the Church of Scientology’s magnetic pull on celebrities lurks.
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According to Morton, Cruise’s modus operandi in courtship is to bomb the object of his affection with text messages and flowers from the day after their first date or even their first meeting.
Ladies, would this kind of strategy actually work on you with a regular guy – i.e., not a movie star? Or would it scare you off?
It seems to me it would scare a sensible woman away, because the behavior just screams stalker or control freak or potential abuser, or any combo of the three.
No, I’m not looking for courtship tips. I have a long-term relationship (7 years and counting). I’m just curious as to whether normal women would consider the Cruise M.O. really creepy or scary.
Comment by Narcissus — March 11, 2008 @ 4:36 pm
I love how he is praised for his hands on parenting. All he does or did is assign himself the “parent” while sweetly telling the current spouse to go lay down or head to the shops, only to start asking the household where the spouse was. Hands on parenting? he is turning his kids into arrogant drones.
Comment by Holly — March 11, 2008 @ 4:52 pm
It’s totally creepy Narcissus, which I suggest. And no, a regular joe would get a restraining order put out on him, but he’s Tom Cruise and what Tom wants, Tom gets.
So you guys have read the book too. Pretty great read huh?
Comment by D — March 11, 2008 @ 5:00 pm
The Morton book is flawed but entertaining. He gets a few fairly inconsequential things wrong, like calling Bow Wow Wow a hip-hop group or something like that, and correctly describing Nicole Kidman’s dad as a clinical psychologist through most of the book but at one point saying he’s a psychiatrist. I know – picky, picky. But you’re right, D, about how the book gives a lot of insight into $cientology and Cruise’s forehead-deep involvement in it. And it is, overall, rather well-written.
Comment by Narcissus — March 11, 2008 @ 5:20 pm
Would Tom Cruise disconnect from any of his children if they left the CO$? The answer you find will tell you about the character of this man.
Comment by truthseeker — March 11, 2008 @ 5:50 pm
I’d like to know what they have on Nicole Kidman where Tom has completed control of the kids. The Anthony Pelicanno trial will be very interesting to watch. Will probably blow the lid off many Hollywood divorces. Wonder also if Katie Holmes parents are seing any of this as they are devout Catholics. I bet had they know even what half of what has come out they wouldn’t have let Cruise anywhere near their daughter. Poor Katie. Take a gullible, star struck young woman coming off a long term relationship with a know history of a “crush” on Cruise, stir it up with mega wooing and flatery, make sure to seal the deal with a pregnancy and voila…a stepford wife. Have you see how much money that woman spends on baubles????
Comment by Mitsu Too — March 11, 2008 @ 6:57 pm
And in some more interesting news:
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/newmedia/la-et-scientology3mar03,1,4376412.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
Comment by beebee — March 11, 2008 @ 8:16 pm
And an interesting timeline for those that are interested:
http://io9.com/363755/the-science-vs-scientology-timeline
Comment by beebee — March 11, 2008 @ 10:29 pm
What does the Co$ have on Kidman? Well, Mitsou Too, there is all that information she coughed up in $cientology sessions. Auditors ask questions about fantasies and things you’re ashamed of, and lots of other stuff that you wouldn’t want disclosed to the public.
Comment by Xenudo — March 11, 2008 @ 11:07 pm
Andrew Morton’s book on prinncess Diana was amazingly accurate – he was called a liar for about a year until those “lies” were confirmed. I’ve no doubt his book on Tom is just as accurate.
It’s so funny that before katie met tommy, she shared a laugh with David Letterman about Tom Cruise being an insecure shorty.
Here’s the clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcyXfyFLaTc
I think it’s pretty obvious what the appeal is when during an interview she gets “a present from Cruise – a Chanel diamond necklace. Holmes screamed in delight. “He’s my man! He’s my man!”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/07/10/wkatie10.xml
Comment by liz — March 11, 2008 @ 11:57 pm
Information about March 15 here:
http://www.march15.org/
Comment by beebee — March 12, 2008 @ 12:09 am
Shall we wear boots on the 15th?
http://video.google.com.au/videoplay?docid=-3282902859894544044&hl=en-AU
Careful though, it seems a restraining order has been put out on anon.
http://www.sptimes.com/2008/03/12/Northpinellas/Scientology_fights_ba.shtml
I can understand them wanting to protect their members, but I don’t see how this will protect their reputation – which is the only thing that is in any danger.
Comment by liz — March 12, 2008 @ 1:33 am
bee bee thanks for all the great links. I am constantly amazed at the wealth of information out there. The time line was hilarious. A “gorilla mask” to scare the thetans…..maybe anonymous should wear some of those too at the pickets..LOL
Comment by Mitsu Too — March 12, 2008 @ 6:27 am
Mitsu Too – that’s what is going to get $cientology in the end – the truth is out there and they can’t suppress it any more. Their Orwellan double-speak has been cracked open, and they can’t mobilise against an informed and intelligent opponent! So much for OT powers, and handling SPs and MEST…
Comment by beebee — March 12, 2008 @ 8:20 pm
If you have read this crappy book as everyone call it, mostly britons, you should know that it is Mimi Rogers, the ambitious and ferocious greedy woman, who targeted, enrolled and manipulated a very young Tom , into scientology.
He is a romantic indeed, and very sweet. I’ve met him and when he appeared on the set of Holems’Mad Money, she lighted up, so did Suri.
Comment by fiona — March 12, 2008 @ 11:08 pm
Fiona – so what is your point?
Comment by beebee — March 12, 2008 @ 11:19 pm