Dr. Drew Suggests Abuse And Neglect The Cause For Tom Cruise Joining Scientology Cult
Well, well, well. It’s about damn time a celeb/media person call a spade a spade. According to substance abuse expert and internist, Dr. Drew Pinsky, Tom Cruise suffers from a mental illness AND he calls Scientology a cult. Yep, that’s about right. Here are the details from that tabloid hottie Dick Johnson at the New York Post based on an interview Pinsky did with Playboy Magazine:
TOM Cruise’s lawyer is comparing a TV doctor’s analysis of the star’s mental health to Nazi methods. In next month’s Playboy, Dr. Drew Pinsky, host of VH1’s “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew,” says: ”
A lot of people in the public eye who behave strangely have mental illness we can learn from, and much of it is based on childhood trauma, without a doubt. Take a guy like Tom Cruise. Why would somebody be drawn into a cultish kind of environment like Scientology? To me, that’s a function of a very deep emptiness and suggests serious neglect in childhood - maybe some abuse, but mostly neglect.”
Cruise’s lawyer, Bert Fields, told us:
“This unqualified television performer who is obviously just looking for notoriety is so grotesquely unprofessional as to pretend to diagnose Tom and others without ever meeting them. He seems to be spewing the absurdity that all Scientologists are mentally ill. The last time we heard garbage like this was from Joseph Goebbels.”
I interviewed celebrity biographer Andrew Morton a while back, who wrote the definitive book on Tom Cruise. We talked at great length about Cruise and his childhood, and he described Tom’s relationship with his dad, an abusive absentee father, as a defining context for Tom’s evolution into who he has become now. Tom, being the youngest and the only son in a house full of women, was pampered by his mother and sisters, but despite this love and nurturing, Tom clearly missed having a father figure in his life.
When you add Tom’s size (he’s 5′7″ at best) and his inherent insecurities about this, you have a guy who is constantly over-compensating for a lack of something. In this case, a lack of a father. Tom was abused, but I doubt he was ever neglected. In fact, Tom’s world centered around Tom and always has. This made him a perfect candidate for Scientology, a religion built on the notion of constant self-improvement and the belief that those who practice the teachings of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, will become better than everyone else by achieving super-human powers.
Tom’s issue isn’t abuse and neglect, his issue is an extreme sense of “specialness” or as we like to call it in Hollywood: narcissism. Scientology appeals to those who think only “they” can save the world, and only they can achieve “enlightenment”, the fact that it’s a cult (which it is) has more to do with the mental illness of the individual (the malevolent David Miscavige who’s Tom Cruise’s best friend) in charge of the organization and the infrastructure centered around secretiveness.
While Dr. Pinsky has a few things right, he’s missed the mark in some key areas. I encourage him to pursue the subject further though, as he may be on to something by linking mental illness and joining cults.
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Dear Dr. Drew:
Prepare to be fairgamed. Put it out there that this is what the “church” usually does to critics and document it as it happens.
Yet another opportunity to sit back and watch them hang themselves.
Love,
tuffy
Comment by tuffyt — June 12, 2008 @ 2:12 pm
Oh the ironies….
Tom…you need meds.
Comment by gary — June 12, 2008 @ 3:07 pm
As L. Ron said, there are no mental illnesses. Lung cancer is caused by too little smoking. Humans come from clams. There are eskimos on Jupiter.
Scientology is all about helping people (mesothelioma from freewinds, RPF prisons, chold abuse in the Sea Or).
Comment by Xenu — June 12, 2008 @ 3:44 pm
http://wikileaks.org/wiki/Scientology_cult_Hubbard_Class_VIII_Assists_Xenu_lecture_recording_1968
any audio people out there who can verify this is real?
Would be fun to play outside a sci-con office.
Comment by Xune — June 12, 2008 @ 4:11 pm
It is silly to assume that Tom joined Scientology because he was mentally ill. Equally likely is the possibility that Scientology drove him insane.
I hope the cult stops hurting people, and one day everyone, including Tom Cruise, will look back in amazement at how messed up and dangerous the Scientology organization became.
Comment by David Miscavige — June 12, 2008 @ 4:24 pm
Any attorney who raises a Joseph Goebbels comparison, yet represents a high ranking member of the Church of Scientology, raises a comparison that is only applicable to himself.
Comment by AnonymousNow — June 12, 2008 @ 5:43 pm
@Xune: I hope no one takes you up on that offer. It would be pretty destructive to Anonymous’ hard work to go so far off topic. The problem we have with the Co$ is their abusive policies — disconnection, fair game, suing people til they bleed, etc. — NOT their beliefs, however weird they may be. Put Xenu and OT III and all that other stuff away, don’t bother with it, it’s just a distraction. It just makes people more sure that Anon is all about religious intolerance.
Comment by martha — June 12, 2008 @ 5:49 pm
Note that Drew never made a definitive diagnosis, whatsoever. Rather, this is what he said:
“Why would somebody be drawn into a cultish kind of environment like Scientology? To me, that’s a function of a very deep emptiness and suggests serious neglect in childhood - maybe some abuse, but mostly neglect.” Thus, he only states that the above facts “suggest” to him neglect in childhood. That is a fairly basic and truthful suggestion in Tom’s case, anyone with half an once of intution would gather.
In response, Tom’s lawyer, in dishonest fashion, asserts that Drew had made a definitive diagnosis, and relying on this falicy, bizarrely suggested Drew was “Goebbels” for making such a “diagnosis” without examining the patient. Footbullet, and merely confirms everything Anonymous is saying about the COS and their cronies.
Comment by AnonymousNow — June 12, 2008 @ 5:53 pm
One more point– by comparing Dr. Drew to Goebbels, this asshat attorney (I can say that because of my line of work) seeks to devalue the plight of all jews in the holocaust. I mean, SRSLY… Dr. Drew, an alpha nazi???
The Anti Defamation League should learn that this lawyer. He is out of control with his nazi references, this should result in major backlash.
Comment by AnonymousNow — June 12, 2008 @ 6:08 pm
Field’s reference to Goebbels is classic $cientology tactics. They are not above using the mass slaughter of millions in an effort to appear the victim when they’re criticized. They do it constantly, and what is so ironic is how closely Hubbard’s philosophy mirrors Hitlers. Had they ever met they no doubt would have been fast friends.
Comment by Rachel — June 12, 2008 @ 6:30 pm
“It is silly to assume that Tom joined Scientology because he was mentally ill. Equally likely is the possibility that Scientology drove him insane.”
It sounded to me like Drew was just talking about the childhood trauma’s Tom, himself, has spoken out about in the past. People who feel neglected (whether real or imagined) often strive harder than most seeking approval from groups. Cults often draw people in with “love-bombing” and LOTS of attention which is irresistible to those who ever feel neglected.
Cruise just can’t handle the truth.
Besides, Drew’s wording clearly indicated that it was merely his educated guess - not official diagnosis, with phrasing like “a guy like” and “To me…”
The comment would have gone completely unnoticed (do guys even really read playboy articles?) if it wasn’t for yet another ridiculous over-reaction. I thought cruise was looking to repair his image, not drive another nail in the coffin for his career.
I name Cruise’s new footbullet “Godwin.”
Comment by liz — June 12, 2008 @ 7:04 pm
In the comment from Xenu he forgot to mention that L Ron Hubbard, in a previous life, was a Marcabian race car driver known as the Green Dragon.
Comment by flash321 — June 12, 2008 @ 7:50 pm
“This unqualified Hollywood performer who is obviously just looking for notoriety is so grotesquely unprofessional as to pretend to diagnose Brooke Shields and others without ever meeting them.”
FIX’D
Comment by AF — June 12, 2008 @ 8:38 pm
Liz called it with Godwin. Bring up Goebbels is like shouting Hitler. In for a penny, in for a pound.
Also correct is the manner in how Pinsky commented, without making a diagnosis. This is key. No doctor — psych or internist or even a dentist for that matter — can diagnose from afar. However, based on various parameters, what is known about Cruise, as well as how cults work, Dr Drew can easily speculate as to how cos continues to draw folks like Tommyboy.
Look, we all have vulnerabilities and insecurities. But not all of us end up under the control of a cult. Those who run cults or work for them are trained to run their own quick psychological evaluations (can you say auditing?) on prospects to find the most at risk and the most likely to respond to whatever it is they’re “selling”.
And yeah, Cruise diagnosed Brooke since he read all about “psychiatry” in Hubb’s books, whereas Dr Drew actually has medical degrees and experience, blah blah blah. Typical cos games.
Comment by Joanie — June 13, 2008 @ 4:15 am
“And yeah, Cruise diagnosed Brooke since he read all about “psychiatry†in Hubb’s books, whereas Dr Drew actually has medical degrees and experience, blah blah blah. Typical cos games.”
That’s a good point. Drew is a practicing psychiatrist. Tom cruise has no education. Yet, Tom Cruise, unlike Dr. Drew, made the definitive diagnosis that Brooke Shields should not have taken medication for post partum depression. Dr. Drew never made a difinitive diagnosis concerning cruise whatsoever. Thus,the COS insanity continues. They must lie and lie some more because they seek to protect a brainwashing cult that destroys lives and disconnects families for profit. Can’t talk about that in honest terms.
Comment by AnonymousNow — June 13, 2008 @ 10:52 am
This people is what a CO$ “cleared” society will be like. I think Dr. Drew would be labelled a Nazi-criminal and thrown in the RPF or worse.
Comment by truthseeker — June 13, 2008 @ 12:28 pm
@Martha
Not necessarily if used properly. One thing it does is prove that the CO$ is continuing to lie about OTIII, Xenu, Body thetans etc. It’s further proof Tommy Davis lied his ass off on CNN. It never hurts to have more proof. It also disproves their whole Scientology is compatible with all religions nonsense because it includes Hubbard’s famous “there is no Christ quote”. Holding up a sign saying “this is what Scientologists actually believe” while playing it would probably be detrimental. Holding up a sign that says “Tommy Davis lied on CNN here’s proof” or “Scientology is not compatible with Christianity here’s proof” would be better. This should be played to all Scientologists who have yet to learn about OTII and Xenu. The dox are all useful you just have to know how to use them.
Comment by GoneGuru — June 13, 2008 @ 1:20 pm
Scientology is evil; its techniques evil; its practice a serious threat to the community, medically, morally and socially; and its adherents are sadly deluded and often mentally ill. (from the Report of the Board of Enquiry into Scientology of the Parliament of the state of Victoria, Australia)
And yes, it applies to bouncin’ Tom.
Comment by Tilman — June 15, 2008 @ 5:44 am