The Church of Scientology has a lot of celebrity followers, but its most famous member of all is Tom Cruise. The Edge of Tomorrow actor’s involvement in the religion has been making headlines for decades, and is a big part of the much talked-about HBO documentary Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief. Us Weekly takes a closer look at Cruise’s Scientology connections in the new issue.
“Scientologists run Tom’s life,” a source tells Us of Katie Holmes‘ ex, 52. “They are obsessive, and he is brainwashed by them.”
Another insider adds, “Tom has minders with him at all times, and he’s rarely in touch with family members who aren’t Scientologists.”
Going Clear even goes so far as to suggest that church leaders control Cruise’s love life and helped to “facilitate the breakup” between him and ex-wife Nicole Kidman.
The Church, for its part, calls such allegations “absurd,” and categorically denies the claims made by former members in Alex Gibney‘s documentary.
In a statement about the film — which is based on Lawrence Wright‘s 2013 book Going Clear — a Scientology spokesperson slammed those involved as “admitted perjurers, admitted liars, and professional anti-Scientologists whose living depends on the filing of false claims.”
The statement added: “Wright and Gibney cherry-picked expelled, discredited former Scientologists who would help them advance their propaganda…None of the discredited sources represent the Scientology religion.”
A separate statement to Us further condemned the movie, calling the allegations within it “categorically false and stale,” and claiming that Gibney denied their requests to meet. “The Church works to help people,” the statement read. “We spend every waking minute working to get people off drugs and assist them to lead healthier, happier, and more productive lives.”
For more on the Church of Scientology’s Hollywood connections — including the L.A. Celebrity Centre International and John Travolta‘s history with the religion — pick up the new issue of Us Weekly, out now.