An undeniable fact about 2022 is that Top Gun: Maverick “saved theatrical distribution,” to quote Steven Spielberg. Not only did it do well for a post-pandemic release, it became one of the most successful films ever, and all in-theaters. I have hated this fact since Maverick’s release, because it puts an entire industry in debt to a man who is virtually at the head of a cult. I know Tom Cruise is an excellent producer. I know he is very polished, some say even thoughtful in how he conducts himself for Hollywood business. But I cannot forget that he and David Miscavige are the kings of the Church of Scientology. They are responsible for the organization’s reprehensible behavior and heinous crimes. On Wednesday, former COS member and current NYU student Leah Remini filed a lawsuit against the Church of Scientology and described the harassment, defamation, and psychological torture they inflicted on her:
It started falling apart at TomKat’s 2006 wedding: The event was billed as “the wedding of the century,” so Remini says she was surprised when [David] Miscavige’s wife, Michele (“Shelly”) Miscavige, “was nowhere to be found… When Ms. Remini asked a group of Scientology executives and Tom Cruise’s personal handlers… ‘Where is Shelly?’ she was immediately admonished by the group, despite the fact that she and Ms. Miscavige were good friends,” the lawsuit claims.
She was forced to do an ‘ethics cycle’ post-wedding: “Upon arrival, Ms. Remini was presented with dozens of internal reports from Scientologists complaining about her behavior at the wedding. It was clear to Ms. Remini that she was being punished for asking where Shelly Miscavige was and for filing reports on David Miscavige and others. Ms. Remini was held at FLAG [Flag Land Base headquarters in Florida] for four months while she was put through a process that cost her hundreds of thousands of dollars and nearly led her to have a psychotic breakdown,” the lawsuit alleges.
They made her buy a theater seat for Suri: Remini alleges she had to make peace with David [Miscavige] and Cruise. “For example, she was forced to donate money to name a seat in a theater after Suri Cruise and was to raise money for donation to Scientology causes led by Tom Cruise,” the lawsuit reads. The actress estimates that during her more than 35 years as a Scientologist, she spent around $5 million.
In 2020 COS sent a man to stalk her home: “Defendants armed this man with a vehicle and money to stalk and surveil Ms. Remini. Over the course of several weeks, at Defendants’ behest, this man rammed his car into the security gates of Ms. Remini’s community and asked residents for Ms. Remini’s address, saying he was waiting to get into her house, falsely claiming he had been there several times before, and that he needed to get a bigger ladder in order to reach her bedroom window,” the lawsuit reads. “He was eventually arrested and then released, at which point he called the police to allege that Ms. Remini was holding hostages at her home. After police responded to Ms. Remini’s house, he was again arrested.”
Well, I hope at least the Suri Cruise theater seat doesn’t sting so much anymore. There’s so much listed in the lawsuit, including Anderson Cooper filming but then never airing a segment with Remini because of a “storm of harassment” from COS, and COS sending Conan O’Brien a character assassination letter on Remini when he had her on as a guest. In continuing with their hateful, aggressive tactics, COS eventually released a statement in reaction to the lawsuit. It is positively unhinged! Just a couple excerpts from the full page rebuttal:
“Remini’s complaints are like an anti-Semite complaining about the Jewish Anti-Defamation League for exposing the anti-Semite’s bigotry and propaganda.”
Did you follow that? Oh good, me neither. And this is the closer:
“The Church is not intimidated by Remini’s latest act of blatant harassment and attempt to prevent truthful free speech. If Remini does not believe in free speech, then she should consider emigrating to Russia.”
Like I said, unhinged. I think (hope!) that behind the scenes Xenu is sh*tting their pants. Thank you Leah Remini for speaking out, for filing the suit, and for continuing to raise the question: Where’s Shelly?
Photos credit: Yolo/gica/Backgrid, PacificCoastNews / Avalon, Getty
This is why i couldn’t go see Top Gun, why I won’t go see the new Mission Impossible, etc. the more and more we learn about Scientology the clearer it is that it is a dangerous cult and I dont want to do anything that in any way supports it- and supporting Tom Cruise, to me, is supporting scientology.
Totally agree. I don’t care how good or popular his movies are. I always take a hard pass on Tom Cruise. Still have him jumping up and down on Oprah’s couch burned in my cerebral cortex.
Wasn’t that simply the most cringe worthy example of how unhinged T. C. is??
I actually turned on Cruise in his divorce proceedings with Kidman. Cruise blatantly lied about their separation date so that he could claim that they had not in fact been married for 10 years, purely to save him some $$$. Plus Kidman was pregnant when he pulled the carpet out from under her and she miscarried.
That’s the way I see it too. I’m not going to plunk my $17-20 on the counter in support of anything TC does or creates.
had enough of misogynistic “charming” narcissistic a-holes in my real life; don’t need to support one recreationally. There are plenty of other artists who don’t sit at the pinnacle of a gross manipulative life destroying slave cult. I’ll put my money up for those people instead*
I’ve also found that films, shows with these people at the head wind up with the ick oozing through, their corrupt values, warped view of the world come through eventually (like with BtVS/Whedon incl self-insert Zander who in retrospect is the worst whiny entitled twit of the entire show, even considering The Trio) They don’t sit well eventually.
Plus, as with Pitt and Depp and Gibson and others, I can no longer separate what I’ve read, seen about them and their behavior, the harm they caused and keep causing, from their images on screen. There is no more willing suspension of disbelief when they are on the screen, so it’s not entertaining.
*note, I’m a grown up and know no human is perfect. But I’d rather focus on those who as far as I can tell aren’t actively trying to be evil and gross and harmful to others.
I feel exactly the same way.
Count me in as well! I will not spend one cent on any vehicle in which he is attached to. Cruise deserves to be vilified and punished for his actions throughout his life but especially his ties with Scientology.
Thank you, you said it so well. I’m really turned off by all these men, and and have no interest in anything they do. But, for me Tom Cruise was the first. I blanked him out years ago. Spot on about the narcissistic “charm”. It’s actually pretty nauseating once you understand what it is, and I used to be one of those women who was attracted to that kind of ego. Yuck. It has no value, and almost always ends up harming women.
Becks1 – same…
Yup, same here. I will never put a dime in Cruise’s pocket if I can help it, no matter if his movies are good or not.
Also, are they f*cking serious with that statement?! They might as well have said, “Leah is a doodoo headed cootie queen, who nobody wants to sit with!” I hope she destroys them.
Same
Agree in spirit, but remember, friends, that hundreds of people contribute to the making of that movie. Tom’s name is up top, but so many careers — from lighting and sound to food carriers and drivers — buttress it. I wouldn’t take that away from them, as much as he makes my hackles rise.
Sorry, but I don’t think that’s a good excuse. They could get the same work on a different production not headlined by Darth Cruise. If he becomes less profitable, it would create space for a different story than Mission Impossible Eleventy Bazillion. How many Mission Impossibles does the world need anyway?
Tom’s paycheck is also up top.
Tom does the most to prop up scientology and has given them millions. He has sea org members working in his homes. The sea org, which hardly pays anything at all. They can literally barely afford TP!
Supporting Cruise in his stupid projects supports scientology. If scientology went away, *they* could all get better jobs and have a real life instead of being worked to death and then abandoned when they can’t work any more or get sick.
Anyone who has seen/read Going Clear knows this cultists operating procedure. Leah Remini is to be commended for fighting.
Absolutely we should celebrate Leah’s bravery for going after COS as they haven’t stopped harassing, following nor allowed her and her friends a moments peace. COS should be held for ALL of the crimes against Leah since she left.
As for Cruise “saving” the movie industry, I call BS no matter IF Spielberg made that statement. Spielberg was a fool to feed into this narcissist’s head! Cruise simply had perfect timing in releasing his movie, nothing more.
I don’t think Top Gun: ME “saved” movies. Tom Cruise refused to release the movie during the pandemic because he wanted to wait until he could maximize his profits. The two movies that kept theaters in business during the shutdown were actually Tenet and Godzilla v. Kong.
Leah’s series on Scientology back in 2016-19 was an eyeopener. I saw it on Netflix, but I don’t know if it’s streaming anywhere now. Each episode was about a different way they scam their members or intimidate them into staying or how they have terrorized government officials into doing whatever they want.
They claim to have millions of members world wide, but it’s actually about 20,000 – 50,000, according to insiders who have left. What they have a lot of is real estate – lots of buildings sitting empty.
She shared her story back then – I wonder why she waited until now to sue them?
It’s an A&E series. I didn’t watch it until Netflix either. Absolutely stunning. People acting so sanctimonious in comments here for spurning Tom Cruise movies should put their energies towards getting the tax exemption for CoS reversed.
For people patting themselves on the back for not watching TC movies who also hate the IRS — think about the harassment and pressure brought to bear on simple civil servants to get that exemption, then shut it about how righteous u are.
Good luck Leah!
As to “why she waited until now to sue them?” – go back and watch the segment where she talks about how she is unable to act or even feel like other humans due to her training.
I can’t possibly understand the reality and extent of her trauma, but I definitely accept that it’s there. She was brought up in the CoS. I just wondered of there was a specific thing that made her decide to sue the church now. It could be that she feels emotionally ready, or it could be some escalating threats from the church, or it could be that she has some additional evidence…
Just wow!! She is trying to build a life away from the cult and they still refuse to let her exist peacefully outside the cult after so many years since her escape from them. They don’t want her to succeed lest other members feel emboldened to do the same. I hope she remains safe and has a supportive group of people to lean on. I pray she succeeds with her court cases. She deserves to thrive. 😇
Makes me think of what the Sussexes may have to contend with for the rest of their lives having escaped the toxic royal mafia institution that pulled their security and used the British tabloids to relentlessly pursue them to drum up hate daily. Thankfully the Sussexes were able to settle in the US and attain financial independence as life in the UK would be untenable for them. 🙁
I was thinking the same think reading those gobbledygook CoS statements, it sounded like the same sort of nonsense the BM / BRF puts out. Absolute power really does seem to corrupt absolutely, including minds and values – up is down, black is white and nonsense is logic with those types.
She is so courageous. Go Leah.
I’m scared for Leah. I thought they went their own ways and voilà. For her to be doing this, she must be really scared and I fell like her coming out and suing them is her way of protecting herself. I love tom cruise’s movies but this is just despicable.
Leah has a very good podcast with another former high-ranking member. The abuse suffered by these poor people at the hands of a “church” is appalling.
I too do not give one box office penny to Tom Cruise.
I have only paid to seen one Tom Cruise movie in the theater. And that was in the ‘90s—the movie where he met Nicole. Never a real fan and the Scientology element solidified it for me long ago. He is a veritable movie star—one of the last—and I’d celebrate him—maybe even dump money at the box office—if he left the Church. But it’s consumed and controlled his life so completely, I don’t see how he’d ever have enough awareness to break free. I hope he (and his kids) can, though. He must be a deeply lonely man.
It takes nerves of steel to go after this cult and Leah has it in spades.
Bankrupt them Leah.
LOL!!! I’m still laughing at that statement that COS released against Leah. It’s not only celebrities or people with money they harass. My colleague told me a good friend of hers got into COS and then disappeared for many years. Turns out, my colleague recently got a call from her. Apparently, she got into COS and then tried to get out, but they wouldn’t let her. Turns out her friend moved to Mexico and went dark for years. She just got back to the U.S. and started reaching out to all her non-COS friends.
Yes, all religions have their negative points, but COS is super…odd. You spend a ton of $$$$ to elevate yourself in the church and then further ingrain yourself in their insidious policies and beliefs. I read the LAPD did a “welfare” check on Shelly. They met with her and saw that she’s fine. Whatever that means. Not to fall through the rabbit hole, but I also hear there are bribes and COS members within public service agencies like the LAPD.
Former LA County sheriff Lee Baca was rumoured to be a Scientologist. At best he had some sort of tie that lead him to look the other way about them.
I like other above will never and have never paid to see his movies.
Never forget that Tom Cruise is David Miscarriage’s right-hand man and how evil and dangerous this cult is. That Tom has slave labor and sent his kick out his underage niece and had the family turn their backs on her because she didn’t agree with him. When she finally caved he sent her off to get punished which if you watch Going Clear it really torture.
I hope Leah gets a big pay day. Others have went up against them in their prime and won so theirs is hope.
Agree, he turns my stomach. There’s no way I could or would pay money to see any of his projects. Fortunately for the rest of the cast and crew of his movies most of the general public don’t seem to care. I’ve seen dumb little videos pop up unasked on facebook showing him doing motorcycle stunts and gushing over how professional he is and facebook videos/memes are my litmus test for what your average suburbanite (“minivan majority” to use Lainey’s term) wants to see.
Yes, Tom and the cult are working over time to rebuild his “Hollywood good guy” image and separate his public image from the cult.
I’ve noticed since the spilt with Katie; Tom did little promotion for his movies, then he would disappear. Since last year Tom has been really public ( in the media, photo ops ex..) I do not trust him for a minute nor do I trust his motive in trying to help negotiate the strike.
I never knew too much about Scientology before watching HBO’s documentary Going Clear years ago based on the Lawerence Wright book by the same name. After that, I did a deep dive and was truly horrified to learn about the abuses and evils of this cult. For anyone who wants a thorough history, examination of the abuse and horror of Scientology, and interviews with many former Scientologists – I highly recommend it!
Later, when Leah Remini defected, created and produced her own series on A&E with former Scientologist Mike Rinder, I watched that as well. Given the fact that Scientology viciously attacks, and comes after people who leave their organization that speak out against them, I always wondered if they would do that to Remini. I am happy to hear she is retaliating with this lawsuit; she is courageous in the work she does to expose Scientology for the cult that it is!
I too will NEVER watch another film with Tom Cruise (refused to see Maverick, the new Top Gun movie) after learning of all his involvement in Scientology, his relationship with David Miscavige, and the way he turns a blind eye to the abuses of this horrific cult, and actually benefits personally from much of it.
God bless Leah Remini and I hope she never backs down from the truth! Brass ovaries on that one. She’s an inspiration.
I remember reading at the time of Katie Holmes divorce that she stayed in NYC and stayed out and about to make it harder for the Scientology operatives to follow, stalk and harass her. I don’t know how or why that would work or even if it did but I do remember that rumour
I remember this rumor too about Katie Holmes! She supposedly called the paps/let them follow her in NYC post divorce and used them to her advantage to keep the Scientology stalkers away. With such a high profile divorce and the paparazzi trailing her and constantly taking pics, Scientology people were unable to harass and stalk Katie like the average Scientologist. They would have shown up in the pics and Katie would have had documentation she was being followed. Supposedly it was her dad who thought this up (he’s a divorce lawyer?) because otherwise the Scientology stalkers would have become part of the story. With the paparazzi reporting on her every move, Scientology didn’t have the upper hand and had to back off and she managed to escape. It probably pissed them off to no end she escaped the way she did.
Leah Remini is not A list/wasn’t married to Tom Cruise and the paparazzi would not be interested in following her. I wish her all the best and hopefully this cult will someday be brought to its knees.
Shelly Miscavige is likely being held at a heavily guarded Co$ compound deep in the woods in Lake Arrowhead, CA. She was banished there by David for making some changes to the senior team without Miscavige’s permission (he was living in LA at the time and Shelly was in Clearwater), and had some of his belongings boxed up and moved to a temporary housing unit because his private quarters were being renovated. If you want to read a truly terrifying article, this one from Vanity Fair in 2014 is pretty revealing. https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2014/03/shelly-miscavige-scientology-queen-de-throned
Oh, and David Miscavige is MIA after being served 27 times in two states with a federal lawsuit that accused him of human trafficking by three ex-Co$ members who allege they were forced into labor on Scientology boats as children after signing a one billion-year contract in exchange for little or no money. One of them has also alleged she was repeatedly sexually abused during this time.
Your comment just made something click for me; Tom became public again last year (i.e. being in the media, photographed, hanging out with celebrities publicly, going to different parties, hanging out with the Royals, etc.) after over ten years of being heading away unless promoting a movie.
The timeline matches up with David Miscavige going MIA after lawsuits were filed. Going by what we know about Scientology, this is no coincidence this was done on purpose.
Bingo!
Go Leah. Her bravery against this vile, evil, money grubbing, human trafficking, child abusing, family destroying cult is incredible. Her unwavering support for those who have also been abused by Scientology is amazing. David Miscavige and Tom Cruise can go to hell. Tom Cruise didn’t “ save Hollywood” . His PR has been working 24/7 to push his phoney, nice guy narrative. He uses slave labour and has for years, poisoned his older children against their Mother and abandoned his youngest for the cult after putting her Mother in a position of literally having to escape from him and Scientology. Why don’t reporters ever ask him about any of this?
I can’t even watch Cruise’s old movies now, let alone his new ones.
He’s a twisted creep and his cult has damaged the lives of so many people. Leah Remini is a badass.
Given the topic, and the fact that this story is about Leah Remini and the absolutely horrific abuse she suffered at the hands of this cult, I’m disappointed that the entire first paragraph is entirely about Tom Cruise and how “he’s done all this amazing stuff, but what a terrible shame because his cult abuses people all the time.”
Like why is Tom Cruise even mentioned? Why does Leah’s name not even appear until the second paragraph? This is about Leah’s lawsuit against the Scientology cult… and you’ve written this as if she’s a secondary character in her own story. Or worse, like she’s a secondary character in Tom Cruise’s story.
Disappointing.
No Tom Cruise fans in this household. Leah is in for a long battle. They can and will do everything to defend themselves and destroy her in the pr ocess. These are powerful people and will not go down without a fight. She may well be in danger. After all this time I’m sure she’s aware of that and has taken precautions. Braver than I could ever be.
Where is Shelly Miscavige?