Latest news with #Scientology
Indian Express
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
When Tom Cruise tried to recruit ‘weak-minded' Seth Rogen into Scientology: ‘Thank God Judd Apatow was there or…'
Actor Seth Rogen is turning heads and taking names with his new series The Studio, where the narrative attempts to pull back the curtain on Hollywood and what all goes on behind the big screen. Like the nature of the show, Rogen has always been outspoken about his experiences as a part of the film industry and about his relationships with his co-stars, whether good or sour. Being the comedic genius he is, Rogen was once called by none other than Tom Cruise to help him make a comedy film. However, things quickly turned away from the main motive of the meeting and somehow transitioned into Cruise talking about religion and how the 'big pharma' companies were plotting against him. Maybe Cruise had some Ethan Hunt flashbacks, a character who often finds himself being hunted, misunderstood or both. As according to Rogen, Cruise seemed all set to recruit him and actor Judd Apatow into the Scientology camp. 'I am a huge Tom Cruise fan, and I watch all his movies. We had a long meeting with him, and a couple of hours into it, the Scientology stuff comes up and how weird he has looked in the press lately. He tells us, 'If you just let me tell you what it was really about and give me 20 minutes, you would say no f***** way.' Rogen added that he and Apatow looked at each other confused and weren't really ready for converting to a new religion right then. ALSO READ: Tom Cruise shrugs off father's day question after daughter Suri dropped his name following a decade of of estrangement He said, 'Cruise started explaining to us how the pharmaceutical industry was trying to sabotage him and make him look bad in front of everyone. Cruise said, 'They're scrambling, and they're doing everything they can to discredit me so I won't hurt sales anymore'.' The 'making me look bad in the press' thing which Cruise is referring to is a collection of several instances where the actor condemned the use of antidepressants and, of course, his infamous lunge on Oprah Winfrey's sofa in 2006. When Rogen asked him about the Oprah show, Cruise said that the media edited the video to make it look worse and then compared his situation to Louis Farrakhan. For context, Louis was the head of the Nation of Islam and had made several anti-Semitic comments, including comparing the Jews to cockroaches. Rogen admitted that 'of all the strange sentences I've heard in my life, Tom Cruise name-dropping Louis Farrakhan is top three.' Rogen, who described himself as 'generally weak-willed, weak-minded person', said he was thankful the director was with him. He added: 'Thank god Judd was like, 'Eh, I think we're good. Let's just talk about movies and stuff.'' Cruise is one of Scientology's most famous followers and earlier described the religion as 'beautiful'. He was introduced to the organisation by his first wife Mimi Rogers in 1986 and has followed it since. Along with The Studio, Rogen will also be appearing in the upcoming film Good Fortune, with Aziz Ansari and Keanu Reeves. The movie marks Aziz's directorial debut.
Extra.ie
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Why is the Church of Scientology so controversial?
Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Elisabeth Moss are just some of the prominent Hollywood stars who have publicly associated themselves with the controversial religion of Scientology. The religion, which is often referred to as a cult, was founded by US author L. Ron Hubbard in 1953 after the author failed in his bid to mask his pseudoscientific ideas as a form of therapy. Some of the key beliefs of Scientologists include that humans are immortal spiritual beings and that they will be reincarnated. Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Elisabeth Moss are just some of the prominent Hollywood stars who have publicly associated themselves with the controversial religion of Scientology. Pic:for Paramount Pictures Here is just a touch of what the religious organisation is all about… L. Ron Hubbard was an American author and the eventual founder of Scientology. In 1950, the Nebraska native wrote Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, which led to him establishing organisations to promote and practice Dianetic techniques. These were a set of ideas and practices regarding the mind which were initially framed as a form of therapy or psychological treatment. The organisation went bankrupt, which led Hubbard to reframe his ideas as a religion. Hubbard coined the term Scientology, which is made up of the Latin word scientia (knowledge/skill) and would claim that Scientology meant 'knowing about knowing' or 'science of knowledge.' This photograph shows the headquarters of the Church of Scientology in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on May 21, 2025. Pic: Thomas SAMSON / AFP The core beliefs for Scientologists are the idea that humans are immortal spiritual beings called 'thetans' that reside in the physical body. Thetans have had numerous previous lives. Those within the religion also believe in reincarnation, where the thetans are reborn into various bodies. Scientology says: 'The thetan is immortal and has lived — and will continue to live — through countless lifetimes.' The core practice in Scientology is auditing, and this sees one Scientologist (the auditor) ask the other questions. This is said to improve the abilities of the subject, but it creates a dependency on the auditing subject. Auditing can be quite costly for Scientologists, with Hubbard writing in 1964 that the cost for a 25-hour block should be the equivalent of three months' pay. Scientology is widely criticized and seen to be a potentially harmful organisation as well as quite manipulative to its members. Pic:Scientology is widely criticised and seen to be a potentially harmful organisation as well as quite manipulative to its members. It is often argued that the movement is not a religion but a commercial enterprise masquerading as one, as a means of Hubbard avoiding prosecution following the collapse of Dianetics in the past. Many members have left the church and spoken out about the abuse within the organisation. In 2023, Saved By The Bell actress Leah Remini sued the Church of Scientology for what she said was years of 'psychological torture.' In a blistering statement, the actress said she had endured 17 years of 'psychological torture, defamation, surveillance, harassment, and intimidation' which had 'significantly' impacted her life and career. In 2018, the church faced backlash for its so-called 'safe, healthy and thorough method of purging drugs from the body' at drug rehabilitation centres. Those attending the facility were said to be cut off from their addiction cold turkey, and given high doses of vitamins and minerals instead. The issue was brought to the Seanad by then Senator Ray Butler, who said it was 'brainwashing of the most vulnerable people.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ana de Armas Wants to Exit Anything Romantic With Tom Cruise, Says ‘Source'
Ana de Armas reportedly doesn't want to stay in anything romantic involving Tom Cruise. As reported by RadarOnline, the 'Mission: Impossible' star has allegedly been putting a lot of energy into impressing the 'Blonde' actor. However, the worldwide fame and scrutiny that come with being involved with the global star are reportedly driving Armas away. Ana de Armas allegedly does not want the same level of immense fame and spotlight as Tom Cruise. Dating rumors between the two actors have been swirling around the internet for quite some time now. However, per RadarOnline, a 'source' told them that the 'Deep Water' actor wants to 'wriggle out of' any kind of romantic involvement with the 'Top Gun' actor. The 'source' claimed, 'Ana likes Tom, and she's thrilled to do movie work with him.' The person continued, 'She doesn't want to live in the spotlight being his partner brings as she is just not interested in fame at his level.' The insider further said, 'She's already looking for the exit from anything romantic.' They added, 'But on the upside, at least it's not Tom's Scientology obsession that has killed another romance for him.' As reported by the news outlet, in a recent interview, Ana de Armas went on to open up about her opinions on fame. She said, 'You can't let the negative side of fame upset you.' The actor further explained, 'Because then you won't enjoy the beautiful aspects, but it's essential to separate.' She then emphasized, 'We're all people and we need that privacy, consideration, and space.' The actor continued, 'It seems incredible to have to say it, but we've forgotten that minimum of respect for others.' Ana de Armas stars in the upcoming movie, 'From the World of John Wick: Ballerina.' The film is all set to make its debut on June 6. The post Ana de Armas Wants to Exit Anything Romantic With Tom Cruise, Says 'Source' appeared first on Reality Tea.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ana de Armas & Tom Cruise Relationship in Trouble, Claims ‘Source'
Ana de Armas reportedly doesn't want to stay in anything romantic involving Tom Cruise. As reported by RadarOnline, the 'Mission: Impossible' star has allegedly been putting a lot of energy into impressing the 'Blonde' actor. However, the worldwide fame and scrutiny that come with being involved with the global star are reportedly driving Armas away. Ana de Armas allegedly does not want the same level of immense fame and spotlight as Tom Cruise. Dating rumors between the two actors have been swirling around the internet for quite some time now. However, per RadarOnline, a 'source' told them that the 'Deep Water' actor wants to 'wriggle out of' any kind of romantic involvement with the 'Top Gun' actor. The 'source' claimed, 'Ana likes Tom, and she's thrilled to do movie work with him.' The person continued, 'She doesn't want to live in the spotlight being his partner brings as she is just not interested in fame at his level.' The insider further said, 'She's already looking for the exit from anything romantic.' They added, 'But on the upside, at least it's not Tom's Scientology obsession that has killed another romance for him.' As reported by the news outlet, in a recent interview, Ana de Armas went on to open up about her opinions on fame. She said, 'You can't let the negative side of fame upset you.' The actor further explained, 'Because then you won't enjoy the beautiful aspects, but it's essential to separate.' She then emphasized, 'We're all people and we need that privacy, consideration, and space.' The actor continued, 'It seems incredible to have to say it, but we've forgotten that minimum of respect for others.' Ana de Armas stars in the upcoming movie, 'From the World of John Wick: Ballerina.' The film is all set to make its debut on June 6. Originally reported by Nikita Nath on Reality Tea. The post Ana de Armas & Tom Cruise Relationship in Trouble, Claims 'Source' appeared first on Mandatory.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Tom Cruise ready to make peace with ex-wife Nicole Kidman — his surprising plan to reconnect
Tom Cruise got married to his now ex- wife Nicole Kidman in 1990, after a whirlwind romance on the sets of Days of Thunder. Though the Hollywood heartthrobs parted ways in 2001, after a decade. They also worked together in Far and Away 1992 and Eyes Wide Shut 1999, as per reports. Kidman, reportedly, was shocked when her then husband filed for divorce in 2001, which was apparently a 'friendly' separation. Nicole once said she felt like a 'trophy wife' in the early days of their marriage. She said she felt like she didn't deserve to be there and was just supposed to look nice and not speak. They have two adopted kids, Isabella and Connor. Tom Cruise stayed close to both kids, especially because of their shared belief in Scientology. Some people thought Nicole Kidman wasn't close to the kids, but that's not true. Bella has posted about her mom on social media and even defended her in interviews. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cambodia: Unsold Sofas at Bargain Prices (View Current Prices) Sofas | Search Ads Search Now Undo Tom Cruise recently talked about Nicole Kidman publicly for the first time in over 20 years. He talked good things about her and said he offered her a role in Eyes Wide Shut, as she's a great actress, as per reports. Insiders told Heat World UK that this might mean Tom wants to make peace with said Tom used to be cold and closed off whenever Nicole tried to reach out over the years. But now, he's softer and more mellow, and he shocked people by saying he wants to meet Nicole, maybe in London. Live Events FAQs Q1. Is Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman getting back together? No, but reports say Tom wants to reconnect and make peace. Q2. Do Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman's kids talk to both parents? Yes, both kids, especially Bella, stay in touch with both parents.
