Tom and Katie.... [Archive]

lawyerlee

06-25-2005, 09:45 AM

This headline cracked me the **** up! :D

A Couch Tom Cruise Won't Jump On (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/24/AR2005062401866_pf.html)
Actor Lambastes Psychiatry on 'Today'
Washington Post

http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2005/06/24/PH2005062401869.jpg
Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt: Tom Cruise tells "Today" show host Matt Lauer how much he doesn't know about Adderall and Ritalin.

Okay, should we address him as Dr. Tom Cruise from now on? Or will the Rev. Dr. Cruise suffice?

Whatever: Anybody who watched the actor's performance on NBC's "Today" show yesterday witnessed an unsettling transformation. The movie star, who has long embraced Scientology, launched a full-bore assault on the psychiatric profession, sticking to a script that his church (founded, mind you, by a hack science fiction writer) has been promoting for decades.

"Psychiatry is a pseudoscience," he told host Matt Lauer, later saying: "You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do."

Cruise looked like a man possessed -- or at least in need of an Ativan -- leaning insistently forward in his chair, hammering Lauer when the host suggested that some people were actually, you know, helped when doctors prescribed psychiatric drugs. Lauer sparred with Cruise specifically over whether it made sense for Brooke Shields to have sought therapy and taken antidepressants for postpartum depression -- a decision that Cruise had previously criticized.

Forget medical research: "There is no such thing as a chemical imbalance in a body," said Cruise, who prescribed vitamins and exercise for depression. "The thing that I'm saying about Brooke is that there's misinformation, okay? And she doesn't understand the history of psychiatry. She -- she doesn't understand, in the same way that you don't understand it, Matt."

This is the second time in recent weeks that Cruise has made an issue of the mental state of Shields, who previously termed "irresponsible and dangerous" his comments about her medical treatment for depression.

On "Today," Cruise also raged against Adderall and Ritalin, often prescribed to treat hyperactivity and attention-deficit disorder in children. "Do you know what Adderall is? Do you know Ritalin? Do you know now that Ritalin is a street drug? Do you understand that?"

And the meltdown continued: "Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt, you don't even -- you're glib. You don't even know what Ritalin is," Cruise said. "If you start talking about chemical imbalance, you have to evaluate and read the research papers on how they came up with these theories, Matt, okay? That's what I've done."

Lauer called Cruise's command of the subject "impressive," but noted, "I'm not prescribing Ritalin, Tom. . . . I'm simply saying I know some people who have been helped by it."

At one point, Lauer seemed fed up: "You're telling me that your experiences with the people I know, which are zero, are more important than my experiences. . . . And I'm telling you, I've lived with these people and they're better."

Cruise then accused Lauer of "advocating" Ritalin.

"I am not," Lauer said.

The interview (which Lauer told viewers would continue on Monday -- oh, goody) is pegged to Cruise's role in the film "War of the Worlds," which opens Wednesday. But every interview with Cruise lately has seemed to revolve around the twin suns of Scientology and Katie Holmes, his new fiancee and a recent initiate to the church. His now-legendary professions of love on "Oprah" started what has become a series of manic moments in public, in which the screen idol appears to be losing his chiseled, steely reserve.

While Cruise Chernobyled on "Today," Holmes gazed at him adoringly from the wings of the set, where the interview was taped on Thursday.

Will any of this hurt Cruise's career?

"Don't immediately assume that he is ruining himself," said Allan Mayer, managing director of Los Angeles-based Sitrick and Co., which regularly handles celebrities' PR crises. "He himself has said he doesn't care, and who are we to say he's made a mistake? . . . What's the point of being a hugely successful and powerful movie star if you can't talk about the things that matter to you? We may think it's silly and bizarre, but it's obviously important to him."

As a top-level celebrity believer in Scientology, Cruise has been steeped in the lingo and policies of the late church founder, L. Ron Hubbard. (Hearing Cruise use a term like "ideal scene" during his exchange with Lauer would perk up the ears of anyone who's been in Scientology's orbit before.)

Hubbard launched his self-help movement in the 1950s with a book called "Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health," and from early on, he battled with psychologists and psychiatrists. Indeed, Hubbard once wrote in an internal policy statement: "Our war has been forced to become to take over absolutely the field of mental healing on this planet in all forms."

Peg Nichols, a spokeswoman for the Landover-based Children and Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, said her office was flooded with calls yesterday about Cruise's statements. The group avoids comment on Scientology, but she advised people to be "smart consumers of medicine." And she asked: "Since when would a celebrity have expertise in medicine? Would you go to your doctor and ask him about movie roles?"

Sophia

06-25-2005, 09:54 AM

I really wish there was a better angle of TC in that photo--his eyes were really scary.

kemaji

06-25-2005, 10:12 AM

I haven't been a fan on TC for a long time, but I'm really dissapointed that he went and criticized Brooke Shields and the way she dealt with post-partum depression. Like he will EVER have first hand experience with how hard PP is on a new mother.

lawyerlee

06-25-2005, 10:14 AM

I really wish there was a better angle of TC in that photo--his eyes were really scary.
He looked scarier?! Wow. Cause I thought he looked pretty scary in that shot!

ITA, kemaji. He needs to STFU. ASAP. :mad:

sheartm7

06-25-2005, 01:20 PM

taragiraffe

06-25-2005, 02:25 PM

I watched the interview with Matt Lauer this morning and I just wanted to reach through my computer screen and shove some Ritalin down his throat so he'd calm down. He's such an idiot. :rolleyes:

chefker

06-25-2005, 02:29 PM

nylons73

06-25-2005, 02:38 PM

Wonder if his sister/publicist is just as whacked as he is.

Well, from what I read ( I think maybe in the old thread on WC) Tom had the TOP people in Hollywood representing him for the longest time. They carefully controlled his image and repeatedly told him to lay off the wacky Scientology opinions, etc. About 6 months ago (I believe) Tom fired these people and hired his Scientologist sister as his PR person. Ever since then, he's been out of control and she seems to have no control to reign him in. The Oprah 'couch jumping' episode is one that everybody points to as her lack of control over Tom's actions and public image.

IMO- No competant PR person would have let their client go on the Today show looking like he has been living out of a cave for the past few days!!

justHB

06-25-2005, 02:42 PM

I haven't liked TC for quite awhile so I'm rather enjoying his downward spiral. I bet Nicole Kidman is glad he left her now.

lawyerlee

06-25-2005, 03:22 PM

I haven't liked TC for quite awhile so I'm rather enjoying his downward spiral. I bet Nicole Kidman is glad he left her now.
Totally! :D :D :D

I love Nic. I think she is so classy and a wonderful actress who has really come into her own since she divorced Tom. :)

Sophia

06-25-2005, 03:26 PM

Another agreement about never liking TC. I ADORE Nicole Kidman, and she's awesome in Bewitched!

Sophia

06-25-2005, 03:29 PM

He looked scarier?! Wow. Cause I thought he looked pretty scary in that shot!

Much, MUCH scarier. He looked like a man possessed. We need to find a frontal shot of his face.

Man, I wish you'd seen the video of it.

eli1126

06-25-2005, 04:04 PM

seattleguamgirl

06-25-2005, 04:29 PM

Man, now I'm bummed I missed the Today show interview. What I would give to see TC jump down Matt's throat and further make an ass of himself. I saw the first ten minutes of TC on Oprah and had to stop watching!

granada

06-25-2005, 04:33 PM

seattleguamgirl ~ I think there's a video. This link was posted by msnicolea on WC_on_LJ: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8343367/

Sophia

06-25-2005, 04:34 PM

I heard that there had been a scuffle of sorts between TC and Matt, but I didn't see it. I also was so disappointed with TC's comments regarding Brooke Shields because PPD is a horrible thing to go through and many women don't speak up for fear of being raked over the coals.

Beth

His comments about PPD really hit home with me becaue I had PPD after both my children were born, and it was severe, bordering on PPP, after my DD was born. I was so terrified to tell anyone what was going on in my head. I really fear TC's comments will keep women who are going through PPD from getting help.

Jessie

06-25-2005, 04:35 PM

They're playing part 2 of the interview on Monday I think.

Here's a pic of his face from the interview
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/sancho96/tom.jpg

oceaneast

06-25-2005, 05:28 PM

I'm sure there is another reason that he doesn't want the print media at the premier. I heard it really sucked. His sister is doing her brothe rno favors by not protecting him better. I can guarantee every person who interviews tom wants to make headlines by making him have an outburst.

imagirliegirl

06-25-2005, 05:29 PM

I haven't liked TC for quite awhile so I'm rather enjoying his downward spiral. I bet Nicole Kidman is glad he left her now.

:D Oh me too! I never understood his appeal so this is quite humorous to me. I love Nicole Kidman, I'm glad she's away from the nut!

MrsWilson

06-25-2005, 05:47 PM

MrsWilson

06-25-2005, 05:49 PM

But every interview with Cruise lately has seemed to revolve around the twin suns of Scientology and Katie Holmes,
Love how that is worded...so TRUE!

suzubeane

06-25-2005, 06:06 PM

Isn't Nicole Kidman a Scientologist also? She's not a Scientologist, and some say this was one of the reasons he left her.

In her shoes, I'd be worried about the kids exposure to all of this.

I saw about the last 3/4 of the Lauer interview; they were re-playing it last night on MSNBC, and my son was watching it. (And even at 16, my DS can see what a tool TC was!) They had the director of New York's Paine Whitney Clinic on after that (a women's psychiatric unit of a major hospital) and she was practically laughing until she started talking about how damaging it is for mental health patients to be told by a celebrity that "there is no such thing as a chemical imbalance."

I agree with Sophia; he looked awful. And crazed.

Also, I caught about 10 min. of the re-broadcast of the Oprah interview last week - I was kind of surprised that he was minimizing the racial difference between himself and one of his children, saying something like "we're all in this together!" as if racial or cultural differences aren't noticeable. Two of my nieces are adopted, and my understanding is that it's better to encourage them to embrace their ethnic differences, and help them learn about their heritage, than to pretend they look no different from their parents.

trefoil

06-25-2005, 06:08 PM

Isn't Nicole Kidman a Scientologist also? Wonder if she'll change. Don't get me wrong, I do love her. She is very down to earth and so nice to everyone. I just thought she was of the same "religion." How many stars are Scientologist? Anyone have a list?

I've seen a list somewhere. If I remember correctly, it includes John Travolta, Jenna Elfman, Danny Masterson, Kirstie Alley, and the woman who does Bart Simpson's voice. I'm fairly sure Nicole Kidman isn't a Scientologist. There was an interview with TC where he said that his children were scientologists and that Nicole doesn't have a problem with them being raised as such because she isn't a "bigot."

I have to admit that I'm mostly amused by Tom Cruise's self-destruct mode. I love the way that he claims his religious beliefs are facts while discounting medical research. I guess I view him as mostly harmless because I doubt many people turn to Tom Cruise for medical advice. While I can understand that people don't want more misinformation about PPD being spread, anyone who has heard him discuss things would dismiss his comments as "uninformed" at best.

MrsWilson

06-25-2005, 06:11 PM

I thought I had heard she was one, but that was a long time ago. Maybe it was just me assuming she was. But we all know what assuming does...
Thanks for setting me straight! :)

chefker

06-25-2005, 08:22 PM

I heard that there had been a scuffle of sorts between TC and Matt, but I didn't see it. I also was so disappointed with TC's comments regarding Brooke Shields because PPD is a horrible thing to go through and many women don't speak up for fear of being raked over the coals.

Beth

A scuffle, as in physical? As in fisticuffs? ;) I would have paid to see that....lol.

TC apparently thinks he is the 'voice of reason', physically attacking a news show host. It's so funny, he was trying to make Matt Lauer look like an uninformed, uneducated doofus--and it totally backfired.

IA with other posters about Nicole Kidman, I love her! She's really come into her own as an actress, since splitting from Tom. Interesting, eh?

jbenny75

06-25-2005, 09:27 PM

It would've been great if Matt would've said,
"What the hell's wrong with you? You're a total lunatic."

bluberry

06-25-2005, 09:36 PM

Anyone else tired of seeing the two of them everywhere? It would be really refreshing to flip the tv on and NOT hear about them. What else is there to know? Pretty soon, they'll be telling us what they had for breakfast. I think when you know *everything* about someone, the intrigue disappears.

Sophia

06-25-2005, 10:01 PM

Here's another article.

Admit it, you're curious: Is Tom Cruise nuts or what?

June 7, 2005

BY RICHARD ROEPER SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST

The Tom Cruise-Katie Holmes "We're More In Love Than Mere Mortals Could Possibly Fathom" Tour of 2005 continues this week with some juicy reports from the "Batman Begins" junket and the taping of the MTV Movie Awards. According to the New York Post, Holmes "has been spending a lot of time at the Scientology Center in L.A." and was seen at the "Batman Begins" press tour with "an entourage of Scientologists in tow." Cruise's sister and publicist, Lee Anne Devette, reportedly sat in on all of Holmes' interviews.

At the MTV taping, Holmes was tapped to present Cruise with a lifetime achievement award. Having fun with Cruise's infamous appearance on "Oprah," Holmes dropped to one knee, did a bizarre, arm-pumping dance and asked the crowd, "Should I go get him?"

Over the last several weeks, not a day has gone by without someone asking me what I think about the Cruise-Holmes romance -- and about Cruise's behavior in general. Everyone I've talked to -- every single person -- thinks the romance is phony and temporary. And everyone asks the same question: "Is Tom Cruise nuts or what?"

I don't know. I don't know if Cruise and Holmes are really in love, or if she's been swept up by his charisma and his star power and his apparent need to have a very public romance.

The idea that it's a publicity stunt doesn't really hold. Tom Cruise doesn't need more publicity, he needs LESS publicity. Also, "Batman Begins" and "The War of the Worlds" are two of the biggest movies of the summer and were already going to attract the attention of every media outlet in the world, even if Cruise never met Holmes. I'm sure the co-stars, directors, writers and publicists flogging those movies wish that all the ink and airtime and blogging devoted to the Cruise-Holmes romance would be spent on the actual movies instead.

As for Cruise becoming increasingly like the frighteningly intense T.J. Mackey character he played in "Magnolia," I'll tell you this much: In his 20 years as a public figure, Tom Cruise has never been more entertaining and intriguing than he is right now.

No more Cruise control

Even with all his high-profile romances and the rumors about his personal life and his devotion to Scientology, Tom Cruise has long maintained a thick wall around his privacy and mystery. He's given hundreds of print interviews and made countless appearances with Oprah and Jay and Dave and Katie, but he's never given anything away. He'd flash that Chiclets grin, humbly acknowledge the adoring studio audiences and laugh like an animated hyena at the host's quips -- but he never said anything. It was all incredibly calculated.

I admired that. The guy was the most popular movie star in the world. He had a string of high-profile romances, and he was constantly deflecting rumors about his sexual proclivities -- yet he managed to keep the wolves at bay and direct the spotlight toward his films. When we did hear about the off-camera Cruise, it was usually some story about his aw-shucks heroics. (In 1996 alone, Cruise was credited with lifesaving actions on no fewer than three occasions.)

Earlier this year, though, Cruise fired his longtime and fiercely protective publicist Pat Kinglsey, and replaced her with his sister. I don't want to lay all this on the sister-publicist, but something tells me Kingsley would have at least advised Cruise against making out with Holmes on red carpets; acting like a 15-year-old by hopping on a sofa and doing an I'm-in-love-dance with Oprah; ripping Brooke Shields on "Access Hollywood," and getting into all sorts of debates about Scientology and its crusade against psychiatry.

Can you imagine a 43-year-old Clint Eastwood falling to his knees, pumping his fists, holding hands with the host and dancing on Merv Griffin's chairs to declare he was in love?

Yeah. Me neither.

Get a grip

As I write this, there's a phone book-sized stack of newspaper articles, TV transcripts, Internet print-outs and chat room discussion excerpts -- all about Tom Cruise -- on the desk next to the laptop. It's nearly impossible to find a journalist, an industry insider or even a fan who's defending Cruise. The headlines are beyond cynical: "It's Only Publicity Love" (Washington Post). "I Love You With All My Hype" (New York Times). The message boards are filled with comments like: "Yikes! He is SUCH a freak!" and, "Run Katie run!" and, "I know he cares about me, SERIOUSLY, but I'm just glad he doesn't know where I live."

Yet there's Holmes in Monday's Sun-Times, telling ace celebrity reporter Cindy Pearlman that Cruise is "the most beautiful being in the world," and, "I'm happy that other people want to join in our happiness."

That's nice. She seems like a real sweetie. But if Ms. Holmes thinks the average person in the real world is ga-ga over this romance, then she's the real eccentric in her relationship.

Sun Times (http://www.suntimes.com/output/roeper/cst-nws-roep07.html)

lawyerlee

06-25-2005, 10:04 PM

Holmes family unhappy with Cruise? (http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds22112.html)

Saturday, June 25 2005

Katie Holmes's family are not impressed by her new relationship with Tom Cruise, according to reports.

The Batman Begins star's uncle told a family friend that he does not expect the relationship to last, according to the National Enquirer magazine.

Mike Sitter, a parishioner at the Holmes family's church, explained, "Katie's uncle Fritz said he reckons it will only last a couple of months because of the age gap.

"He approached me and said, 'So what do you make of this Tom and Katie business? I think Tom seems like a real jerk. I give it 60 days.'"

kemaji

06-25-2005, 10:27 PM

What is it with celebrities firing the people who have helped them build their image only to go to pot afterwards? Is that a new trend? It seems like our favorite celebrities we love to hate are doing that (TC, BritBrit).

Sposa06

06-25-2005, 10:33 PM

I have to admit that I'm mostly amused by Tom Cruise's self-destruct mode. I love the way that he claims his religious beliefs are facts while discounting medical research.

It's a train wreck! At this point, he's just comic relief. "What out-of-line, dumbass thing will Tom do today?" Also, I wonder when and where he got his medical degree? Because clearly his expertise is something I don't understand, and clearly I haven't read as many research papers as he has (I call bullshit, by the way).

It would've been great if Matt would've said, "What the hell's wrong with you? You're a total lunatic."

It looked like he was thinking that! I have a lot of respect for Matt Lauer - I either would have slapped him, or stood up, said "You have gone nuts and there is no point trying to get a coherent, factual answer out of you" and just left. I couldn't have handled it nearly as well as Lauer did!

Let me be the trillionth one to say that I love Nicole Kidman and am so glad for her that her career has been going so well since they split up! She's an amazing actress and always seems so sweet and level-headed.

oceaneast

06-25-2005, 10:56 PM

Sophia

06-25-2005, 11:31 PM

Oooo, that article about how Katie's relatives don't like Tom is good! :) I hope it's true. I hope Katie snaps out of it already!

jbenny75

06-26-2005, 07:14 AM

Lauer was obviously thinking, I'm going to make every newspaper in the country and online journal. I'm reeling from the way he stated "obviously your well researched" (or something to that effect) with a straight face.

Ugh. I thought the same thing. Wasn't it something about listening to him speak about the subject was impressive. I was like Matt, Matt, Matt...you were handling him up until now. Don't kiss his psycho ass!

strwbrygirl

06-26-2005, 08:40 AM

Mike Sitter, a parishioner at the Holmes family's church, explained, "Katie's uncle Fritz said he reckons it will only last a couple of months because of the age gap.

This just made me spill coffee, I was laughing so hard. Her Uncle Fritz thinks that the problem is their age gap, and not the fact that TC is certifiably looney tunes?

eli1126

06-26-2005, 09:20 AM

Oops! I didn't mean fist to cuffs scuffle, I meant A war of words :D
I also tried to watch the Oprah rebroadcast and couldn't make myself! He looked like such an ass! I remeber thinking Nicole was so much better off without him way back when.

Beth

SilverDecember

06-26-2005, 10:28 AM

SCIENTOLOGY AT A GLANCE

Founded by L. Ron Hubbard in 1954 after response to 1950 self-help book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health.

Hubbard was born in Nebraska in 1911 and died in California in 1986.

Church officials say there are more than 8 million members worldwide.

There are more than 3,200 churches, missions and groups worldwide.

Scriptures are all of Hubbard's written and spoken words on Scientology -- more than 500,000 pages and 2,000 recorded lectures.

Symbols include an eight-pointed cross and an "S" wound between two triangles.

Celebrated holidays include Hubbard's birthday (March 13), the date of Dianetics' publication (May 9) and Auditor's Day (second Sunday in September).

Affirms the existence of a god but does not worship one.

Opposed to mind-altering drugs, psychiatry and psychiatric drugs.

Celebs identified as followers include Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Kelly Preston, Kirstie Alley, Isaac Hayes, Chick Corea, Lisa Marie Presley, Jenna Elfman.

'TomKat' casts spotlight back on Scientology (http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-scientology26.html)

Heidi9771

06-26-2005, 10:50 AM

I agreee Chefker...he does appear bipolar...perhaps he should try one of the many antidepression treatments for his condition! LOL!

Sophia

06-26-2005, 11:23 AM

Looks like the 4th of July rumors aren't true...

Katie and Tom's Fourth of July Wedding?
June 23, 2005

He's been to every corner of the planet on his "War of the Worlds" tour -- now Tom Cruise is coming to "Extra!" And even after shaking a million hands, Tom stopped to greet every member of our crew.

And what meeting with Tom is complete without a spotting of his new fiancée Katie Holmes, sporting her diamond ring?

But first things first, what does Tom think of "War of the Worlds?"

Tom Cruise: When I saw the film I called Steven afterward, I forgot I was in the movie.

Jon Kelley: I know you just got engaged, have you put your mind around when a wedding could happen?

TC: You know what, we haven't. It was just that experience, and now when, and kind of planning it. It will be fun doing it.

JK: Any truth to a possible Fourth of July wedding?

TC: No, I don't have time. We're in pre-production. Man, I've got "M:I 3." We start shooting in Rome July 18th. I've got to get this body built for some impact. But you never know what's going to happen.

JK: You're not making any promises?

TC: I'm not making any promises.

JK: Do you want to do something big, or do you want to keep a low profile?

TC: I don't know; I really haven't even thought about it. I have to talk to Katie and see.

JK: That's a smart move right there.

There's no word yet on a best man, but you can bet Steven Spielberg, biker buddy Jay Leno and "Collateral" co-star Jamie Foxx will all be there.

www.netscape.com

Sophia

06-26-2005, 01:06 PM

Now this is def. an interesting turn...

Rosie O'Donnell milked millions out of her fawning love of Tom Cruise on her talk show, when she was still publicly a ****-loving "heterosexual." But, now that she is a raging bulldyke (which we love) and technically retired, Ro has began ranting! And, she has aimed her ire at none other than her beloved Tommy.

In a post on her blog yesterday, which we're addicted to, O'Donnell not only admitted that she's on meds, but she also hinted that Cruise should take a ****ing chill pill and shut his hole!

after watching tom on o and then everywhere else in the free world i think i may need to up my meds shout out to brook stand tall girl u saved a lot of women by telling ur truth my tommy needs to breathe “heart humor and humility
ill lighten up your heavy load”said joni mitchell

Earlier this week, she snuck in a diatribe against Kathy Hilton's new craptastic reality show, I Want To Be A Hilton

so u wanna be a hilton ? an all time low on many levels

The Queen of Nice has turned into the Queen of Mean, and we love it!

http://www.perezhilton.com/

SilverDecember

06-26-2005, 03:28 PM

My DH thinks they will get married right before Batman Begins and War of the Worlds come out on DVD!

...make it stop!

Heidi9771

06-26-2005, 03:31 PM

Ugh...it seems that TC has no humility at all...so arrogant now... Not appealing at all! And this scientology crap...COME ON! Who does KH think she is kidding?

oceaneast

06-26-2005, 03:35 PM

Not only does he have no TC has no humility; he's losing his humanity

mindy

06-26-2005, 03:36 PM

I am also sick of them already I used to LOVE Tom Cruise but now he is just getting stranger and stranger that I can barely watch any of his interviews and I haven't like any of his last movies.

Heidi9771

06-26-2005, 03:39 PM

My DH thinks they will get married right before Batman Begins and War of the Worlds come out on DVD!

...make it stop!

Their whole relationship seems so contrived...no doubt that the public relations factor will heavily influence the wedding date..it will be calculated and will carefuly be planned for whatever purpose.

Sophia

06-26-2005, 03:48 PM

Heh..at least I always had issues with TC, so this is all confirmation of my gut instincts.

BTW, if anyone hasn't seent he Matt LAuer interview, you can see it here: http://television.aol.com/franchise/top5.adp

It's totally worth the watch! And you'll get to see the psycho look in his eyes I was talking about.

Taylandra

06-26-2005, 04:13 PM

Darn-I can't see the clip. Anyone know if the Lauer clip is elsewhere for the viewing pleasure of all?

lawyerlee

06-26-2005, 08:11 PM

Tom Cruise, once aloof, now widely spoofed (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050626/people_nm/film_cruise_dc&printer=1;_ylt=AqPuNIw19koNqe7riuOd3y9RF78C;_ylu=X 3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE-)

By Steve Gorman

Tom Cruise remains one of Hollywood's biggest stars, but since his manic, couch-hopping appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" last month, he also has leaped to the forefront of celebrity punch lines.

The 42-year-old actor has become the butt of jokes from late-night television comedians, tabloid columnists, Internet spoof artists and pranksters in the midst of promoting one of this summer's most heavily publicized films.

Cruise drew the kind of attention most celebrities go out of their way to avoid in late May when he spent the better part of an hourlong interview with Winfrey giddily professing his love for actress Katie Holmes, 26.

Footage of the twice-married Cruise on "Oprah," jumping on the guest sofa, dropping to one knee to pump his fist and ushering Holmes on stage to declare, "I love this woman!" has been played repeatedly. Bootleg copies were selling on eBay for $20.

The interview triggered suspicions of a shameless publicity stunt to promote his new film, "War of the Worlds," and hers, "Batman Begins." The two upped the ante weeks later with a Paris news conference to announce their engagement.

The couple got engaged at the Eiffel Tower just two months after revealing their relationship. No wedding date has been announced.

Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson called the romance an unintentionally hilarious act of "frantic, naked desperation."

"It's a sign of the celebrity-market bubble that a bona fide, top-gun movie star has to make such a spectacle of himself just to stand out from the crowd. There's such a glut of celebrities that they'll soon have to begin storing the surplus in silos in Iowa," he wrote.

Adding to the controversy has been Cruise's recent intense public discussions of his belief in Scientology, the church founded by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, including criticism of actress Brooke Shields for revealing that she had taken antidepressants.

In a testy exchange on NBC's "Today" show on Friday, Cruise called psychiatry a "pseudo science" and told co-host Matt Lauer: "You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do."

BLANK SLATE

Cruise's behavior has ignited speculation that he might damage his image and undermine the success of his movies.

"He needs to remain enough of a blank slate that we can forget about him as a person when we see his movies," said Marty Kaplan, a University of Southern California professor of communications. "Whether we can still suspend disbelief, or whether all we can think about while watching him act is L. Ron Hubbard and Oprah will be measured by his movie's grosses."

The fallout also has begotten a kind of open season of snickers rare for a movie star of Cruise's stature, putting him into a category of big-game celebrity prey recently occupied by the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck.

"Tom and Katie got engaged on Friday and, once again, the media somehow found out about it," late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel said on his show last week. "If we promise to go see 'War of the Worlds,' will you please make this stop?"

In Britain, a group of TV pranksters squirted Cruise in the face with water when he stepped up to a faux microphone. They were arrested and an apology was issued, but film clips of the incident circulated on the Internet.

Separately, a short Internet spoof on the "Oprah" interview, titled "Tom Cruise Kills Oprah," (http://tcruiseko.ytmnd.com/) shows the actor jumping out of his seat to clasp hands with Winfrey, shooting simulated bolts of electric current into her body as he laughs madly.

Another Web site was hawking "Free Katie" T-shirts, stickers and coffee mugs.

Allan Mayer of the Hollywood "crisis P.R. firm" Sitrick & Co., said Cruise's recent soul-baring reflects his decision to cast off the carefully controlled "packaging" that publicists provide most stars.

By firing long-time personal publicist Pat Kingsley and replacing her with his sister, Mayer said, Cruise "has decided, 'I'm not going to be very carefully groomed when I speak in public. 'I'm going to speak my mind ... and let the chips fall where they may."'

Mayer said reactions to Cruise invite comparisons to actress Jane Fonda, who sparked a backlash with her anti-war activism during the Vietnam era.

"A lot of people will tell you that ruined her career," Mayer said. "But it certainly made people look at her differently, and it gave her very strong positives, but very strong negatives. And that's the territory Cruise may be going into."

Mayer also contrasted Cruise's deliberately self-induced spectacle with the buzz swirling around "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, who have been far more circumspect about the nature of their off-screen relationship.

"They have at least gone through the motions of trying to indicate that they don't want this to be the subject of public discussion, that they want to talk about their movie. And whether that's disingenuous or not, it's certainly reassuring to the public."

Cruise "is a long way from being in career trouble," Mayer said. "As long as the movies that (he) makes open strong, it doesn't matter what he does. ... It's strictly a business proposition."

swcolleen

06-26-2005, 08:27 PM

subbing...

jules1025

06-26-2005, 08:42 PM

Sorry if this has already been posted! My DH sent it to me and it's hilarious! Turn on your sound to get the full efffect... :D

http://mirror.randomfoo.net/memes/2005/06/Tom_Cruise_Kills_Oprah.mov

Sophia

06-26-2005, 09:08 PM

Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson called the romance an unintentionally hilarious act of "frantic, naked desperation."

*nodding*

And also grateful we haven't had to see them naked. Yet? You can't put anything past them, after all.

imagirliegirl

06-26-2005, 10:46 PM

I know I'm a little late but I finally saw a clip of him with Matt Lauer. I sure am glad I was just watching it on TV cause it really made me feel uncomfortable. If I had been the interviewer I would have run away!! Yikes. :eek:

jennylou

06-27-2005, 05:47 AM

The second part of the ML interview was a bit over hyped IMO.

Lizard

06-27-2005, 07:41 AM

Subscribing... Tom is starting to look like he's on drugs himself....

mindy

06-27-2005, 07:56 AM

subscribing

chefker

06-27-2005, 08:55 AM

Lauer was obviously thinking, I'm going to make every newspaper in the country and online journal. I'm reeling from the way he stated "obviously your well researched" (or something to that effect) with a straight face.

ICAM! How I wish Lauer had said something like "Could you cite ONE of your sources, as I'd love to 'educate' myself, as you've done." LOL.

I bet all these 'research papers' are by Scientology researchers anyhow.

Brandles

06-27-2005, 09:32 AM

I heard clips of the interview this morning on Bob & Sheri (I've been out at a lake this past weekend listening to Buffett and Neil Diamond!) and Tom sounded CRAZY!! He sounded just like our town crazy guy who picks up cans along the highway, flips cars off and pees in the seat if he gets a ride!!!

sarahh

06-27-2005, 09:54 AM

He sounded just like our town crazy guy who picks up cans along the highway, flips cars off and pees in the seat if he gets a ride!!!Oh my god..that was priceless!! :p

chefker

06-27-2005, 10:03 AM

ROFL! That was hilarious. :D

For some reason I'm getting a mental image of the homeless guy played by Damon Wayans on 'In Living Color"--the one with the "2 cart garage", and the 'bathroom" that's actually a pickle jar. ;)

lawyerlee

06-27-2005, 12:01 PM

Scientology’s Catholic Guilt (http://www.radaronline.com/fresh-intelligence/2005/06/27/index.php#report_001488)

Before Katie Holmes’ devoutly Catholic parents officially sign their daughter over to the Church of Scientology, they might want to get in touch with Philip J. Spickler. One of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard’s original disciples, Spickler is the father of Mimi Rogers, Tom Cruise’s first wife and the person responsible for recruiting him into the cult in the early ’80s.

Like his daughter—who, at her most pious, worked for the Church full-time—Spickler has since left Scientology. Unlike his daughter—who spent last week on the talk-show circuit spinning her ex’s increasingly unhinged behavior—he has quite a bit to say about the sect.

Of particular note to Martin and Kathleen Holmes might be Spickler’s firsthand account of L. Ron Hubbard’s virulent anti-Catholicism. Although Scientology publicly portrays itself as compatible with Christianity, in one of a series of emails he has written to friends and associates since his defection, Spickler writes that Hubbard “often referred to the Pope as ‘Dr. Pious,’ and the priests as his ‘witchwater boys.’”

In addition, Spickler writes, Hubbard ironically dismissed Catholicism as a “very successful operation to control the spirit, minds, and bodies of those who fell under its thrall before they attained an age where they could reason and discriminate and choose for themselves.”

Unfortunately, the ex-Scientologist could not be reached by press time for his perspective on the newly affianced couple, and a rep for Rogers—who traded her cult membership for a prominent seat on the celebrity poker circuit—did not return calls for comment.

hockeybrat

06-27-2005, 12:27 PM

I seriously think he's bipolar or something (and not to make light of that either, I know plenty of people with the disorder, and it's no picnic, to say the least. Those eyes--he looks posessed, and also looks like he's been up for DAYS. Naturally he's busy with his premiere and all, but still.

He's become such a media whore it's not even funny. Wonder if his sister/publicist is just as whacked as he is.

My husband and I saw parts of that Matt Lauer interview and he was convinced TC is on the juice (roids). He kept saying look at his arms, they are bigger than they used to be! It would also explain his craziness of late.

SilverDecember

06-27-2005, 12:30 PM

It remains to be seen how Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' weekend with their families went after Thursday's botched "War of the Worlds" premiere. (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,160756,00.html)

I would guess that at this point, Paramount and Dreamworks execs are wondering what effect, if any, the bad karma from the premiere itself, coupled with Cruise's disastrous "Today" show interview last Friday, will have on Wednesday's opening box-office numbers.

I wonder how Cruise explained to Marty and Kathy Holmes how he picked the famous Carlyle Hotel in Manhattan as the place where the new families should get to know each other.

After all, the Carlyle is where Cruise lived with Nicole Kidman and their children for months at a time during their marriage.

Certainly Cruise's kids — Holmes' prospective stepchildren — must have mentioned that at some point along the way.

The kids, Isabella, 12, and Connor, 10, might have also mentioned to their father's new in-laws-to-be that they are home-schooled, not sent to either a parochial school or a non-denominational private academy like most children of celebrities.

Indeed, Isabella and Connor Cruise, like John Travolta and Kelly Preston's kids Jett and Ella, are home-schooled with an emphasis on the works of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.

The Cruise children are tutored by Tom's sisters Cass and Marian, who have teaching degrees. The former lives in Cruise's Beverly Hills estate; the latter lives nearby.

All three sisters, including Tom's current publicist Lee Anne De Vette, and their mother Mary, converted to Scientology from Catholicism many years ago at Tom's insistence.

Martin Holmes, Katie's attorney father, may want to vet the Scientology Code of Honor that his daughter will have to live by now that she's converting as well.

Katie, after all, is a graduate of Notre Dame Academy, an all-girls Roman Catholic high school in Toledo, Ohio. In order to join Scientology, she would be required to renounce her Catholic faith.

Cruise himself sent me a lavish package outlining Scientology at Christmastime last year after I had a lovely lunch with Lee Anne De Vette in New York.

Among the rules outlined in the Code of Honor, which was part of the package:

1. Never desert a comrade in need, in danger, or in trouble.

3. Never desert a group to which you owe your support.

5. Never need praise, approval or sympathy.

7. Never permit your reality to be alloyed.

8. Do not give or receive communication unless you desire it.

10. Your integrity to yourself is more important than your body.

11. Never regret yesterday. Life is in you today and you make your tomorrow.

12. Never fear to hurt another in a just cause.

13. Don't desire to be liked or admired.

In the meantime, Cruise will be dealing with the fallout from his Friday interview on the "Today" show. It was such a train wreck that no less than The New York Times reviewed it on Saturday.

I do think Alessandra Stanley, one of my favorite writers, did it get it a little bit wrong, however. Stanley found Cruise's ferocious meltdown refreshing because it showed him unfettered by a controlling publicist. She dismissed host Matt Lauer for not being tougher.

That's where we differ. First of all, Lauer had to deal with the fact that, in the creepiest of ways, Holmes was sitting near Cruise on the set. The director cut to her often; she looked mesmerized, with a never-ending frozen grin.

What the heck was she doing there? She looked more like a disciple than a fiancée. It was almost as if Cruise had brought her for insurance, thinking Lauer wouldn't ask him anything tough if he basked in the light of his insta-romance.

Then, Lauer — ever the gentleman — was perhaps more personally invested in this interview than I've ever seen him. As Cruise's guard dropped and he became more unwound, Lauer did not lose his cool.

To hear a major movie star, with no degree beyond high school, rant these words: "There's no such thing as a chemical imbalance," and then proceed to denounce all of psychiatry, must have been delicious for Lauer.

Yet he rightly kept his cool, even after Cruise denounced the attention-deficit-disorder treatment drugs Ritalin and Adderall as part of a dangerous conspiracy to control children's minds.

Lauer pointed out that he personally knew kids — not his own, they would be too young — who had been greatly helped by the drugs.

Lauer: But you're now telling me that your experiences with the people I know, which are zero, are more important than my experiences.

Cruise: What do you mean by that?

Lauer: You're telling me what's worked for people I know or hasn't worked for people I know. I'm telling you I've lived with these people and they're better.

Cruise: So you're advocating it.

Lauer: I am not. I'm telling you in their case, in their individual case, it worked. I am not gonna go out and say, "Get your kids on Ritalin. It's the cure-all and the end-all."

Lauer: Let me take this more general, because I think you and I can go around in circles on this for a while. And I respect your opinion. Do you want more people to understand Scientology? Would that be a goal of yours?

Cruise: You know what? Absolutely. Of course, you know.

I also know children who have benefited from taking prescribed Ritalin.

While there are pros and cons to every medication, especially for kids, it is a fact that Ritalin and other drugs used for attention deficit disorder have been widely effective in turning some bright but unfocused children into excellent students.

Cruise nearly comes apart during the Lauer interview over testing for Ritalin and Adderall.

What he may spark if he continues his personal crusade against psychiatry — he has already started a battle with Brooke Shields over her treatment for post-partum depression — is a War of the Words that he may ultimately come to regret.

dionysia

06-27-2005, 12:31 PM

Too bad vitamins couldn't help Tommy with his infertility issue. :rolleyes:

Dumbass.

Di

sarahh

06-27-2005, 12:38 PM

It remains to be seen how Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' weekend with their families went after Thursday's botched "War of the Worlds" premiere.

I would guess that at this point, Paramount and Dreamworks execs are wondering what effect, if any, the bad karma from the premiere itself, coupled with Cruise's disastrous "Today" show interview last Friday, will have on Wednesday's opening box-office numbers.

What happened at the premiere on Thursday? :confused:

SilverDecember

06-27-2005, 12:41 PM

They didn't show up, did they?

sarahh

06-27-2005, 12:43 PM

They didn't show up, did they?All I heard was that Tom and Katie (I refuse to call them TomKat :p ) didn't show up to the after-party? Did they skip the premiere as well??

chefker

06-27-2005, 12:45 PM

I really think Tommy's on some kind of downward spiral (though he is so manic, he probably thinks it's upwards). It would not surprise me in the least, if he mentally snaps and ends up committed to a psych ward.

How deliciously ironic that would be, after taking Brooke Shields to task for her struggle with PPD. :rolleyes:

Now, I'm certainly not HOPING Tom ends up in a straightjacket--but he seems SO off his rocker lately, that it wouldn't surprise me one bit.

DallasLady

06-27-2005, 02:37 PM

Tom has been DH's hero since "Cocktail" and "Top Gun," so I dare not speak ill of him at home.

But, man, what a wack-job he's turned into. I had a feeling he must have switched his PR people or something, because he seemed to turn certifiable overnight! I kept thinking "Doesn't he pay people to keep him from acting this way?"

maplekitty

06-27-2005, 02:44 PM

I don't know if this has been posted yet, but one of my favourite lines form the ML interview was when he said "Matt, Matt, Matt...you're glim...you don't know the first thing about Scientology".

For the record, the word glim means: "Etymology: perhaps short for 2glimmer
: something that furnishes light (as a lantern or candle); also : illumination given off by such a source"

LMFAO!! he was trying to sound so educated....

FH and I had a good laugh all weekend calling each other "glim".

nylons73

06-27-2005, 02:46 PM

Maple - sorry to break you and your FH up, but TC actually said 'You're glib.' Although, glim sounds so much better! lol. :D

paiger

06-27-2005, 02:52 PM

Maple - sorry to break you and your FH up, but TC actually said 'You're glib.' Although, glim sounds so much better! lol. :D
what does that mean?

Sophia

06-27-2005, 03:00 PM

glib ( P ) Pronunciation Key (glb)
adj. glib·ber, glib·best

Performed with a natural, offhand ease: glib conversation.
Showing little thought, preparation, or concern: a glib response to a complex question.
Marked by ease and fluency of speech or writing that often suggests or stems from insincerity, superficiality, or deceitfulness.

shopaholic

06-27-2005, 03:16 PM

I haven't read this whole thread but I do have to say that I used to "enjoy" Tom Cruise and now, quite frankly, I can't stand him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ignutzz

06-27-2005, 05:10 PM

I never particularly liked him and now, after all the mental health stuff, I REALLY dislike him. In fact, not that anyone will notice, I'm boycotting all of his work. I refuse to support someone supremely unqualified to be speaking about the science and treatment of mental health disorders/diseases. I don't care how many books and medical journals he's read.

Personally, I think he himself is in need of some mood stabilizers! :p

lawyerlee

06-27-2005, 06:08 PM

Psychiatrists condemn Cruise mental health remarks (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050627/people_nm/cruise_psychiatrists_dc&printer=1;_ylt=AiQdl3RMJGx7BC1vQBAEU1pRF78C;_ylu=X 3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE-) Reuters

The American Psychiatric Association on Monday sharply criticized actor Tom Cruise for televised remarks in which he called psychiatry a "pseudo science" and disputed the value of antidepressant drugs.

"It is irresponsible for Mr. Cruise to use his movie publicity tour to promote his own ideological views and deter people with mental illness from getting the care they need," APA President Dr. Steven Sharfstein said in a statement.

During interviews promoting his latest film, "War of the Worlds," Cruise has discussed his deep skepticism of psychiatry to explain his belief in the teachings of the Church of Scientology, founded by science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard.

In one such interview last Friday on NBC's "Today" show, Cruise was asked about his recent criticism of actress Brooke Shields for revealing that she had taken the antidepressant Paxil to cope with postpartum depression.

"Before I was a Scientologist, I never agreed with psychiatry," Cruise said. "And when I started studying the history of psychiatry, I understood more and more why I didn't believe in psychology. ... And I know that psychiatry is a pseudo science."

Disputing the effectiveness of antidepressants generally, Cruise said, "all it does is mask the problem." He added, "There is no such thing as a chemical imbalance."

Cruise also singled out drugs, such as Ritalin, that are used to treat children for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, calling Ritalin "a street drug."

As "Today" host Matt Lauer pressed the 42-year-old actor on his views, Cruise said, "Here's the problem. You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do."

The rebuke from the APA, which represents nearly 36,000 physicians specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness, challenged Cruise's assertion that psychiatry lacks scientific merit.

"Rigorous, published, peer-reviewed research clearly demonstrates that treatment (of mental illness) works," the APA statement said. "It is unfortunate that in the face of this remarkable scientific and clinical progress that a small number of individuals and groups persist in questioning its legitimacy."

chefker

06-27-2005, 06:24 PM

Howard Stern weighed in on the Lauer/Cruise interview today (from www.howardstern.com):

TOM CRUISE - PhD, MD, THETAN IV

Howard played Tom Cruise's interview with Matt Lauer on Friday in which the two of them went back and forth over the merits of psychology and anti-depressants. Matt asked Cruise why he was so upset about Brooke Shields talking about the anti-depressants she takes and Tom said it was because Brooke didn't know what she was talking about. Tom pointed out that he knows all about the history of psychology and the abuses of drugs like Ritalin and that Matt doesn't so he shouldn't be talking about them. Of course, Tom never offered up any specifics, he just kept insisting that he knew all about these subjects. Howard scoffed and said he thought Tom was a high school drop-out. Howard said if Tom was so smart he should be curing cancer and not making movies. Listening to this, everyone was amazed at how Tom seems to be completely self destructing. Howard blamed it on Tom's firing of his long time publicist who had protected him from interviews like this. Artie wondered how long Tom has been this crazy and we just didn't know about it. Howard suggested that what we really needed was a Thetan V to talk some sense into Tom since Tom is only a Thetan IV. Artie said he's starting to wonder if all of Toms' craziness is going to effect whether or not he goes to see "War of the Worlds" because he doesn't know if he'll just keep looking at Tom like he's a loon on the screen. Howard said he saw the movie and Tom's wackiness didn't affect him at all. Howard said as long as Tom's in a good movie he'll watch it.

SilverDecember

06-27-2005, 06:47 PM

From Gaming News... (http://www.casinocitytimes.com/news/article.cfm?contentID=151715)

ZAPOTE, Costa Rica -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- It was only a matter of time before the recently outspoken and wild Tom Cruise was going to pop the question to girlfriend Katie Holmes. This past week, Cruise asked actress, Katie Holmes to marry him at the top of the Eiffel Tower in France. If only all guys could be so romantic. Cruise and Holmes have been on a whirlwind romance over the past two months since meeting in Rome. Many feel this is all a publicity stunt for the world's biggest actor and his supposed bride-to-be, who both have major movies out this summer.

Whether this is a publicity stunt or not, one thing is for sure, Cruise is acting like he never has before. The normally reclusive and subdued star has been seen jumping on Oprah Winfrey's couch and screaming that he is in love in many interviews. Holmes, whose movie "Batman Begins" is out now, and Cruise, who is promoting "War of the Worlds", out June 29 th , have not been seen apart for more than a day at a time for the past several weeks. Holmes even introduced Cruise at the recent MTV Movie Awards where Cruise received the MTV Generations Award.

"Whether this marriage ever happens or not, it sure has created a ton of excitement around both Cruise and Holmes," said Wagerweb.com CEO Dave Johnson. "However, marriages made in Hollywood have a way of falling apart rather quickly. We wanted to see if people felt this quick courtship would stand the test of time."

WAGERWEB.COM POSTS ODDS ON: "HOW LONG WILL THE TOM CRUISE-KATIE HOLMES MARRIAGE LAST?"
Gaming News... (http://www.casinocitytimes.com/news/article.cfm?contentID=151715)

J&K2003

06-27-2005, 06:59 PM

http://tcruiseko.ytmnd.com/

Zelda Von Yitz

06-27-2005, 08:54 PM

This whole thing almost makes me miss J. Lo and Affleck.

I'm not crazy about Tom Cruise.

Sophia

06-27-2005, 09:05 PM

Part 1

From Salon.com

Missionary man

Tom Cruise has become a top proselytizer for Scientology. Is it because
of a new private conviction, or a new public role for the church
itself?

Editor's note: This is the first of a four-part series chronicling the
suddenly higher profile of the Church of Scientology.

- - - - - - - - - - - -
By James Verini

June 27, 2005 | In the course of just a few months, Tom Cruise has
made an astounding public leap: He has transformed himself from one of
the world's biggest movie stars into one of the oddest. It's not just
his sudden romance with and engagement to actress Katie Holmes, which
has not yet managed to shake the air of improbability. There is also
the matter of Cruise's sudden outspokenness about, and even
proselytizing for, the controversial Church of Scientology, to which
he's belonged for roughly 20 years.

Regarding the romance -- who can explain love? It's a mystery,
particularly in Hollywood, and we're unlikely to ever get the
particulars about Cruise and Holmes. But the buzz in some Scientology
circles is that Cruise may have reached one of the highest echelons of
the Church of Scientology. While not a lot is known about this level,
known cryptically as OT-VII, Scientology observers say that attaining
it could explain Cruise's behavior in recent months.

And that behavior has been mesmerizing: from putting up Scientology
tents on movie sets to blasting Brooke Shields for using
antidepressants, to promoting the church's drug-treatment programs and,
generally, to hectoring anyone who challenges him. On Friday's "Today"
show, after gentle prodding from Matt Lauer, he scolded, "You don't
know the history of psychiatry. I do." Even his romance with Holmes has
had a public Scientology veneer; Holmes has announced that she is
taking Scientology courses and has added a new member to her entourage:
a Scientology advisor who reportedly tells everyone she's Holmes' best
friend.

According to experts and the church's own literature, OT-VII ("OT"
stands for Operating Thetan, "thetan" being the Scientology term for
soul) is the penultimate tier in the church's spiritual hierarchy --
the exact details of which are fiercely guarded and forbidden to be
discussed even among top members. It is where a Scientologist learns
how to become free of the mortal confines of the body and is let into
the last of the mysteries of the cosmology developed by the church's
longtime leader, science fiction novelist and "Dianetics" author L. Ron
Hubbard. This cosmology also famously holds that humans bear the
noxious traces of an annihilated alien civilization that was brought to
Earth by an intergalactic warlord millions of years ago.

Lee Anne De Vette, Cruise's publicist and sister, refused requests to
comment for this article. And when asked about Cruise, Ed Parkin, vice
president of cultural affairs for the Church of Scientology, said only,
"We do not discuss the personal religious experiences of our members
with the press." Parkin also would not confirm or deny details of the
OT teachings. Responding to questions about them, he wrote:
"Scientology, which means 'knowing how to know,' is a religion based on
the works of L. Ron Hubbard (1911-1986). Scientology addresses people
as immortal spiritual beings. It gives them tools they can apply to
their lives to improve conditions."

But one Scientologist who left the church in 2003 after 30 years -- and
who had reached the OT-VII level and become a member of the church's
governing Sea Org -- said it was his understanding that Cruise was very
near completing, if he had not already completed, the OT-VII level. The
former Scientologist would speak to Salon only on the condition of
anonymity.

A current Scientologist who has reached the level OT-V, and who also
spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that considering the amount
of time Cruise has been in the church, an OT-VII status seems probable.
And Stephen Kent, a professor of sociology at the University of Alberta
who has published articles on Scientology and Hollywood, also said that
Cruise's behavior strongly suggests OT-VII.

Cruise is acting as though he "feels he's more in control over his
environment and can convince more people to look into the
organization," Kent said. "In the high OT levels one supposedly gains
the skills to master one's universe. One is removing countless entities
that have been holding people back. Cruise feels that he has freed
himself from thousands of errant thetans, and he seems to be in a kind
of euphoria he hasn't experienced before."

Sophia

06-27-2005, 09:06 PM

From Salon.com

Part 2

J. Gordon Melton, the author of "The Church of Scientology" and
director of the Institute for the Study of American Religion in Santa
Barbara, Calif., confirmed the details of the OT teachings. "It's
basically a variation of the Gnostic myth about souls falling into
matter and the encumbrances that come with that," Melton said. "In the
OTs, you're finding out that you're a thetan, that you've come into
bodies before. Part of what you're trying to learn is exteriorization
-- how to get out of your body. You also learn that you carry a lot of
encumbrances from past lives."

Melton, however, said that he did not believe public outspokenness
about the church necessarily indicates a particular rank. The eight OT
levels form the last and highest order in the intricate hierarchy
Hubbard developed beginning in 1950, when his "Dianetics" was
published. He named the hierarchy "the Bridge to Total Freedom."
Scientologists can only enter OT once they've gone "Clear," meaning
they have passed through the lower orders of the church and been shown
that their personal inhibitions and flaws are the result of innumerable
traumatic experiences built up over trillions of years of
reincarnation.

A Scientologist becomes "Clear" by taking multiple courses and through
copious "auditing," a process in which they are counseled and
encouraged by a more advanced church member to relive past traumas,
with the help of an E-Meter, a device that Scientologists claim
monitors brain activity. Before they're allowed to continue on to OT, a
rigorous screening process and background check are conducted,
according to Melton and others. Reaching the highest OT levels usually
takes from a decade to three decades, the current and former
Scientologists say. Lower estimates for the total cost of this are
around $30,000, but some people claim to have spent several hundred
thousand dollars. The current Scientology member tells Salon he pays
several thousand dollars a year for the services.

That's a small investment if you're Tom Cruise, who now demands $20
million per movie, or some of the other marquee names affiliated with
the church, including actors John Travolta and his wife, Kelly Preston,
Kirstie Alley and Jason Lee, musicians Beck, Lisa Marie Presley and
Chick Corea, and Fox News anchor Greta Van Susteren. Celebrity
Scientologists, like other Scientologists, do not publicly reveal their
rank. But despite their vagueness on the subject, celebrities play a
crucial role in the church's image and its marketing of itself.
According to Kent, beginning in the 1960s L. Ron Hubbard issued
explicit directives for the church to recruit celebrities.

"There was a whole series of policies that talked about celebrities as
opinion-makers," Kent said. "He suggested to get celebrities on their
way up or their way down. To get them on the way up meant, if they
became famous, they might attribute their success to Scientology. On
the way down meant if their careers get saved they could do the same."

Also, said S. Scott Bartchy, director of the Center for the Study of
Religion at UCLA, "They're looking for high-profile people to say
positive things about them, because they are so eager to be considered
a legitimate religion, and because of all the problems they're having
abroad." Germany, for example. And academics apparently have their own
appeal: Bartchy said that high-ranking Scientologists had approached
him and sent him materials in an attempt to "woo" him. (When asked
about this, Parkin wrote Salon: "Professor Bartchy has told us that he
gets many questions from students about Scientology and that he was
happy to receive the information we have provided to help him answer
them. I think you are mischaracterizing what, if anything, he may have
told you to put your own spin on it. Professor Bartchy has always been
very cordial with the people from the Church with whom he has spoken.")

Sophia

06-27-2005, 09:07 PM

From Salon.com

Part 3

Cruise, who is 42, has been a member of the church since around the
time of Hubbard's death in 1986. (His first marriage, from 1987 to
1990, was to actress Mimi Rogers, also a Scientologist. His second
marriage, from 1990 to 2001, was to Nicole Kidman, who is not a
Scientologist.) Until recently, however, he almost never discussed his
membership publicly.

That started to change a few years ago, when Cruise co-sponsored a
Scientology detoxification center near ground zero in Manhattan. Last
year, he had a Scientology tent set up on the set of "War of the
Worlds." He began openly boosting Narconon, the church's drug
rehabilitation program. And then last December, he was presented with
the Freedom Medal of Honor by David Miscavige, chairman of the board of
the Religious Technology Center, one of the church's elite committees
and, according to Melton and others, Hubbard's hand-chosen successor.

This spring, Cruise kicked things into high gear. He Zorba-ed Oprah's
couch, and then he worried about his "Endless Love" costar Brooke
Shields' mental health, criticizing her publicized use of
antidepressants to battle postpartum depression and implying they might
have caused her career to decline (Scientologists strongly oppose the
use of antidepressants and other behavior-modifying drugs). He plopped
a Details reporter on the back of his futuristic new motorcycle and
sped her to three different Scientology facilities, where he extolled
the faith -- for six hours. In an interview he and Steven Spielberg
gave to the German paper Der Spiegel in April, Cruise defended
Scientology, saying: "I'm a helper. For instance, I myself have helped
hundreds of people get off drugs. In Scientology, we have the only
successful drug rehabilitation program in the world."

Then he burst into full Tom Joad mode: "If someone wants to get off
drugs, I can help them," he declared to the interviewer. "If someone
wants to learn how to read, I can help them. If someone doesn't want to
be a criminal anymore, I can give them tools that can better their
life. You have no idea how many people want to know what Scientology
is."

When he was asked by Entertainment Weekly this month why he'd suddenly
become so vocal, he insisted: "What choice do I have?" Then he
declared: "People are being electric-shocked. Kids are being drugged.
People are dying." In the same interview he supported the Scientology
claim that psychiatry is a "Nazi science" and advanced several
erroneous myths, which the E.W. editors helpfully pointed out in
brackets:

"Jung was an editor for the Nazi papers during World War II. [According
to Aryeh Maidenbaum, the director of the New York Center for Jungian
Studies, this is not true.] Look at the experimentation the Nazis did
with electric shock and drugging. Look at the drug methadone. That was
originally called Adolophine. It was named after Adolf Hitler.
[According to the Dictionary of Drugs and Medications, among other
sources, this is an urban legend.]"

Cruise may now feel free to counsel others with a rare degree of
authority. But sadly, Holmes may not be able to benefit much: The
church forbids its OTs, even celebrities like Cruise, to discuss what
they're learning with lower members. Indeed, OTs are not allowed to
discuss their secret knowledge even with each other.

Asked why he couldn't discuss the details of OT teachings with anyone,
including his peers, the current Scientologist said: "It's
confidential. And that's the way that Mr. Hubbard wanted it. They're
not ready for it."

The church claims that it has as many as 10 million members worldwide,
but critics have suggested the actual number is far less. Melton said
that the number of OT-VIIs and OT-VIIIs is in the hundreds. After years
of study and introspection, achieving OT is supposed to create the kind
of euphoria Kent referred to.

"The OT levels improve a person's life," said the current OT-V
Scientologist, who did not want to be named. "All I know is I went
through it and it changed my life dramatically. There is so much
'case'" -- a Scientology term meaning, essentially, mental blockage --
"a person has. Reactivity, aberration, things that are not you. The
Bridge gets rid of all that stuff. I have the ability to show love to
anyone -- from presidents down to bums. I can show love for anyone
because I admire that being."

OTs are also warned that any vacillation from the courses and auditing
can be dangerous. "Beginning with OT-III, you're taught that if you
don't follow the prescribed steps precisely, you could become very
sick," said the former OT-VII member. He stressed that he was not a
critic of the church but had left because of personal differences.

Adding to all that stress is a series of very heavy theological
revelations that begin with OT-III. The central creation story,
according to Melton, Bartchy, Kent and the former member, is this:
About 75 million years ago, a nefarious intergalactic warlord called
Xenu rounded up the inhabitants of numerous planets, killed them, and
brought them to Earth, then set off a chain reaction of cataclysmic
volcanoes (the volcano pictured on the "Dianetics" cover was Hubbard's
favorite symbol for the notion of breakthrough and self-actualization),
which dispersed their thetans into the atmosphere. These thetans now
fester inside the bodies of all humans. They are to be located in
specific body parts and summoned out.

"Part of the problem is how literally that is to be understood," Melton
said. "There are those who take it quite literally and those who don't
take it literally at all." Then there is the problem of the church's
alleged treatment of OTs who have attempted to abandon the faith.
Celebrity or not, an apostate Cruise might run into trouble.

"I doubt that Travolta or the other celebrities know what I know from
people of how they're treated when they try to leave," Bartchy said.
"What is probably told to the celebrities is that these are just very
disgruntled people who aren't to be taken seriously."

Melton said only, "If you were a high-ranking member and simply said,
'I'm quitting, bye,' they look on you with a certain amount of
animosity."

How does the church respond to such criticism? "I am aware that a small
cadre of anti-religious extremists are trying to generate hostility
against Scientology by disseminating lies about it," Parkin wrote in
response to questions about the OT teachings and church policy. "This
little group of insignificant people are the only ones in the world who
are obsessed with extracting and altering out of context bits of
esoteric data about Scientology and using it to create prejudice
against Scientology through reporters such as yourself who buy into
their agenda."

If all of this is not too much to bear for Holmes or others
contemplating Scientology as a religious choice -- as it seems not to
have been for Cruise -- the process, at his level anyway, may prove
quite enjoyable. According to "What Is Scientology?" a book put out by
Bridge Publications, the church's lucrative publishing arm, part or all
of OT-VII and OT-VIII must be performed in the church's headquarters in
Clearwater, Fla., or aboard the Freewinds, a ship that houses parts of
the church's upper management. Happily, the weather makes up for the
deprivations of sea life: The Freewinds is usually docked off the
Caribbean island of Curaçao.

But should either of them decide to leave Scientology one day, Cruise
and Holmes may also find themselves in a contractual bind.
Scientologists are strongly encouraged to sign covenants of faith. And
these aren't contracts for the uncommitted; according to Melton, Kent
and the current Scientologist, the most fervent covenant -- which is
common -- has a duration of 1 billion years.

Sophia

06-27-2005, 09:08 PM

This is really cool--someone on LJ made it into an icon.

http://www.livejournal.com/userpic/31549689/2912264

sarahh

06-28-2005, 07:37 AM

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes attend the Los Angeles fan screening of War of the Worlds held at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California on June 27, 2005

http://img225.echo.cx/img225/6081/3736333jg.jpg

http://img284.echo.cx/img284/1291/3736359nw.jpg

http://img294.echo.cx/img294/5782/3736772yx.jpg

http://img150.echo.cx/img150/5044/3736469sh.jpg

chefker

06-28-2005, 04:26 PM

Well, their kids will have nice teeth, anyway. :)

OK, how creepy is this---when I clicked on 'post reply', I got some banner ad for 'Scientology matchmaking'. Umm......OKAY THEN :confused:

maplekitty

06-28-2005, 05:00 PM

Are there not helmet laws in California? Or was that just a photo-op?

jesvet

06-28-2005, 05:48 PM

Sophia, that Salon article is really interesting. Level 7, eh? Ummmm, ok. The Dalai Cruise?

Rose

06-28-2005, 06:58 PM

I am sure it's just a photo op. They have that part of the street roped off. I have seen other pictures of CrazyKat and they have their helmets on.

lawyerlee

06-29-2005, 08:05 AM

from Perez Hilton.com

Why Tom Was At The BET Awards (http://www.perezhilton.com/topics/exclusives/why_tom_was_at_the_bet_awards_20050629.php)

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b395/lawyerlee2/Celebrities%201/tomcruisecrazy.jpg

Like many of you, we were scratching our heads when we heard that Tom Cruise was going to be appearing at the BET Awards. Yes, he has a movie to promote, but we've frankly had our fill of Tom and Kate, as we shall now be referring to Miss Holmes, per her request.

Cruise presented the Best Male Actor Award to an absent Jamie Foxx, who is currently getting some ass in Miami and hitting the clubs with Colin Farrell. On their off time, they're supposedly filming some movie.

Cruise and Foxx shared the screen together in Collateral and are quite chummy, but a source tells PerezHilton.com that Tom's motives for attending the BET Awards are not just to promote War of the Worlds, which opens today.

"Tom really wants to do a film with Will Smith," our source tells us. Smith, along with his wife, Jada, hosted the awards show.

"After he's done shooting Mission Impossible 3, Tom wants his next project to be with Will, so he's doing everything possible - like the BET Awards - to make that happen."

We just hope Tom doesn't try to convert Will too!

lawyerlee

06-29-2005, 08:46 AM

Tom ex factor at wedding (http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2005290374,00.html)

By MARTEL MAXWELL

TOM Cruise has begged ex-wife Nicole Kidman to be a guest at his wedding to actress Katie Holmes.

The War Of The Worlds pin-up phoned Nicole to say she must attend — to set a good example to their kids.

Bellefior

06-29-2005, 09:24 AM

This just in, now I know he has gone off the deep end!

Tom Cruise: We're not alone

BERLIN, Germany (Reuters) -- Hollywood actor Tom Cruise not only battles creatures from outer space in his latest film "War of the Worlds", he also believes aliens exist, he told a German newspaper on Wednesday.

Asked in an interview with the tabloid daily Bild if he believed in aliens, Cruise said: "Yes, of course. Are you really so arrogant as to believe we are alone in this universe?

"Millions of stars, and we're supposed to be the only living creatures? No, there are many things out there, we just don't know," Cruise, 42, said in the interview published in German.

Cruise is a follower of the Scientology church founded by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, and his recent willingness to discuss the faith has raised eyebrows in the media.

Most controversially, Cruise criticized actress Brooke Shields for revealing she had taken antidepressants. An official Scientology Web site argues that people should live drug-free.

Cruise also dismissed psychiatry as a "pseudo science", invoking the ire of the American Psychiatric Association that called the remarks "irresponsible".

But many scientologists feel they are unfairly criticized, arguing that although many believe in the concept of aliens, it is not such an unreasonable proposition, and that the side effects of some medication are not fully understood.

Cruise's new film "War of the Worlds" is based on British writer H.G. Wells' 1898 story of the invasion of Earth by Martians.

paiger

06-29-2005, 09:45 AM

Asked in an interview with the tabloid daily Bild if he believed in aliens, Cruise said: "Yes, of course. Are you really so arrogant as to believe we are alone in this universe?

"Millions of stars, and we're supposed to be the only living creatures? No, there are many things out there, we just don't know," Cruise, 42, said in the interview published in German.

is it crazy that i have always kinda felt this way, too? i mean, this isn't a solely scientology belief, right? i can understand that they pick on everything else going on w/ this fiasco, but these statements don't seem too off the wall.

angelpalgt

06-29-2005, 10:50 AM

My family lived in Clearwater, FL, for a few years and it was just amazing how prevalent the Scientology churches are down there. Clearwater is basically the headquarters of the church, so nearly every street corner and hotel in the downtown area is owned by the Scientologists. Just north of the city, Tom Cruise even built a private airport so that he could get in and out of town more quickly.

Part of the reason that some of those people who spoke to the interviewer in that article on condition of anonymity is that the church can be excessively aggressive in "re-educating" misbehaving members. We would often see members doing manual labor around town. Typically, those people were in the process of being re-educated. They had shown some sort of dis-satisfaction, so they were pulled out of the main body and put to work until they were ready to submit to the authorities again.

I once met a woman who had been a high-level member and had left the church. She lost her family, friends, and much of her livelihood over leaving. She experienced the re-education and wound up leaving twice because she had been pulled back into the church at one point.

It is a surprisingly influential organization, and one can see why Cruise would be so interested in it. I can also understand a little bit about how Katie Holms might have been drawn in by Cruise's dynamic and the church's appeal. They offer many self-improvement classes, which are very popular among the Hollywood crowd. I do feel sad for her, though, because I don't think she realizes just what she's getting into and how difficult it can be to leave the church. I'm also pretty convinced that the Scientology is why Nicole Kidman and Cruise split, and for that reason, I'm somewhat glad for Kidman that she got away.

houseblend

06-29-2005, 11:00 AM

is it crazy that i have always kinda felt this way, too? i mean, this isn't a solely scientology belief, right? i can understand that they pick on everything else going on w/ this fiasco, but these statements don't seem too off the wall.

No, this is not just scientology. Actually, like you, I don't believe we are alone in the universe, either. The difference is that I don't believe that aliens have come down and taken over our bodies - which is what scientologists believe.

And
these aren't contracts for the uncommitted; according to Melton, Kent
and the current Scientologist, the most fervent covenant -- which is
common -- has a duration of 1 billion years.

Dang! That's a long contract! What lawyer would approve signing that!

Tempest_too

06-29-2005, 12:22 PM

is it crazy that i have always kinda felt this way, too? i mean, this isn't a solely scientology belief, right?

True, but would you accuse someone of being "so arrogant" if they didn't have the same feeling?

That's what bugs me about TC lately. He's been running around putting others down (Matt Lauer, Brooke Shields, reporters) andd he calls other people arrogant?

Pot.
Kettle.
Black.

Sposa06

06-29-2005, 12:46 PM

Originally Posted by ardathpaige
is it crazy that i have always kinda felt this way, too? i mean, this isn't a solely scientology belief, right? i can understand that they pick on everything else going on w/ this fiasco, but these statements don't seem too off the wall.

No, this is not just scientology. Actually, like you, I don't believe we are alone in the universe, either. The difference is that I don't believe that aliens have come down and taken over our bodies - which is what scientologists believe.

I agree with both of these statments! As Carl Sagan wrote in Contact, if we are alone in the universe, it's an awful waste of space.

But do I still think Tom Cruise is nuts? Yes. He needs to be given some "vitamins" (read: REAL medicine) to snap him back into reality. Where there are probably other living beings in the universe. Not angry alien souls inhabiting people.

paiger

06-29-2005, 01:09 PM

I agree with both of these statments! As Carl Sagan wrote in Contact, if we are alone in the universe, it's an awful waste of space.

whew! but yes, i do agree that his tactics are so not the best for putting people that just believe this in good light.

But do I still think Tom Cruise is nuts? Yes. He needs to be given some "vitamins" (read: REAL medicine) to snap him back into reality. Where there are probably other living beings in the universe. Not angry alien souls inhabiting people.

I also totally agree w/ this!!

ETA: my statements didn't make sense!

lawyerlee

06-29-2005, 04:07 PM

Stars, Politicians Join Tom Cruise Debate (http://people.aol.com/people/articles/0,19736,1078298,00.html)

Tom Cruise has taken plenty of heat for his controversial comments about psychiatry on the Today show – and now celebs and politicians are joining in the fray, PEOPLE reports in its latest issue.

Marie Osmond, who wrote a book in 2001 about her struggle with postpartum depression, criticized the actor for his comments regarding Brooke Shields, whom Cruise took to task for using antidepressants to help her postpartum depression.

"What he said is very harsh for women who live it or have lived through it," says Osmond. "He should not sit in judgment."

Cruise has even sparked backlash from members of Congress. This week, the Congressional Mental Health Caucus criticized his remarks. "It is unfortunate that Tom Cruise has sought to use his celebrity to once again negatively reinforce the unfortunate stigma associated with mental illness," said Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.), co-chair of the caucus, The Hill newspaper reports.

Meanwhile, King of Queens actress Leah Remini, Cruise's friend and fellow Scientologist, defended him at the War of the Worlds premiere in L.A. on Monday, telling reporters, "Tom hasn't gone crazy. Tom is a beautiful person who does a lot of good things for good people."

In his personal life, Cruise's future in-laws – both devout Catholics – are wrestling with the issue of Cruise's faith in Scientology, which Katie Holmes has expressed her own interest in.

When asked about Scientology on June 23, Katie Holmes's father, attorney Martin Holmes, said: "I don't believe in it." Katie's mother, however, says: "Whatever somebody believes in is fine."

So what made one of Hollywood's most likable, bankable stars decide to tangle so publicly with such controversial issues? "What I believe in is that people should be able to think for themselves and they should be able to make decisions based on information," Cruise told PEOPLE senior editor and Early Show contributor Jess Cagle after his Today appearance.

In Hollywood, the question is: What impact, if any, will Cruise's Katie-smooching, Matt-scolding escapades have on a career? Although some industry experts note that Cruise' affable public persona plays a role in his drawing power, they predict that his recent behavior is unlikely to affect a surefire blockbuster like War of the Worlds.

One New York-based publicist tells PEOPLE: "Ultimately if the work is good and his movies are good, then all the other stuff will have a limited effect."

ktsb

06-29-2005, 05:18 PM

Finally saw the whole Matt Lauer interview.

and

My husband and I saw parts of that Matt Lauer interview and he was convinced TC is on the juice (roids). He kept saying look at his arms, they are bigger than they used to be! It would also explain his craziness of late.

I think I agree with this. Can you say MID LIFE CRISIS? And can someone smack that tonguey smile off Katie's face? Of COURSE she's happy. She thinks she's caught one of the hottest stars. But that was then this is now honey. She's just like a sponge to him probably.

Matt had him on every point and if you really listen he didn't answer half of the questions and contradicts himself. He's WRONG and he can't even HEAR the opposition. That's bad.

What's really bad is the harm he could do to people who are very vulnerable. I hope the opposition stays on this.

Honestly I think he's been like this all along but like others have said his PR firm shielded him from being himself.

Coo coo for cocoa puffs!! :eek:

chefker

06-29-2005, 05:47 PM

Stars, Politicians Join Tom Cruise Debate (http://people.aol.com/people/articles/0,19736,1078298,00.html)

Marie Osmond, who wrote a book in 2001 about her struggle with postpartum depression, criticized the actor for his comments regarding Brooke Shields, whom Cruise took to task for using antidepressants to help her postpartum depression.

"What he said is very harsh for women who live it or have lived through it," says Osmond. "He should not sit in judgment."

I'm glad Marie Osmond spoke out on this, having gone through PPD herself.

TC is on a 'high' right now, but I half expect him to hit a low and crash and burn. I'm sure 'exercise and vitamins' will snap him right out of it though!

Oh, and ITA with other posters who've speculated TC is on 'roids. His arms weren't that big when he was in Top Gun! And he was MIGHTY buff in that movie, as I recall.

Sophia

06-29-2005, 09:55 PM

Do I believe we're alone in the universe? No

Do I believe clusters of murdered alien spirits inhabit my body? No freaking way.

Big difference.

Anderson Cooper had a 30 minute special on TC & Scientology on his show tonight. It was pretty good. I hope the media keeps on this.

Heidi9771

06-30-2005, 05:44 AM

Finally saw the whole Matt Lauer interview.

and

I think I agree with this. Can you say MID LIFE CRISIS? And can someone smack that tonguey smile off Katie's face? Of COURSE she's happy. She thinks she's caught one of the hottest stars. But that was then this is now honey. She's just like a sponge to him probably.

Matt had him on every point and if you really listen he didn't answer half of the questions and contradicts himself. He's WRONG and he can't even HEAR the opposition. That's bad.

What's really bad is the harm he could do to people who are very vulnerable. I hope the opposition stays on this.

Honestly I think he's been like this all along but like others have said his PR firm shielded him from being himself.

Coo coo for cocoa puffs!! :eek:

You know, I never thought about the fact that TC could be using steroids...but his behavior DOES fit the classic mold of a user in that interview...weird. Is it just me, or did he not usualy come across so aggressive in interviews in the past?

Sophia

06-30-2005, 11:32 AM

ewww-osity & weirdness

Tom Cruise continues his more-than-we-want-to-know tour.

The “War of the Worlds” star recently revealed to a German magazine that he enjoys sex. “Sex is great, if you are in a relationship,” Cruise told Bild magazine. “Otherwise, I find sex actually not so interesting. Without a relationship it is confusing.”

The psychiatry-bashing celeb touched on many topics in the wide ranging interview. Regarding fianceé Katie Holmes, Cruise said: “Our chemistry has clicked. We are so alike. I believe I have found the right one. And I want more children.”

And on the issue of mortality, he said, “The exterior is only one covering. I believe in rebirth. I do not have a fear of life or death.”

MSNBC.com

maplekitty

06-30-2005, 11:39 AM

Maple - sorry to break you and your FH up, but TC actually said 'You're glib.' Although, glim sounds so much better! lol. :D

Damn.
I really thought I had something there...so, you're saying he actually did make sense?
well...he's still stupid and psycho, so there! *sticks out tongue and runs away*

sarahncraig

07-01-2005, 06:48 AM

New York Times
July 1, 2005
War of Words
By BROOKE SHIELDS

London

I WAS hoping it wouldn't come to this, but after Tom Cruise's interview with Matt Lauer on the NBC show "Today" last week, I feel compelled to speak not just for myself but also for the hundreds of thousands of women who have suffered from postpartum depression. While Mr. Cruise says that Mr. Lauer and I do not "understand the history of psychiatry," I'm going to take a wild guess and say that Mr. Cruise has never suffered from postpartum depression.

Postpartum depression is caused by the hormonal shifts that occur after childbirth. During pregnancy, a woman's level of estrogen and progesterone greatly increases; then, in the first 24 hours after childbirth, the amount of these hormones rapidly drops to normal, nonpregnant levels. This change in hormone levels can lead to reactions that range from restlessness and irritability to feelings of sadness and hopelessness.

I never thought I would have postpartum depression. After two years of trying to conceive and several attempts at in vitro fertilization, I thought I would be overjoyed when my daughter, Rowan Francis, was born in the spring of 2003. But instead I felt completely overwhelmed. This baby was a stranger to me. I didn't know what to do with her. I didn't feel at all joyful. I attributed feelings of doom to simple fatigue and figured that they would eventually go away. But they didn't; in fact, they got worse.

I couldn't bear the sound of Rowan crying, and I dreaded the moments my husband would bring her to me. I wanted her to disappear. I wanted to disappear. At my lowest points, I thought of swallowing a bottle of pills or jumping out the window of my apartment.

I couldn't believe it when my doctor told me that I was suffering from postpartum depression and gave me a prescription for the antidepressant Paxil. I wasn't thrilled to be taking drugs. In fact, I prematurely stopped taking them and had a relapse that almost led me to drive my car into a wall with Rowan in the backseat. But the drugs, along with weekly therapy sessions, are what saved me - and my family.

Since writing about my experiences with the disease, I have been approached by many women who have told me their stories and thanked me for opening up about a topic that is often not discussed because of fear, shame or lack of support and information. Experts estimate that one in 10 women suffer, usually in silence, with this treatable disease. We are living in an era of so-called family values, yet because almost all of the postnatal focus is on the baby, mothers are overlooked and left behind to endure what can be very dark times.

And comments like those made by Tom Cruise are a disservice to mothers everywhere. To suggest that I was wrong to take drugs to deal with my depression, and that instead I should have taken vitamins and exercised shows an utter lack of understanding about postpartum depression and childbirth in general.

If any good can come of Mr. Cruise's ridiculous rant, let's hope that it gives much-needed attention to a serious disease. Perhaps now is the time to call on doctors, particularly obstetricians and pediatricians, to screen for postpartum depression. After all, during the first three months after childbirth, you see a pediatrician at least three times. While pediatricians are trained to take care of children, it would make sense for them to talk with new mothers, ask questions and inform them of the symptoms and treatment should they show signs of postpartum depression.

In a strange way, it was comforting to me when my obstetrician told me that my feelings of extreme despair and my suicidal thoughts were directly tied to a biochemical shift in my body. Once we admit that postpartum is a serious medical condition, then the treatment becomes more available and socially acceptable. With a doctor's care, I have since tapered off the medication, but without it, I wouldn't have become the loving parent I am today.

So, there you have it. It's not the history of psychiatry, but it is my history, personal and real.

Brooke Shields, the author of "Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression," is starring in the musical "Chicago" in London.

Jessica

07-01-2005, 07:36 AM

Just coming in here to post that article sarahncraig. Such a great piece, she's awesome!

Kristen78

07-01-2005, 07:58 AM

I didn't read thru the whole thread. But can someone explain something to me?? I thought Tom Cruise couldn't have children?? I thought thats why his marriage with Mimi Rogers was in trouble and also why him and Nicole ended up adopting. But now he is saying that him and Katie are going to have babies? I realize they could adopt or look into fertility treatments, etc...I could be totally wrong and if so I apologize I guess I am just surprised he is being so public about having kids if he can't have them. Does anyone know? I may just have wrong information though.

Besides that I am not a big fan of TC + KH. Like KH, Hate TC. He just seems icky to me now. And I think its freaky that he is being so smug and acting like he knows everything while he tells other people that what they are doing is wrong. I think he could use some meds myself...

Freckles

07-01-2005, 08:05 AM

Hey Kristen78!
Nicole conceived & miscarried his child at the end of their marriage, so I guess he isn't sterile. From what I have read regarding Scientology, it actually discourages memebers from having children. :confused:
So, maybe he purposely never had a biological child???? Not sure what his change of face is about now? Maybe he wants to adopt with Katie? He is such a wacko----it's hard to determine his motives for anything at this point.

sarahh

07-01-2005, 08:08 AM

Hey Kristen78!
Nicole conceived & miscarried his child at the end of their marriage, so I guess he isn't sterile. Was that ever confirmed though? I thought it was just a rumor?

Freckles

07-01-2005, 08:10 AM

Actually, does anyone remember the end of the Kidman/Cruise marriage when Tom made that weird vague statement saying "Nicole knows why this marriage is over..."? At the time, the press speculated that Cruise believed that Nicole had had an affair with Russell Crowe since she was pregnant & he was unable to have children....BUT maybe he meant by that statement that he was upset with Nicole for being pregnant with his child since it is discouraged/forbidden by Scientology? Anyway, just thinking out loud....

Freckles

07-01-2005, 08:11 AM

Was that ever confirmed though? I thought it was just a rumor?

Yes, Nicole did confirm it, but Tom did not.

Zelda Von Yitz

07-01-2005, 08:11 AM

Kristen78

07-01-2005, 08:17 AM

Hi Heather!

Ok, I think I remember that rumor that Nicole was pregnant. Hmmm...I think thats really really odd that Scientology discourages members from having children? How do they think they are going to get new younger members then?

Tom Cruise is officially a nut case. I think KH is going to be really embarressed in a few months if/when her relationship with him ends and she looks back and realizes she was crazy for ever being with him. At least I would be embarressed! He's a wierdo!

Freckles

07-01-2005, 08:18 AM

Nicole Kidman Fires Back at Tom Cruise

Kidman begged Cruise not to leave.

By Suzanne Trickey

Nicole Kidman, 33, has finally fired back at Tom Cruise, 38 in what is shaping up to be a bitter divorce case. Reuters reports that, according to her legal papers filed in Los Angeles on May 4 in response to Cruise's February 4 divorce petition, a pregnant Kidman begged Cruise not to end their marriage.

The actress contests Cruise's claim that their marriage ended early in December, saying they were still "intimate" throughout that month and thereafter, as evidenced by the fact that she became pregnant and subsequently lost the baby (for more on this story, see "Kidman Pregnant" ).

Kidman's petition claims that Cruise stormed out without warning, refusing to discuss the problems in their marriage or seek counseling. "This came as a shock to respondent (Kidman)."

Within 24 hours, his publicists had announced the split as "amicable separation" blamed on work pressure. Cruise is citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split and claims that the couple split on December 21, after only nine years and 11 months of marriage.

Her papers continue to say that she ultimately suffered a miscarriage of the baby that she had recently conceived with Cruise. The papers go on to state that "On December 24 the parties had happily celebrated their 10th anniversary with friends."

Under California law, he stands to pay less in settlement costs to her if the union lasted less than a decade. In his statement, Cruise's lawyer said that his client plans to provide for his and Kidman's two adopted children, and that he intends to pay her half of their community property, or "tens of millions of dollars."

If, as she says in her claim, they were still husband and wife until February, their marriage lasted more than 10 years. The legal implications or her claim are huge. For one thing, Cruise will be liable to support her until she remarries.

His lawyers said Kidman "has always known exactly why the parties are divorcing." Some people have taken this statement, paired with Cruise's sudden action, to mean he believes Kidman has been unfaithful to him.

Kidman has already said the child she lost was Cruise's and has denied rumored affairs with leading men.

Source:divorcemag.com

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Tom, Nicole: One Week to Divorce

by Marcus Errico
Jul 31, 2001, 3:15 PM PT

For one more week at least, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman will officially be husband and wife.

Once Tinseltown's top power couple, the actors will have their divorce finalized August 8--just six months after announcing the breakup of their decade-long union.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lee Smalley Edmon signed off on the paperwork Tuesday, clearing the way for an immediate split that will become official in a week. (The couple will still have to divvy up their property and bank accounts at a later date--a trial-setting conference is set for October 4.

Cruise, 39, filed for divorce February 7, citing irreconcilable differences. The petition asked for shared custody of the couple's two kids, Isabella, 8, and Conor, 6. Two days earlier, in a joint announcement, they blamed their faltering marriage on "divergent careers which constantly kept them apart."

According to Cruise's filing, the two had been separated since December, just shy of their 10-year anniversary. But, according to her own court papers, that "came as shock" to Kidman, who said the couple "happily celebrated their 10th anniversary with a group of friends" on December 24 and it wasn't until February 4 that Cruise said "he no longer wanted to live with her and that he wanted a divorce."

(By claiming the later date, Kidman, 34,