Scientology Leaders Allegedly Helped 'Facilitate' Tom Cruise's Divorce From First Wife So He Could Pursue Nicole Kidman
Teacher's pet? According to former Scientologist Mike Rinder, church leader David Miscavige would go above and beyond to ensure their star pupil, Tom Cruise, was happy.
Rinder was a lifelong member of the church until leaving in 2007, and he's now sharing more than a few shocking stories in his memoir, A Billion Years: My Escape From a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology.
According to Rinder, the Top Gun star, 60, fell head over heels for Nicole Kidman, 55, while they filmed Days of Thunder — so much so, that he wanted to divorce his first wife, Mimi Rogers, 66, so he could pursue the Australian actress.
After making the confession to his church leader, a group of Scientologists decided to help "facilitate Cruise’s desire to make Nicole his new wife," Rinder claimed. "Miscavige no doubt saw this as an opportunity to demonstrate his ability to make Tom’s wishes come true."
It was Greg Wilhere, a Scientologist who was also the actor's personal auditor, that was allegedly "assigned to get Mimi to agree to a divorce so Tom could marry Nicole." The whole situation was "highly unusual and would never have happened with a normal Scientologist," the author insisted.
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The plan seems to have been a success, as Cruise divorced Rogers in 1990 after less than three years of marriage. Ten months after their split, the Mission: Impossible lead wed Kidman.
"It was indicative of how far Miscavige was willing to go to ally Cruise," Rinder emphasized of the ordeal.
The Big Little Lies alum and Cruise adopted two children together but divorced in 2001.
A spokesperson for the church denied the claims, calling them "utterly ludicrous."
"Mike Rinder is an inveterate liar who seeks to profit from his dishonesty," the rep stated. "He supports himself by orchestrating the harassment of his former Church and its leader through false police reports, incendiary propaganda and fraudulent media stories."
An excerpt of the book was published by Page Six.