Editing Tom Cruise (section)

===Scientology advocacy===
Cruise was converted to [[Scientology]] by his first wife, [[Mimi Rogers]], in 1986 and became an outspoken advocate for the [[Church of Scientology]] in the 2000s. His involvement in the organization was leaked by the tabloid ''[[Star (magazine)|Star]]'' in 1990, and he publicly announced he followed Scientology in a 1992 interview with [[Barbara Walters]]. Cruise has said that Scientology, and [[Study Technology]] in particular, helped him overcome his [[dyslexia]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Tom Cruise: My Struggle to Read |url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20140587,00.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201229041506/https://people.com/archive/tom-cruise-my-struggle-to-read-vol-60-no-3/ |archive-date=December 29, 2020 |access-date=April 2, 2015 |website=People}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Cruise credits Scientology for his success|work=Today.com|date=May 24, 2005|url=https://www.today.com/popculture/cruise-credits-scientology-his-success-wbna7968809|access-date=May 11, 2008|archive-date=December 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201229041507/https://www.today.com/popculture/cruise-credits-scientology-his-success-wbna7968809|url-status=live}}</ref> Cruise has been a close friend of Scientology leader [[David Miscavige]] since the 1980s.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=December 18, 2005 |title=Tom Cruise and Scientology |url=https://www.latimes.com/news/la-fi-scientology18dec18-story.html |access-date=March 17, 2023 |website=Los Angeles Times |archive-date=September 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230904074131/https://www.latimes.com/news/la-fi-scientology18dec18-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Wright-2013">{{Cite book|last=Wright|first=Lawrence|title=Going clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the prison of belief|date=2013|isbn=978-0-307-70066-7|location=New York|publisher=[[Alfred A. Knopf]]|oclc=818318033}}</ref>

Several years after Cruise started studying Scientology, the organization's leaders promised to share some Scientology secrets with him,<ref name="news.yahoo.com-2012"/> including information about the extraterrestrial ruler [[Xenu]]. According to Janet Reitman's book ''[[Inside Scientology: The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion]]'' (2011), Cruise "freaked out" and took a step back from the Church to work on the film ''Eyes Wide Shut.''<ref name="news.yahoo.com-2012">{{Cite web |title=How The Scientologists Recruited Tom Cruise |url=https://news.yahoo.com/news/church-scientology-landed-biggest-megastar-164734456.html |access-date=June 18, 2022 |website=news.yahoo.com |date=July 9, 2012 |archive-date=August 31, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240831015036/https://news.yahoo.com/news/church-scientology-landed-biggest-megastar-164734456.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1999, [[Mark Rathbun|Marty Rathbun]] was sent by David Miscavige to convince Cruise to return to the Church and continue his studies.<ref name="news.yahoo.com-2012" /> Cruise later sparked controversy in the 2000s with his [[Project Chanology#Tom Cruise video|efforts to promote Scientology]].<ref name="news.yahoo.com-2012" />

In the aftermath of [[September 11 attacks|9/11]], Cruise co-founded and raised donations for [[New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project|Downtown Medical]] to offer New York City rescue workers "[[Purification Rundown|detoxification therapy]]", drawing criticism from medical professionals and firefighters.<ref>{{cite news| last= O'Donnell| first= Michelle| date= October 4, 2003| url= https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/04/nyregion/04DETO.html| title= Scientologist's Treatments Lure Firefighters| work= The New York Times| access-date= February 20, 2017| archive-date= May 7, 2016| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160507054436/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/04/nyregion/04DETO.html| url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Roger |last=Friedman |title=Tom Cruise Can't Put Out These Fires |url= http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,238238,00.html#2 |publisher=[[Fox News]] |date=December 22, 2006 |access-date=December 30, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070109070250/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0%2C2933%2C238238%2C00.html |archive-date=January 9, 2007 }}</ref> In late 2004, David Miscavige created the Scientology [[International Association of Scientologists#Freedom Medal of Valor|Freedom Medal of Valor]] and awarded it to Cruise for this work.<ref name="vanity">{{cite web |title= What Katie Didn't Know |work= [[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |date= October 2012 |first= Maureen |last= Orth |url= https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2012/10/katie-holmes-divorce-scientology |access-date= February 18, 2020 |archive-date= September 26, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200926225602/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2012/10/katie-holmes-divorce-scientology |url-status= live }}</ref> Former Scientologist [[Paul Haggis]] has claimed that Cruise attempted to convert several celebrities to Scientology, including [[James Packer]], [[Victoria Beckham|Victoria]] and [[David Beckham]], [[Jada Pinkett Smith|Jada Pinkett]], [[Will Smith]], and [[Steven Spielberg]].<ref name="Wright-2013" /> Since 2008, Cruise has restricted interviewers from asking him about Scientology.<ref>{{multiref2
| 1 = {{cite web |url=https://www.today.com/news/cruise-under-control-actor-says-i-learned-lesson-wbna28162646 |title=Cruise under control: Actor says 'I learned a lesson' |date=December 15, 2008 |first=Mike |last=Celizic |publisher=[[Today (American TV program)|Today]] |access-date=May 12, 2023 |quote=Three years ago, he openly discussed his membership in the religion with Lauer. But in recent interviews, he's said he prefers not to discuss it and has directed questioners to the religion's Web site. |archive-date=February 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210207011613/https://www.today.com/news/cruise-under-control-actor-says-i-learned-lesson-wbna28162646 |url-status=live }}
| 2 = {{cite web |url=https://www.vox.com/culture/23178527/tom-cruise-top-gun-maverick-movie-star-smile-scientology |title=The hollowness of Tom Cruise |date=July 28, 2022 |first=Constance |last=Grady |publisher=Vox |quote=He heavily restricts the questions journalists are allowed to ask him before he agrees to an interview, and both his religion and his family life tend to be off-limits. |access-date=May 13, 2023 |archive-date=August 31, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240831015039/https://www.vox.com/culture/23178527/tom-cruise-top-gun-maverick-movie-star-smile-scientology |url-status=live }}
| 3 = {{cite web |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/07/30/to-become-a-superstar-again-tom-cruise-downplayed-scientology-as-his-driving-force-report-says/ |title=To be a superstar again, Tom Cruise downplayed Scientology as his 'driving force,' report says |date=July 30, 2022 |first=Martha |last=Ross |publisher=The Mercury News |access-date=May 13, 2023 |quote=He rarely gives interviews and only talks to journalists if they agree not to ask him questions about his religion and family, Vox said. |archive-date=August 31, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240831015037/https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/07/30/to-become-a-superstar-again-tom-cruise-downplayed-scientology-as-his-driving-force-report-says/ |url-status=live }}
}}</ref>

==== Political lobbying ====
As well as promoting various programs to introduce people to Scientology, Cruise campaigned for Scientology to be recognized as a religion in Europe. In 2005, the [[Council of Paris]] revealed that Cruise had lobbied French Interior Minister [[Nicolas Sarkozy]] and Senate President [[Jean-Claude Gaudin]]; they described Cruise as a militant spokesman for Scientology and barred any further dealings with him.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.examiner.ie/breaking/story.asp?j=182470131&p=y8z47x994&n=182471074&x= |title=Paris snubs Scientology 'militant' Cruise |work=Irish Examiner |date=July 13, 2005 |access-date=October 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090107045926/http://www.examiner.ie:80/breaking/index.aspx?c=ireland&jp=cwkfkfeymhql |archive-date=January 7, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.prgparis.org/node/57 |language= fr| title= Tom Cruise ne sera pas citoyen d'honneur de Paris| place= Paris| agency= AFP| trans-title= Tom Cruise will not be an honorary citizen of Paris| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120425091546/http://www.prgparis.org/node/57 |archive-date=April 25, 2012 |date= July 12, 2005}}</ref>