Chalk up another one for Scientology.

[Shockeye]

Katie Holmes' Missing Days
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
By Roger Friedman

The newly engaged Katie Holmes still has some explaining to do to her friends and family.

There were 16 days in April during which no one seems to know where she was.

Holmes made a public appearance on April 4 at the premiere of "Steel Magnolias" on Broadway.

She came with her publicist, Leslie Sloane Zelnick, and a couple of other friends. They were there to support Rebecca Gayheart, who was making her Broadway debut.

I know this because I spoke to Holmes at length during the play's intermission. She said she had just moved into her New York apartment and was looking forward to seeing the city.

I also know that on April 4, she had not yet made the acquaintance of Tom Cruise. She briefly dated Josh Hartnett after breaking up with actor Chris Klein.

Hartnett, Klein, Cruise: Which of these three is not like the others?

Klein and Hartnett are young and tall. Cruise is middle-aged and height-challenged.

On the other hand, he's the biggest movie star in the world. They are not.

Holmes was busy during that first week in April. On April 7, she was photographed at the Fragrance Foundation's FiFi event.

Four days later, Holmes was still in New York and was photographed at VH1's "Save the Music" concert. She still had not met Cruise.

Sometime that week, her friends say, she flew to Los Angeles for a meeting with Cruise about a role in "Mission: Impossible 3." The meeting took place after April 11.

The next time anyone heard from Holmes was on April 27, when she appeared in public as Cruise's girlfriend and love of his life.

Where was she during those 16 days?

Somewhere during that time, she decided to fire both her manager and agent, each of whom she had been with for years and who were devoted to her.

The manager, John Carrabino, also handles Renée Zellweger and is beloved by his clients.

Holmes also acquired a new best friend, Jessica Feshbach, the daughter of Joe Feshbach, a controversial Palo Alto, Calif., bond trader.

The Feshbach family, according to published documents, has donated millions to the Church of Scientology. Jessica's aunt even runs a Scientology center in Florida.

According to Richard Behar's now famous 1991 story in Time magazine about Scientology, the Feshbachs were the subject of congressional hearings in 1989.

Behar wrote: "The heads of several companies claimed that Feshbach operatives have spread false information to government agencies and posed in various guises — such as a Securities and Exchange Commission official — in an effort to discredit the companies and drive the stocks down.

"Michael Russell, who ran a chain of business journals, testified that a Feshbach employee called his bankers and interfered with his loans. Sometimes the Feshbachs send private detectives to dig up dirt on firms, which is then shared with business reporters, brokers and fund managers."

The risk-taking Feshbachs, known the world over for making their fortune "shorting" stocks, and the level-headed, conservative Holmeses would be a difficult mix at a dinner table.

Katie's father, Martin Holmes, is the senior partner in a large and respected Toledo, Ohio, law firm. His son, Martin Jr., has recently joined the firm. He's a Harvard graduate. Katie's mom, Kathy, is frequently cited in Toledo for her charity work.

There is some fear among Holmes' close circle that her instant romance with Cruise is not as organic as portrayed.

For one thing, Holmes was raised a strict Catholic. Also, gone from the picture are two close Holmes friends who used to be with her when she did publicity for a film.

One of these is Meghann Birie, a childhood friend who has suddenly disappeared from Holmes' world. Another, a local TV producer here in New York, was too afraid to discuss the situation with me.

We know that Cruise auditioned several actresses for this role before settling on Holmes. This column reported a story about Jennifer Garner. There have been published stories about Kate Bosworth, Lindsay Lohan and Jessica Alba being approached.

A newer one involves Scarlett Johansson, who ran for her life when presented with a fait accompli dinner at the Scientology Celebrity Centre in Hollywood.

And history has been rewritten since the April 27 unveiling.

Curiously, since the Cruise-Holmes situation popped up, we have heard over and over again that Cruise was the young actress' idol when she was growing up.

That's certainly interesting because all of the publicity that used to run on Holmes — still found all over the Internet — lists another Tom as her favorite actor.

That would be Tom Hanks.

[Roac]

btw, for those interested MSNBC is hosting a video of Tom's interview on their front page.

The very few points that Tom is worth defending on - one is that it's psychiatry (and specifically, mind-altering medication), not psychology, that Scientology is against.  The former is the medical treatment (via drugs) of various mental disorders, while the latter is the study of mental processes.  He's also mostly right in that normally drugs mask mental problems, not cure them.  There's also legitimate complaint about psychiatry in that direct causes are rarely identified.  But... that's not much of an argument of anything to hang a hat on.  Doesn't make a dent in the neccessity in some cases for drugs.

"I am Tom Cruise of Borg.  Your understanding is lacking.  You will be audited."

[Riggswolfe]

you know Shockeye, after reading that article, my first thought was "sounds like Invasion of the Body Snatchers." In a way it does, it's almost like she was whisked off for 2 weeks and brainwashed.

Really, it's kind of freaky the way she's cutting herself off from friends  she used to know. Can you say "Classic symptoms?"

[Paelos]

She's going to end up dead soon. Possibly of "unexplained circumstances". Tom will be crushed but rebound in front of everyone talking about how vitamins are helping him grieve.

[Fabricated]

Q: Who the fuck cares about Tom Cruise again?

[Margalis]

Katie Holmes still looks like she's 12 years old. She's kind of gross really, and her facial expression is always just completely vapid. She's a perfect brainwashing candidate.

Personally I'd take Nicole Kidman, 40 or so years and all any day.

[Samprimary]

one is that it's psychiatry (and specifically, mind-altering medication), not psychology, that Scientology is against.

Scientology is against psychology, as well. And the CoS tends to lump the two fields together, and play up claims against the science.

Scientology has some of the most off-base views about psychiatry and psychology I've ever found. I suppose it makes sense, considering that L. Ron was a paranoid, psycho son-of-a-bitch who popped pills and saw things that weren't there and threw people off of ships - the end result is that you get somewhat negative reviews on your mental health.

Also, Scientology has good reason to instill a paranoia and hatred of legitimate scientific processes and bodies of knowledge; I suppose they would hate to have their good, well-paying Scientology inductees find out that Dianetics is total pseudoscience .. to say nothing of the rest of it.

[Roac]

Really, it's kind of freaky the way she's cutting herself off from friends  she used to know.

Scientology is a modern gnostic cult.  

Their auditing is nothing more than brain washing with a new title, and their teachings are aimed to isolate members.  It's interesting because unlike most cults which attempt to physically isolate members, Scientology does so intellectually.  It's more than their anti-psychiatric drug stance; it's also their ideas on alien invaders and such, many of their 'helpful' institutions (Narcon, etc) and the fake science they fabricate to support them.  The push is to get members dependant upon Scientology over anything else.  Even worse, their gnostic tendancies have evolved into lawsuit happy assaults for any public disclosure of their documents; this does much to kill public discussion on the group.  This isn't just a matter of some misled people with bad ideas; it's a group whose express purpose is to entrap people using multiple tactics in order to profit.

[Shockeye]

Interesting interview with the head of Scientology back in 1992 on Nightline.

[Samprimary]

Heh heh - one part of the indoctrination process is to hook them up to an E-meter as a 'lie detector' and then have them do a 'confession session'. Which is, of course, heavily documented and recorded, so that it can be used as blackmail persuasion to either keep existing members in or to silence escaped members.

Also, Scientology's use of 'Dead Agenting' is creepy shit.

[voodoolily]

One time when I was about 18 or so I was walking around downtown and saw the "Free Personality Test" sign. I had never really heard anything about Scientology (actually had it confused with "Christian Science" for awhile), just saw the stack of Dianetics in the window, which I also knew nothing about. So I went in. I love being evaluated, and it was free, so why not? It took an hour to complete the three-or-so part questionaire that determined that I have many anger and aggression issues stemming from my childhood, my time in the womb, and my previous existences. Evidently, my dad yelled at my mom while she was pregnant with me and so I've been imprinted with fear and anger. The scientologists wanted me to start on a strict regimen of niacin, which they start in small doses and increase until you're mega-dosing on it and eliminating radiation from your body. Also, they wanted me to go away on some week-long retreat. I told them "no thanks" and was on my way.

[shiznitz]

Someone needs to handcuff Tom to a paranoid schizophrenic for a week and see how fast he starts screaming for meds.

[HaemishM]

Batshit insane. He really is over the edge. Hopefully he will blow himself up in the middle of a Scientology meeting.

And -- and don't forget raging --- Raging douchebag.

[WayAbvPar]

I am tempted to get a petition of signees together to send to Spielberg promising not to see WotW strictly due to Cruise's involvement. It won't matter for shit, but it would make me happy.

[Roac]

I am tempted to get a petition of signees together to send to Spielberg promising not to see WotW strictly due to Cruise's involvement. It won't matter for shit, but it would make me happy.

/sign

I was thinking about it as a rental, but I don't think I can take any Cruise movie now, at least for a good while.  Plenty of actors/actresses I don't care for, but he's the only one that has ever, for me, detracted from a film due to RL crazies.

[Rasix]

I am tempted to get a petition of signees together to send to Spielberg promising not to see WotW strictly due to Cruise's involvement. It won't matter for shit, but it would make me happy.

/sign

I was thinking about it as a rental, but I don't think I can take any Cruise movie now, at least for a good while.  Plenty of actors/actresses I don't care for, but he's the only one that has ever, for me, detracted from a film due to RL crazies.

He's about to join Mel Gibson on my list for that.  I TIVO'd Collateral  because I thuroughly enjoyed watching it the first time.  I wonder if I watch it now, how long it'll take me to turn it off just because Cruise is present.  Last time I watched Braveheart I couldn't get past the first hour before ejecting the DVD.

[Roac]

He's about to join Mel Gibson on my list for that.

Resulting from what, Passion?

[Rasix]

He's about to join Mel Gibson on my list for that.

Resulting from what, Passion?

The media blitz surrounding it (his interviews, etc) and just the general way he's been carrying himself ever since then. He really didn't need to get involved in stem cell research debates. The film itself I'll probably never see unless it's on HBO, just because I've heard it wasn't a great film unless the subject matter interested you. 

But lets not turn this into a religious or Passion debate, K?  This is about creepy scientologists.

[shiznitz]

This is about creepy scientologists.

Is that adjective really necessary?

[tazelbain]

This is about creepy scientologists.

Is that adjective really necessary?

No, you see. Here's the problem. You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do.//

[Pococurante]

No, you see. Here's the problem. You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do.//

No, you- you see - you, you're glib.//

[AOFanboi]

The media blitz surrounding it (his interviews, etc) and just the general way he's been carrying himself ever since then. He really didn't need to get involved in stem cell research debates. The film itself I'll probably never see unless it's on HBO, just because I've heard it wasn't a great film unless the subject matter interested you. 

Well, Gibson is the Tom Cruise of conservative Catholicism, after all. Or maybe the John Travolta? Travolta after all has made at least two Scientology-oriented films (Battlefield Earth and Phenomenon) and I haven't measured how much influence the CoS had on Michael.

Gibson still has some way to go before he's the new Cecil B. DeMille, though. Ten Commandments, Samson and Delilah and all that.

[Paelos]

I am tempted to get a petition of signees together to send to Spielberg promising not to see WotW strictly due to Cruise's involvement. It won't matter for shit, but it would make me happy.

/sign

I was thinking about it as a rental, but I don't think I can take any Cruise movie now, at least for a good while.  Plenty of actors/actresses I don't care for, but he's the only one that has ever, for me, detracted from a film due to RL crazies.

I'm going to review WotW for the front page. My hate for Cruise also runs deep, so it might leak out in the review. Perhaps.

[Pococurante]

First they went after Zaphod Beeblebrox, now... They Come For YOU, Tom Cruise.

"Hey, he's just this guy, you know?"

Sorry just felt compelled to make two corny classic scifi references. 

[shiznitz]

War of the Worlds won't crack $200M at the domestic box office. I predict a sub-$80M 4th of july weekend take.

What do I win? $113M and $77M, respectively.

Oh and Katie Holmes was the worst part of Batman, probably the best movie I have seen (ex-LotR series) in three years.

[OcellotJenkins]

Gotta love the new urban dictionary image ...

[Abagadro]

This is going from sad to pathetic:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,161963,00.html

[TheWalrus]

 I think it just keeps gettin sadder. If you want to be a crazy son of a bitch, fine and good, but don't drag down other people.  Reading that interview makes me wonder if Scientology wasn't the base for RE4's religion.

[Trippy]

I think it just keeps gettin sadder. If you want to be a crazy son of a bitch, fine and good, but don't drag down other people.  Reading that interview makes me wonder if Scientology wasn't the base for RE4's religion.

Tom Cruise apparently "auditioned" a number of young Hollywood starlets before finding one gulliable enough to accept Scientology. As much as it pains me to see him prey on somebody like Katie she's either as dumb as a rock or she's a willing participant in all this.

Cruise Encounters of the Third kind

[WayAbvPar]

This is going from sad to pathetic:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,161963,00.html

From the article-

During the W interview, the actress wouldn't part from Jessica Rodriguez, who is described as her "Scientologist chaperone." Rodriguez's role in Holmes' life remains vague, though Rodriguez says they're "just best friends" since meeting around the time Holmes met Cruise.

"You adore him," Rodriguez told Holmes when the actress was at a loss for words to describe her lov

That is just fucking creepy. Someone needs to kidnap poor Katie and wean her off the Kool-Aid.

[Shockeye]

For once, the French don't surrender.

Paris snubs Cruise
July 12, 2005
From: Agence France-Presse

IT seems Tom Cruise' wacky behaviour is turning off more than his fans - whole cities are now declaring him persona non grata.

The Paris city hall has pledged "never to welcome" the actor to the city of love - all because of his membership of the Church of Scientology.

In a debate late yesterday, the Socialist-controlled municipal assembly approved a resolution "never to welcome the actor Tom Cruise, spokesman for Scientology and self-declared militant for this organisation".

Last month on a promotional tour for his film War of the Worlds, the 43-year-old star chose the Eiffel Tower to propose to girlfriend Katie Holmes. He was also made an honorary citizen of the southern French city of Marseille.

Like many other European governments, the French authorities view Scientology - founded in the United States in 1954 by science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard - as a dangerous cult.

Cruise was described as a "sect-symbol" by a Socialist deputy.

Meanwhile, Fox News in the US is reporting Cruise has more converts to add to his growing list of sign-ups - his own children with Nicole Kidman.

Isabella, 12, and Connor, 10, live with the 43-year-old actor in Beverly Hills where they are being home-schooled by his Scientologist sisters, reports say.

Bold mine.

[Shockeye]

Cruise's co-star Russell looking to convert?

azcentral.com
July 12, 2005 9:54 AM

Could Keri Russell be the latest starlet to sign up for an E-meter? Radarlonline reports that the Felicity alumna, who recently won the coveted role of starring opposite Tom Cruise in M:I3, has been spotted buying books on Scientology, the controversial religion founded by Science Fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, and has even visited the sect's L.A. Celebrity Center.

Sources told the magazine that Russell, who was once a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints, has "suddenly become very interested" in co-star Tom Cruise's other "mission," spreading the word on Scientology. Russell's publicist said she is "on hiatus" while her client is filming in Rome and could not comment on the item.

If Russell falls under Scientolgy's spell, it will be due in large part to Cruise himself, as the religion's assist tents are available on all movie sets where he works. But the issue of the assist tents has two sides. "Paramount is terrified that it will be deluged with lawsuits from extras, caterers, and actors who will say that they were coerced into Scientology on the set," an insider told Radaronline. "Tom is not passive about having those tents set up. On the War of the Worlds set, he directed people to them and often asked them to talk out their issues in the Scientology tent."

But Paramount reps as well as Cruise's publicist and sister, Lee Anne De Vette, say that there is no problem at all with Cruise or the Scientology volunteers.

"Tom's been working with the studio for years and they have a great relationship. There's no friction. That's a crock of (expletive)," said De Vette. "Tom received a lot of letters from people who had assists thanking him, and there are a lot of people who didn't have them, too. If you don't want them, don't have them! It's like the coffee he brings onset. If you don't want coffee, don't have the coffee!"

[Pococurante]

Getting the blessing of the church does wonders for one's career.  Vinnie Barbarino - I rest my case.

[Shockeye]

THOMAS SLAMS REPORTS HE SEDUCED CRUISE

MATCHBOX 20 frontman ROB THOMAS has rubbished reports he had sex with Hollywood superstar TOM CRUISE - and is even more mortified he's been labelled a fellow Scientologist.

The SOMETHING TO BE singer is horrified by claims he was caught in bed with the WAR OF THE WORLDS star and has finally spoken out to end the rumours.

But he's even more offended by reports he's joined Cruise and other followers of L RON HUBBARD's Church Of Scientology, which has been labelled a "cult" by some critics.

He says, "If I were gay, Tom wouldn't be on the top of my list...It would be BRAD PITT.

"I'm more offended by the rumours saying I'm Scientologist."

12/07/2005 05:30

[WayAbvPar]

"I'm more offended by the rumours saying I'm Scientologist."

Rob Thomas is my Hero Of The Day.



Tomorrow he will revert back to being a douchebaggy lacktalent.