Former Scientology chief claims church 'brainwashed Tom Cruise's children and turned them against Nicole Kidman'

A former Scientology chief has sensationally claimed the church brainwashed Tom Cruise’s children and turned them against the star’s ex-wife Nicole Kidman.
Marty Rathbun, who worked at the secretive church for 27 years before leaving in 2004, said he believed officials used Scientology doctrine to turn the Oscar winner’s adopted children against her after she divorced Cruise in 2001.
His comments could shed more light on Scientology - and just why Katie Holmes was so keen to win sole custody of her young daughter as she filed for divorce from Cruise recently.

Claims: A former Scientology chief said the church brainwashed Tom Cruise's adopted children Isabella and Connor (right)  to turn them against his ex-wife Nicole Kidman (pictured left)

Mr Rathbun claimed that he had counselled A list star Cruise, 50, in countless sessions that the church refers to as ‘auditing’ at the Scientology celebrity center in California.

 

Mission Impossible star Cruise has two children that he adopted with Miss Kidman, daughter Isabella, now 19, and son Connor, now 17.
And when the children were with the father they were left in the grip of Scientology staff, according to Mr Rathbun.

Insider: Marty Rathbun worked at the secretive church for 27 years before leaving in 2004

Mr Rathbun told NBC’s Rock Center with Brian Williams: ‘...they were being indoctrinated, and they were reporting to Tom on how that was going in my presence.
He claimed that church officials told Isabella, then nine, and Connor, then six, that their mother was a ‘suppressive person’, which the church’s website, , defines as ‘a person who seeks to suppress other people in their vicinity.’
He said: ‘It was more than implied....[Kidman] was somebody that they shouldn’t open up with, they shouldn’t communicate with, and they shouldn’t spend much time with,’
The Scientology website reads: ‘A suppressive Person will goof up or vilify any effort to help anybody and particularly knife with violence anything calculated to make human beings more powerful or more intelligent.
‘The ‘suppressive person’ is also known as the ‘anti-social personality’. Within this category you would find ‘Napoleon, Hitler, the unrepentant killer and the drug lord,’ according to the website.
Mr Rathbun also insisted that the Church of Scientology closely monitors the communication of high profile members and orders members to sever ties with suppressive people, particularly those who are critical of the church.
He said: ‘That person could be your son, it could be your daughter, it could be your father, it could be your mother. It doesn’t matter.’
Speaking about the Cruise children, he said: ‘They were being steered toward and indoctrinated toward coming to the conclusion that Nicole was a suppressive person.
In 2007, Miss Kidman admitted: ‘My kids don’t call me mummy,’ as she said they referred to her as Nicole - while Miss Holmes said the children had started calling her mum.

Mr Rathbun's comments could shed more light on Scientology - and just why Katie Holmes was so keen to win sole custody of her young daughter as she filed for divorce from Cruise recently

In the centre: The controversial religion has played a huge part in the couple's split

The actress went on to have two young daughters with her second husband, singer Keith Urban, but still maintains a relationship with her adopted children, as Isabella said in May: ‘I love mom. She’s my mom. She’s great. I see her sometimes and I speak to her.”
Miss Holmes, 33, and Cruise this week agreed to the terms of a deal of a divorce whereby their six-year-old daughter Suri will live with her mother in New York.
In a thinly veiled comment on Scientology, the couple released a shared statement that read: ‘We want to keep matters affecting our family private and express our respect for each other’s commitment to each of our respective beliefs and support each other’s roles as parents.’
Miss Kidman’s publicist did not comment.
While Cruise’s spokesman Bert Fields told the NBC show that Mr Rathbun was not a reliable source, calling him ‘A bitter ex-Scientologist who spends most of his time attacking Scientology and using Tom Cruise’s name to get attention for his bigoted diatribe. If he “audited” Mr Cruise, he is violating the privilege of that position by discussing it.’

Claims: Cruise and Kidman pictured in 1992. According to Mr Rathbun, the church was trying to turn their children against her

Hurtful: In 2007, Miss Kidman admitted: 'My kids don't call me mummy', as she said they referred to her as Nicole

Fields added: ‘It is absolutely false that Mr Cruise, or anyone else to his knowledge, did or said anything to lessen Connor and Bella’s communication or relationship with their mother. On the contrary, Mr Cruise did all he could to encourage that relationship.’
In a letter to NBC News, Gary Soter, a lawyer for the Church of Scientology, wrote that Mr Rathbun was an unreliable source and a liar. Mr Soter described Mr Rathbun as ‘a defrocked ex-communicated apostate.’
When asked about the allegations against him, Mr Rathbun replied: ‘Then why was I assigned by the Chairman of the Board to audit Tom Cruise during the last four years of my involvement at the Church of Scientology?’