Greetings, Manor Hors! Periodically, "The Roving Pecker" presents urgent missives from filthy esteemed guest writers. Today's is from Emma (aka The Tennis Chick):
Are you born scum, which subsequently attracts you to Scientology? Or does the "church" actually make you scum? But before we get to that, have you noticed the recent spate of articles lately claiming that Tom Cruise is stepping away from Scientology? Out of the blue, a number of pieces suddenly started popping up with claims that Tom has not visited the Scientology headquarters in East Grinstead, England, despite having hauled ass to the UK some three years ago. This was presented as evidence that he was about to break up with the cult.
In truth, Tom has faced this kind of fake news for years. Back in 2015, Esquire claimed that he was calling it quits with Scientology for the sake of his then nine-year-old daughter, Suri, who was at risk of being branded a Suppressive Person for not being raised within Scientology. It’s 2023, and Tom is not only still in the cult, but has yet to be photographed with said daughter in how many years? Being a diehard skeptic, I never believe any of the stories claiming that Tom is about to leave the cult. Why would he when he has ascended to its highest ranks and is perceived as a deity, a super-human functioning at Operating Theta Level VIII, a God walking in platform heels among us mere mortals? Being a Scientologist has been his core identity for almost 40 years. It’s going to take a shit ton of cognitive dissonance to shake that.
In the field of psychology, cognitive dissonance refers to the distress caused by trying to live with two contradictory beliefs. For example, in her memoir, Leah Remini described struggling with the belief that Scientology was a force for good in the world (as she was raised to believe by her parents), and conversely, her clear perception that certain leaders were not living up to these ethical standards once the liquor started flowing at Tom Cruise’s third wedding. Finding herself being severely punished for asking questions about what she had perceived resulted in such an uncomfortable level of dissonance that she quit the cult.
I do not for a second believe that Tom Cruise experiences any such cognitive dissonance about being a Scientologist. He seems to be all in, a believer to the core. So, when these stories about him leaving the cult suddenly start popping up, my first reaction was to try to figure out what Scientology-related mess we were being distracted from. And I concluded that it was a heavy-footed attempt to pull focus from the rape trial of Danny Masterson, fellow Scientologist.
Danny’s first trial in October 2022 ended without resolution, likely because restrictions were placed on the testimony of the victims that prevented them from describing being drugged by him. Limits were also put on the degree to which Scientology could be referenced to explain Danny’s abusive behavior. These restrictions were lifted in the second trial, resulting in both Danny and Scientology being on trial. Indeed, a former Scientologist, Claire Headley, testified on behalf of the victims, while her own stepfather, Hugh Martin Whitt, a current high-level Scientologist, appeared on Danny’s behalf. That the cult would send the woman’s step-father to support a rapist is consistent with their history of aggressive, scummy behavior.
At some point it then becomes fair to ask: Which came first — does the cult attract scum, or does it help create it? Let’s start with the testimony of Danny’s victims. At the time, he was single and living alone, so there were no other witnesses. The jury found him guilty of two of the rapes. More than anything, the trial highlighted the role the cult played in protecting him. One of Danny’s victims was a girlfriend he dated from 1996 to 2002. Her story only seems murky if you do not understand the psychological dynamics of intimate partner violence. At the start of their relationship, Danny was just another struggling actor. By 1998, he was one of the mega stars of “That 70’s Show.” His ex described the change in their relationship that seems to have coincided with his growing success. She testified that he became increasingly physically and sexually abusive in their years together, raping her twice in 2001. But, like many abused women, she stayed in the relationship, even having consensual sex with him after the rapes.
This made her an “imperfect victim,” and the jury did not convict him based on her allegations. The cult still has up a quote from Danny on one of its websites, where he says, “I understand how people can get into unethical situations, and Scientology has always helped me keep my head clear.” He remains one of their favored sons, even though he has barely gone through any of the levels of training. Per Tony Ortega, his mother has argued that he was cleared in a previous life and therefore does not need to go through the steps again. I can’t make this shit up. So while others have to pay thousands to climb the bridge, he gets an easy pass.
Leah Remini has also described the level of awe and worship with which Tom is treated within the cult. HBO’s “Going Clear” also reported on how the cult recruited women for him. I’ve read stories about lower-level cult members literally being made to plant fields of flowers overnight so that he and his woman could traipse through them. And when the woman is found wanting — because, of course, he remains the prize — she is discarded like yesterday’s garbage. This is the same man whose father-in-law had to give his daughter burner phones to help her sneak out of the marriage and flee with her child - and whose second wife is not allowed to have a relationship with the children they adopted and raised, because leaving the cult made her an Suppressive Person. In Cruise's case, his standing in Scientology has only reinforced the scumminess of his character.
Photo Credits: NBC/Universal, WireImage, Paramount Pictures, BEI/Shutter
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