Cruise Says Katie Holmes Now a Scientologist

Tom Cruise has announced that his actress fiancée Katie Holmes has joined the Church of Scientology. Excerpts from an upcoming interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer have Cruise telling the world that the Catholic-born Holmes is now a Scientologist.

Tom Cruise addressed many of the topics in the public eye, in his interview with Diane Sawyer, including the baptism of the child, Katie's supposed silent birth, and Katie's choice of religion. Excerpts from the interview, which will air tomorrow, were released by ABC, whose parent company is Walt Disney Co., in an attempt to link the media blitz between Katie Holmes' delivery of their child, and the launch of Tom Cruise's new blockbuster, Mission: Impossible 3.

One of the more recently publicized aspects of the TomKat relationship has been the prospect of Katie Holmes delivering a silent birth (See Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes To Marry This Summer). On that issue, ABC News quoted Cruise as saying, "It's basically just respecting the mother, you know, and helping to be quiet - not the mother. The mother makes as much noise … you know, she's going through it. But why have other people make noise? You know, you want that area very calm and to make it very special." Tom Cruise has said that the Scientology doctrine of a delivery room free of noise, free of people yelling 'push", and the mother screaming, have been blown out of context by the media.

As for the rumor of Holmes being denied medication during labor, Cruise said "She does what she's gotta do, OK? …We're there you know, with doctors. Whatever the woman wants. I'm not gonna tell Kate …you know, if she needs an epidural, she's gonna get her epidural."

Covering one of the more 'hot topic' issues, Cruise has confirmed that Katie Holmes has joined into Cruise's faith, becoming a member of the Church of Scientology. In the same portion of the Diane Sawyer interview, Cruise also announced that his and Holmes' baby would not receive a Catholic baptism. As Reuters quoted from the interview, when asked if their child would get the baptism, Cruise replied "No", then elaborated, " mean you can be Catholic and be a Scientologist. You can be Jewish and be a Scientologist. But we're just Scientologists." When Diane Sawyer asked if Katie was as well, Tom replied "Katie, too". This is the first public acknowledgement of Katie Holmes accepting and embracing Scientology, the religion founded by science-fiction novelist, the late L. Ron Hubbard.

To dispel another of the rumors flying, Cruise has said that there is no animosity between Cruise and Katie Holmes' parents. When Sawyer asked Cruise "They're OK with her being a Scientologist since they're Catholic?", Cruise promptly replied "Absolutely, yes". This is important to Holmes, as Holmes and Cruise have announced that they plan to marry this summer. TomKat have been engaged since June 17th, 2005

27 year old Katie Holmes, star of such movies as Batman Begins, Thank You For Smoking and the TV series Dawson's Creek, has been taking time out of the public eye to have her first child. Tom Cruise, 43, who has been the star of many previous Hollywood blockbusters, including War of the Worlds, Minority Report, Collateral, Jerry Maguire and Vanilla Sky, has recently been doing press for his upcoming movie, Mission: Impossible 3, which is set to release May 5th. Cruise is hoping Mission: Impossible 3 can triplicate the success of its predecessors, with Mission: Impossible grossing roughly $180 million at the box office and Mission: Impossible 2 pulling in around $215 million.

[Additional Sources: ABC News, Reuters]

- Steve Taylor