Tom Cruise lawyer on Vanity Fair expose: 'Tired old lies'

Copyright 2012 Ian Gavan / Getty Images

(ETonline) Tom Cruise's lawyer is speaking out in response to a new Vanity Fair expose that claims a top-secret Scientology project was used to find a mate for the star, telling ET that the article is "long, boring and false."

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Cruise's rep Bert Fields tells ET, "Vanity Fair's story is essentially a rehash of tired old lies previously run in the supermarket tabloids, quoting the same bogus 'sources.' It's long, boring and false."

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The new VF issue claims that in 2004, before Cruise married Katie Holmes, Scientology members embarked on a top-secret project headed up by Shelly Miscavige, the wife of Scientology chief David Miscavige, to find a girlfriend for Tom Cruise that involved an elaborate auditioning process. The article goes on to detail very harsh treatment that Nazanin Boniadi, an Iranian-born, London-raised actress and Scientologist, allegedly experienced after she was selected to date Cruise from November 2004 until January 2005.

Spokespeople for Scientology deny that any such project existed, and both David Miscavige and Tom Cruise declined to be interviewed by the magazine. A statement from the Church in response says in part, "The entire story is hogwash. There was no project, secret or otherwise, ever conducted by the Church to find a bride (audition or otherwise) for any member of the church. The allegation and entire premise of the Vanity Fair article is totally false . . . We have been denying this ridiculous tale now since it first appeared in print four years ago."

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Oscar winning Crash writer-director Paul Haggis, an outspoken former Scientologist, confirmed the Boniadi story to Showbiz411.com, saying he's known the actress for about three years. He says in part, "I was deeply disturbed by how the highest ranking members of a church could so easily justify using one of their members; how they so callously punished her and then so effectively silenced her when it was done. It wasn't just the threats; they actually made her feel ashamed, when all she had been was human and trusting." He goes on to say, "I've met quite a number of people who have been treated shamefully but are afraid to speak out. ... They live in fear of retribution, legal, financial or personal, even some famous ones."

The Church also responded to Haggis' words, saying in part, "Both Paul Haggis and Nazanin Boniadi are members of a small self-proclaimed 'posse' of anti-Scientology apostates founded by self-admitted liars and suborners of perjury. This posse has been selling stories to the highest bidder for years . . . In recent weeks, they have exploited this high profile divorce in any way they can by spreading lies to draw attention to themselves so they can make money shilling their self-published books."

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The new issue of Vanity Fair is on stands Thursday in New York and L.A. and nationwide on September 11.

[tmonta67]

Ok, can we get this out once and for all? A) SCIENTOLOGY IS A MANIPULATIVE AND PSYCHOPATHIC CULT, WITH FINANCIAL MEANS. Thiis means they can buy obedience, silence, and certain media. B) CRUISE HAS BEEN BOTH THE PERFECT VICTIM, AND THE PERFECT SPOKESMAN.

[Chapman78]

Wait....Cruise sues EVERYONE. All of a sudden he's not. Me thinks the reports are true!!!! Oh....me also thinks the Church of $cientology may protest just a little too much. They even put a letter on their website protesting. Paranoid freaks!!!

[micmac666]

Leave Mr. Cruise alone to find his own fella.

[SUZAMBA]

OH BOO HOO!! Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me! Cruise and his church should take notices to the words in this rhyme, besides, Who gives a big rip about Cruise anymore!

[john92021]

Scientology is more believable than Mormon beliefs.

[bigmanfrommaine]

Xemu, was, according to the founder of Scientology L. Ron Hubbard, the dictator of the "Galactic Confederacy" who, 75 million years ago, brought billions of his people to Earth in a DC-8-like spacecraft, stacked them around volcanoes and killed them using hydrogen bombs. Official Scientology scriptures hold that the essences of these many people remained, and that they form around people in modern times, causing them spiritual harm.

I don't know, that is pretty far out. Then again, Christianity is pretty whacked too...

[wolfmagic2012]

Who gives a flippin $hit what the church, or Cruise's lawyer or Cruise or anyone for that matter, has to say. Any time you put yourself wholly in the hands of a Religion, you are abdicating your own divinity. Wake up, grab the wheel, and steer your own dang car.

[rubberrezi]

If it is a lie why is Scientology sueing Vanity Fair? If there was any way that it wasn't true they would be in court grubbing for all the money they could get.

[lambokiller]

Take note that there are very few Scientology Idiots in Texas. That is because the first time they tried cultism control on most of us Texans, they would get their ***** kicked. I dare them to come try "personal retaliation" on me. Send the goon squad. Us former Delta guys will make sure they learn how to do something besides intimidate movie stars.

[wolfmagic2012]

Easy killer - I'd tone it down a bit if I were you... Texans ain't known for being the sharpest knives in the drawer! That said, Scientology sucks as bad as Christian Fundamentalism.

[john92021]

Waco is in Texas, right.