Tom Cruise Was Once a Bible-Reading, 'Born-Again Christian' Sleeping With Teenage Girls, Actor Claims
Actor Curtis Armstrong claims in his upcoming book that megastar Tom Cruise read the Bible and identified as a born-again Christian in his early career before he became a Scientologist.
The Hollywood Reporter posted on Wednesday an excerpt from Armstrong's upcoming book, titled Revenge of the Nerd: Or . . . The Singular Adventures of the Man Who Would Be Booger, in which the actor shares his experience co-starring with Cruise in the 1983 film "Risky Business" on an off the set.
Armstrong praised Cruise for his dedication to acting, and noted that he identified as a Christian at the time.
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"He (Cruise) self-identified as a born-again Christian and the rumor was he had actually considered shepherding souls for a living. I could believe it. Away from the set, initially, Tom made straight arrows look like corkscrews," the author noted.
"I would ask him at the end of the day if he would like to join us at the bar for a drink. 'No,' I recall him saying, 'Got an early call tomorrow. Got to work out still, study my lines. And then I like to read the Bible a little before bed.'"
Cruise reportedly added, seemingly seriously, that the Bible keeps him "on the right track."
Armstrong wrote, however, that at the same time Cruise was sleeping with several young women, including "three or four young girls — late teens, I suspect," as the author put it, that entered his room the same night as the "Bible study."
"This was a young man who knew something about time management and understood how to successfully juggle Bible study and [sex]," the author quipped.
"I went to bed alone that night thinking it served me right for not being religious."
Later on in life, Cruise decided to join Scientology, and in October 2016 made a rare public statement about his religious beliefs.
"It's something that has helped me incredibly in my life. I've been a Scientologist for over 30 years," Cruise told ITV news in London at the time.
"It's something, you know, without it, I wouldn't be where I am," he added. "So it's a beautiful religion. I'm incredibly proud."
In leaked footage from a video on Scientology in 2008, he added: "I think it's a privilege to call yourself a Scientologist and it's something you have to earn. And because a Scientologist does, he or she has the ability to create new and better realities, and improve conditions."
The religious sect has been heavily criticized by former members, however, such as actress Leah Reemini, who claimed in April that the Church of Scientology is out to "destroy people's lives" if they dare speak out against it.
"We believed that as Scientologists we had the answers and everybody else was lost," she said of her former beliefs, before leaving the religion in 2013.
A television program centered on telling the stories of former Scientologists premiered on A&E in November 2016, with Remini sharing more of her experiences.
"I'm not trying to turn people. We don't need to get people to come out; we're hearing from people who haven't spoken before. They've been brainwashed into believing they could do nothing. They were told there'd be heavy repercussions if they went to the police or the FBI," she said.
