How Tom Cruise’s Wedding to Katie Holmes Changed Scientology Forever
Even by Hollywood standards it was an opulent affair, with millions splashed on a 15th-century castle, crystal-laden Armani dresses, and concerto by crooner Andrea Bocelli; the guest list, meanwhile, was a paparazzo’s dream, boasting the likes of Will and Jada, Posh and Becks, J. Lo, and scores more. But Tom Cruise’s 2006 Italian wedding to Katie Holmes will be remembered for another reason entirely, according to Mike Rinder.
“It was a very significant moment in the history of Scientology, because it changed a lot of the media focus about Scientology,” offered Rinder on Scientology and the Aftermath.
Rinder would know. For 25 years, the Aussie served as a senior executive for the Church of Scientology and its fraternal religious order, Sea Organization, as well as the executive director of its Office of Special Affairs (OSA), which oversees the Church’s myriad legal tussles, public relations, and internal investigations into members’ behavior. He left the controversial religion in 2007 due to, he says, the abusive practices of leader David Miscavige, and now co-hosts A&E’s Aftermath alongside another ex-Scientologist, Leah Remini.
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