During a recent court case, actor Tom Cruise admitted that his belief in the Church of Scientology was a driving factor in his divorce from Katie Holmes.
In June last year, Katie Holmes ended her five-year-long marriage with actor Tom Cruise by filing for divorce. This apparently came as a shock to Cruise who wasn't expecting such a move from Holmes. The reason cited for the divorce was that Holmes was not happy with Cruise's scientology practices and wasn't willing to raise their 6-year-old daughter Suri in the same manner.
At that time Cruise made no comments about the reason behind the divorce. However, in a latest court hearing the actor admitted that it was indeed his belief in the Church of Scientology that drove the couple to divorce. Last October, the "Top Gun" actor filed a $50-million lawsuit against publishers of celebrity magazines "In Touch" and "Life & Style" for having claimed that Cruise had abandoned his daughter.
When asked by the lawyer for the magazines' publisher, Bauer, whether Holmes had left him because of his scientology practices, the actor claimed the question was "offensive" adding, "'Did she say that? That was one of the assertions yes. There is no need to protect my daughter from my religion.''
The actor confirmed that Holmes stopped practicing the religion straight after the divorce and Suri too no longer follows Scientology. He regarded the lawyer's question as a "lack of understanding and respect towards my religion," reports ABC News.
In the lengthy, video-taped deposition Cruise submitted, he also admitted that he hadn't seen his daughter for 110 days following his divorce but cleared that accusing him of abandoning his daughter was "patently false." He clarified that he had in "'no way cut Suri out of my life - whether physically, emotionally, financially or otherwise''.
The defamation case is due to begin at a court in New York City next year.
