Read the original article on Best Life. The Sun alleges that Cruise went into an expletive-filled rage after he saw two crew members standing less than a meter (about three feet) away from each other while looking at a computer monitor screen—which violates the recommended rule for social distancing. “If I see you do it again, you’re fgone. And if anyone in this crew does it, that’s it,” Cruise can be heard saying in the recording. “If we shut down, it’s going to cost people f jobs, their home, their family. That’s what’s happening.“ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb Remini, who famously left the Church of Scientology in 2013 and has since become a vocal critic of its practices, released a statement published exclusively on The Underground Bunker, a blog that focuses on Scientology and members of the church. She explained that the entire episode was likely a crafted media ploy to spin the church’s reaction to COVID in a positive light. “Tom does not care about the families of his crew; this is all for publicity. Tom does not believe in family values,” Remini wrote. “Anything you see coming from Scientology and Scientologists, such as mask-wearing and supposedly humanitarian efforts, is just a show. It’s for public relations reasons only.” Cruise nor the Church of Scientology has commented on the leaked audio. And for the one star who came to Cruise’s defense, check out George Clooney Just Defended Tom Cruise’s Viral COVID Tirade. But Remini also went on to explain that the seemingly outsized reaction Cruise gave was also a true indicator of the type of person he is—and that she’s experienced it for herself before firsthand. “Tom’s reaction that was released yesterday shows his true personality,” Remini wrote in her statement on Dec. 16. “He is an abusive person. I witnessed it, I’ve been a recipient of it on a small level, and I’ve been told of similar abuse by his former girlfriend, his employees, and his friends. This is the real Tom.” “Hearing a rich actor with enormous power address his crew in this way is a sign of weakness and a deeply troubled person,” Remini added. And for a very different kind of behind-the-scenes drama, check out 11 Beloved Movie Couples Who Clashed Behind the Scenes. As news of the rant began to spread across social media, other former Scientologists began to give their take on the events. This includes Mike Rinder, former senior executive in the Church of Scientology and co-host of Remini’s docuseries Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, who claimed that Cruise (who he refers to as TC) was mimicking the style of Scientology leader David Miscavige in his rant. “This abusive side of TC is not often seen,” Rinder tweeted on Dec. 16. “He learned from his buddy David Miscavige. Sounds just like him—same language, same inflection, same ‘I have the world on my shoulders and you are f******* me over’ routine…He probably leaked this thinking it makes him sound tough.” The Church of Scientology has long denied any accusations of abuse at the hands of Miscavige. The church also vehemently denies all accusations and statements made by Remini, Rinder, and their A&E show in general since it launched in 2016. In fact, the organization has a website dedicated to disproving and discrediting their claims, though they have not commented explicitly on the former Scientologists’ reactions to the Cruise audio recording. And for more celebrity updates delivered right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. Brendan Tighe, Cruise’s former security guard in Scientology, also told The Sun that the way he was ranting was inspired by Miscavige. “I’ve only ever heard this exact way of ’talking’ while in Scientology,” he said of the church, where he was a member for 30 years. “One hundred percent channeling David Miscavige. I would even go out on a limb and say he is not personally concerned about COVID or even financial loss but wanting to be in control—and not in a healthy way. This is eerily similar to the rantings of [founder L. Ron] Hubbard that the mission of Scientology is more important than the individuals in it.” And for more news on stars and COVID, check out Ellen DeGeneres Reveals the “One Thing They Don’t Tell You” About COVID.
