The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 457: Scientology

Long before the release of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Matthew received an invitation from Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes to attend their pre-wedding party at the Hollywood Celebrity Center.

Of course, Matthew was permitted to bring a guest.

Upon receiving the formal invitation, Matthew had Bella send an official reply to Cruise, confirming that he would be attending the event on time.

Although Tom had hit a rough patch in recent years—especially after the split with his former agent and the constant opposition from that agent and his agency—it wasn’t enough to tarnish Cruise, who remained a Hollywood superstar capable of causing a stir at any event.

To say nothing of a pre-wedding party.

As the date of the party drew closer, Tom Cruise began to dominate the entertainment media.

However, most of the media reports and press coverage about Tom were far from positive.

With the superstar being dragged through the mud by his former agent and agency, the media was more than happy to pile on and dig up new scandals.

Chief among them was the infamous Church of Scientology.

The pre-wedding party hosted by Cruise drew immense attention, and many journalists tried to infiltrate the Hollywood Celebrity Center to find out what was really going on between Tom and Scientology.However, the party was under the tightest security, and the press was barred from entry.

In the living room of the Horner Estate, Ilana stood before the massive floor-to-ceiling window, looking down. "Matthew," she asked, "is it true the thief climbed up from this side of the cliff?"

Matthew walked over to stand beside her. Even in flat sneakers, she was still slightly taller than him. "Yeah."

Ilana inquired, "Any progress with the police?"

"No. I’ve been putting pressure on the department, and they had three suspects in their sights, but then clear evidence emerged that exonerated them."

He thought for a moment before adding, "My guess is it might be someone who’s never been involved in a crime before, possibly even a minor."

Ilana immediately understood what Matthew was implying. "That would be the worst-case scenario."

She sighed. "For you, it doesn't matter who the criminal is. What matters is their behavior."

"That's what Helen is most worried about. Obsessive fans are the worst," Matthew remarked. He shot her a quick glance, then changed the subject. "So, what brings you here? Don't tell me it was just to see if the thief has been caught."

Though they were friends, her visits always had a purpose.

Instead of answering, she countered with a question of her own. "Have you been following the entertainment news lately?"

When Matthew nodded, she added, "Tom Cruise is the talk of the town these days."

"You want me to take you to Tom's pre-wedding party?" he guessed.

"Yes. The party is getting intense media scrutiny and the public is fascinated by it. If we could get some exclusive news from inside, it would definitely cause a sensation."

Turning to face Matthew, she pressed, "Didn't Cruise invite you? How about taking me?"

"Not exactly," Matthew said, moving toward the sofa. "This isn't the kind of event where I can just do as I please. It would be inappropriate to bring you."

"If you don't say anything, no one there will know where I came from."

Matthew gave her a look. A pre-wedding party like this was a world away from Uwe Boll's boxing match.

"Let's put it this way." Matthew explained briefly, hoping she wouldn't dwell on it. "The invitation from Tom Cruise does say I can bring a guest, but it also clearly states that personnel from any media outlet are strictly forbidden."

The Hollywood Celebrity Center was the Los Angeles headquarters for the Church of Scientology, and they certainly didn't welcome reporters who had repeatedly exposed their various scandals.

At Matthew's remark, Ilana stopped pushing. Shrugging, she said, "I was just hoping to find out how Scientology chose a bride for Cruise."

Matthew walked around the sofa and sat down. "Aren't you afraid Scientology will retaliate?" he asked.

He couldn't remember which newspaper he'd read it in, but it said that back in the 1950s and '60s, Scientology had a habit of making people who attacked them disappear.

"These aren't those wild old days," Ilana said, sitting across from Matthew. "Something like that is impossible now."

"Right," Matthew agreed, then asked, "So Tom's wife was specially chosen by Scientology?"

"No one can be 100% sure except the highest ranks of that sect and Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes themselves," Ilana said, crossing her legs. She paused for a moment, then continued, "But one thing is certain: the auditions for the female lead in Mission: Impossible 3, held at the Hollywood Celebrity Center, were actually used by Scientology to help Tom choose his future wife—and, incidentally, the movie's female lead."

Matthew was intrigued. "Is there more?"

It sounded like an emperor choosing a concubine.

"You must have heard that Tom and Nazanin Boniadi dated briefly, but they broke up over something. It was reported that Scientology ordered her to clean toilets for a week as punishment."

Matthew didn't know what to say. Thinking about what he knew of Tom Cruise, he wondered if it was really Scientology that had infiltrated Cruise's life, or if Cruise was infiltrating Scientology's leadership. He wouldn't be surprised if, one day, the aging, retired movie star Tom Cruise became the head of the Church of Scientology.

Everyone knew Cruise was a smart man. If he was this deep in the quagmire of Scientology and not getting out, there had to be unspoken reasons for it.

"Katie Holmes was originally a Catholic. To marry Tom Cruise, she not only signed a strict prenuptial agreement, but the Scientologists also had her sign a legally binding contract to convert to Scientology."

Matthew asked curiously, "I heard that Cruise's divorce from Nicole Kidman was also due to interference from Scientology?"

"Nicole publicly stated in the late nineties that she was a Catholic. I think that statement irritated the higher-ups in Scientology, who couldn't tolerate a non-believer as the wife of their poster boy. The reasons for Tom and Nicole's divorce are complex, but Scientology was definitely one of them."

Ilana glanced at her watch and stood up to leave. Before she walked out, she warned, "Tom might have other plans for inviting you to the Hollywood Celebrity Center. Be careful, Matthew. Don't get brainwashed by those religious fanatics."

Matthew walked Ilana to the estate gates, saying deliberately, "If I start believing in Scientology after Tom's party, you have to snap me out of it."

Ilana laughed. "I'll just drive you to the coast in Malibu and throw you off a cliff. It'll be easier for everyone."

With that, she got into her car and soon drove away from the Horner Estate.

Matthew waited until Ilana's car had passed through the gates before turning around and heading back inside.

After a moment's thought, he dialed Alexandra Daddario's number. However, Alexandra was temporarily back in New York and had to decline his invitation to accompany him.