Scientologists Threaten Vanity Fair With Legal Action Over Tom Cruise Claims

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Source: LawFuel.com

Posted on Monday, September 17, 2012

Lawfuel.com - Wife-auditioning was not part of Tom Cruise's activities, according to the Church of Scientology who have rejected the accusation levelled at Cruise and the Church in a Vanity Fair article.

The Church of Scientology has attacked the magazine saying it has not only displayed shoddy journalism, but also exposed itself to potential legal liability over the article.

Vanity Fair special correspondent Maureen Orth reported that in 2004, Scientology began the wife-auditioning process by recruiting actresses in the Scientology community. Nazanin Boniadi, an Iranian-born, London-raised actress, was reportedly the one selected during this particular screening, and dated Cruise from November 2004 to January 2005.

Vanity Fair published the shocking piece alleging that the Church of Scientology conducted a secret wife-auditioning process to find Cruise, its highest-profile member, a suitable mate.

The story alleged that Cruise's ex-wife Nicole Kidman was an enemy of the church and his ex-girlfriend Penelope Cruz was a "dilettante," and also detailed the actor's inability to "entice a number of beautiful, well-known actresses" to become his future wife, in! cluding Sofia Vergara and Scarlett Johansson, noted The Hollywood Reporter.

Cruise's marriage to Katie Holmes ended after the actress filed for divorce June 28. The couple reached a settlement, in private, just two weeks later.

Jeffrey K. Riffer of the law firm Elkins Kalt Weintraub Reuben Gartside LLP fired off the verbose letter backing the Church of Scientology to Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter.