Tom Cruise Goes To War With Publishers Over Accusations That He Abandoned Suri

Posted: February 16, 2013

Tom Cruise is suing publishers Bauer Media Group in a $50 million defamation suit over accusations in an article written in one of its titles Life & Style magazine that claimed the Oblivion star had abandoned his daughter Suri after his divorce from Katie Holmes.

The suit was filed in Los Angeles District Court in LA and related specifically to Life & Styles July 30, 2012 cover, which headlined, Suri In Tears, Abandoned By Her Dad,along with a picture of the little girl crying.

In response to the suit, which was filed by Cruise in October last year, Bauers lawyers have hit back at the actors demands that the media group declare their sources, with discovery demands the star will surely find highly invasive.

The Hollywood Reporter notes that one of the reasons public figures and/or celebrities are loathe to go up against tabloids is the reality that they will be subjected to a rigorous discovery process.

Crucial in a defense against libel is proving that Bauer Media Group knew the claims about Cruise allegedly abandoning Suri were false. Thats a tough thing to prove.

Represented by attorney Alonzo Wickers, among the list of things demanded of Cruise are details on:

A) The extent to which Cruise was in contact with Suri following his separation and divorce from Holmes.

B) The expectations for Cruises contact and visitation schedule with Suri and the terms of the divorce agreement.

C) The role that Cruises membership in the Church of Scientology played in his decisions regar! ding his visitation and communication with Suri.

D) Suris mental and emotional state following the separation and divorce.

E)Cruises claim and litigation history.

Bauer Media is also asking for full disclosure about the extent of Cruises involvement in the Church of Scientology, and how his relationship with the church affected his communications with Suri, Daily News reports.

At the time of the initial October filing, Cruises lawyer, Bert Fields, said of his client:

Tom doesnt go around suing people. Hes not a litigious guy. But when these sleaze peddlers try to make money with disgusting lies about his relationship with his child, you bet hes going to sue.

In addition to requesting that Bauer Media reveal the identities of the sources who spoke to Life & Style and a full reveal of the communication trail with those sources, Cruise and Fields have asked for details on:

A) Bauerspolicies and practices with respect to obtaining information, paying for sources, verifying the credibility of sources with whom the writers and editors havent spoken.

B) Bauers practice of publishing stories about Cruise.

C) Bauers history of bigotry and hatred toward minority religious groups and their members.

THR reports that according to a document filed Thursday, Bauer will attempt to use the journalistic shield law to protect the identity of its sources. [The full court document can be seen here.]

Adding to the nastiness of the case is a recent report by The Wrapthat alleged the German publisher holds assets linked to Neo-Nazis. Some media watchers think this is the reason for the inclusion of the bigotry wording in Cruises suit.

A deadline for non-expert discovery has been set for October 13. However, dispositive motions a motion seeking a trial court order entirely disposing of one or more claims in favor of the plaintiff without need for further trial court proceedings are due no later than February 28, 2014.

If the Cruise-Bauer suit does not resolve in a settlement and the case does get to trial, legal analysts estimateit could last aroun! d five da! ys.

Seven-year-old Suri resides primarily with her mother in New York, but Cruise has extensive visitation rights under the terms agreed in their divorce which was finalized on July 9, 2012.

Cruises image took a public battering after his whirlwind divorce from Holmes,even by his standards,so it says something about these accusations that this notoriously private actor has decided Life & Styles story was a story too far.