How his cult staged Cruise wife auditions

Though it may have been her childhood dream to marry the star of Top Gun, it seems the former Dawson's Creek actress was not the first choice.

An article in Vanity Fair magazine has revealed that members of Tom's church auditioned candidates for Mr Cruise to marry as far back as 2004.

A number of Scientologist actresses were interviewed by church leaders and told they were being considered for a role in a new training video.

However, they were faced with unexpected questions such as: 'What do you think of Tom Cruise?'

Partner

Katie Holmes, who did not become a Scientologist until she started dating Cruise, was not part of this process.

Instead, Nazanin Boniadi, an Iranian-born actress who grew up in Britain, was chosen to be the megastar's partner.

Oscar-winning film director Paul Haggis, who won a gong for the movie Crash, has now stepped forward to support actress Nazanin Boniadi, who he says was "embarrassed" to be one of those auditioned.

"I was deeply disturbed by how the highest ranking members of a church could so easily justify using one of their members; how they so callously punished [Boniadi] and then so effectively silenced her.

"It wasn't just the threats; they actually made her feel ashamed, when all she had been was human and trusting," the movie maker said.

It has been said that Ms Boniadi dated the Mission Impossible star for three months, but he grew tired of her and she was then sent back to a Scientology centre in Florida.

Meanwhile, Tom has denied the reports, calling the allegations a pack of lies.

labutler@herald.ie