KATIE HITS BACK OVER SCIENTOLOGY

description

By ALEXANDER HITCHEN

Katie Holmes is blasting friends and family who are worried about her embrace of Tom Cruise‘s Scientology religion.

The National Enquirer recently revealed the concerns of her friends and Catholic family about her new beliefs. And in an interview in the August issue of W magazine, the Batman Begins star slammed those who are speaking out. She said: “People who say that aren’t my friends.”

Katie, 26, described her love for the religion and for Cruise, who proposed to her in June in Paris.

She said of Scientology: “I’m taking some courses and I really like it. What I like about it is that, you know, I was raised Catholic, and you can be a Catholic and a Scientologist, Jewish and a Scientologist. I’m learning to celebrate my own spirit, my own being.”

She also claimed War Of The Worlds star Cruise did not pressure her into the religion, established by sci-fi novelist L. Ron Hubbard.

Katie said: “That’s really ludicrous because, I mean, you have to know Tom. He is the most loving, generous man. He wants to help people. He doesn’t put pressure on people.”

Katie denied Cruise steered her away from starring in films not in line with Scientology — though she recently pulled out of portraying drug addict Edie Sedgwick in the upcoming film Factory Girl.

She said: “I just felt that the role wasn’t right for me.” The National Enquirer had also revealed that Katie’s friends are concerned by the constant presence of Cruise’s pal and fellow Scientologist Jessica Rodriguez, who sat in on the magazine interview.