Tom Cruise and John Travolta share a love for Scientology — but a church insider has exposed more secrets of their feud, after The ENQUIRER revealed its Hollywood start….
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Former Scientologist Brendan Tighe — who worked security for Tom at the the church's Florida headquarters until 2009 — told
the UK's Daily Mail: "It's no secret that Cruise and Travolta despised each other." He added that a
"pi**ed off" Travolta has never recovered from a 2008 ceremony when
church leader David Miscavige awarded Cruise with the church's Freedom Medal of Valor, citing the star as Scientology's most dedicated member.
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"The closest person Miscavige had ever said that about before was Travolta," Tighe told the Mail. "He was told by Miscavige that he was the most dedicated Scientologist and had introduced more members than anyone, so it was like getting his title stripped." In a bizarre twist, however, the Cruise/Travolta feud had its roots in showbiz — with Travolta's cinematic bomb "Battlefield Earth" blamed for the bad blood!
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The National ENQUIRER had the scoop on how the movie, based on a novel by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, first ruined the actors' friendship.
Marty Rathbun — the former No. 2 man at Scientology headquarters — told The ENQUIRER that he had joined Miscavige in picking Cruise up at the airport shortly after "Battlefield Earth" premiered in May 2000 to disastrous reviews.
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As Marty recalled: "Tom Cruise gets in the car and says: 'Hey, Dave, what's with 'Battlefield Earth,' man? It's the worst PR in the world..DM turns to him and says: 'Man, I swear to God...It's just 'Out Ethics.' If I had anything to do with that thing, it wouldn't have gone anywhere.' He and Tom just sat there...saying what a criminal, Out-of-Ethics son-of-a-bitch John Travolta was."
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Referring to John's "Out Ethics" was a particularly serious charge, since it's Scientology jargon for using freedom of choice to make decisions outside the church. But, added Rathbun, the truth was that Miscavige had worked closely with Travolta on the production — "dictating his commentary on every shot!"
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Photo credit: Getty Images
But, said Rathbun, the church leader panicked when critics blasted "Battlefield Earth" as one of the worst films of all time. That was when Mascavige placed the blame squarely on Travolta — with the Scientologist stars left to feud their way into the 21st century!
Photo credit: Getty Images
Former Scientologist Brendan Tighe — who worked security for Tom at the the church's Florida headquarters until 2009 — told
the UK's Daily Mail: "It's no secret that Cruise and Travolta despised each other." He added that a
"pi**ed off" Travolta has never recovered from a 2008 ceremony when
church leader David Miscavige awarded Cruise with the church's Freedom Medal of Valor, citing the star as Scientology's most dedicated member.
Photo credit: Getty Images
"The closest person Miscavige had ever said that about before was Travolta," Tighe told the Mail. "He was told by Miscavige that he was the most dedicated Scientologist and had introduced more members than anyone, so it was like getting his title stripped." In a bizarre twist, however, the Cruise/Travolta feud had its roots in showbiz — with Travolta's cinematic bomb "Battlefield Earth" blamed for the bad blood!
Photo credit: Getty Images
The National ENQUIRER had the scoop on how the movie, based on a novel by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, first ruined the actors' friendship.
Marty Rathbun — the former No. 2 man at Scientology headquarters — told The ENQUIRER that he had joined Miscavige in picking Cruise up at the airport shortly after "Battlefield Earth" premiered in May 2000 to disastrous reviews.
Photo credit: Getty Images
As Marty recalled: "Tom Cruise gets in the car and says: 'Hey, Dave, what's with 'Battlefield Earth,' man? It's the worst PR in the world..DM turns to him and says: 'Man, I swear to God...It's just 'Out Ethics.' If I had anything to do with that thing, it wouldn't have gone anywhere.' He and Tom just sat there...saying what a criminal, Out-of-Ethics son-of-a-bitch John Travolta was."
Photo credit: Getty Images
Referring to John's "Out Ethics" was a particularly serious charge, since it's Scientology jargon for using freedom of choice to make decisions outside the church. But, added Rathbun, the truth was that Miscavige had worked closely with Travolta on the production — "dictating his commentary on every shot!"
Photo credit: Getty Images
But, said Rathbun, the church leader panicked when critics blasted "Battlefield Earth" as one of the worst films of all time. That was when Mascavige placed the blame squarely on Travolta — with the Scientologist stars left to feud their way into the 21st century!
Photo credit: Getty Images
