LOVE SHOCK

A secret romance with longtime pal Tom Cruise had Demi Moore considering joining his beloved (and controversial) religion

Sources reveal that Demi Moore was involved in a hush-hush romance with Tom Cruise last year — and nearly joined the Church of Scientology for him!

They’ve been friends for 28 years, and shared memorable chemistry in the 1992 film A Few Good Men. But things never turned romantic in real life between Demi Moore and Tom Cruise — or so fans thought. According to a report, Tom and Demi, both 58, secretly dated last year. And as their hush-hush relationship got more and more serious, Tom allegedly began to urge Demi to convert to Scientology so that they could tie the knot. “Demi really liked Tom. She could envision them being together,” an insider confirms. “So when Tom suggested she take some Scientology classes and read some literature, just dip her feet in, Demi wholeheartedly agreed.”

She soon had a change of heart, though. “While Demi tried to have an open mind, there were red flags she couldn’t ignore,” explains the insider, adding that Tom piled on the pressure to join his beloved religion. “He said the only way they could be together and get married would be for her to officially join Scientology — and she started to feel trapped. She couldn’t go through with it, not even for love. That’s why Demi and Tom ended. “

WORDS OF WARNING

A follower of Kabbalah in the past, Demi has always been open to new ideas when it comes to spirituality. And Tom was both charismatic and convincing as he described the Church of Scientology to her. But when Demi started discussing it with friends and family, she realized how potentially isolating converting could be. The experience of Tom’s ex-wife Katie Holmes — who reportedly divorced the actor, in part, because she disagreed with the religion’s practices — was also hard to ignore. “Demi’s inner circle was shocked by her interest in joining,” shares the insider. “They told her not to do it, and the possibility of having to cut off those closest to her who disapproved, for the sake of Scientology and Tom, started to sink in. It was a wake-up call.”

When she called Tom to voice her concerns, he wasn’t receptive, claims the insider: “She said she didn’t think she could join and he didn’t even discuss it with her — he just coldly said goodbye and hung up.” The pair seemingly haven’t seen each other since. “As soon as Demi hung up the phone,” the insider says, “she knew she’d dodged a bullet.”