Inside Scientology
Scientology leader David Miscavige’s dad spills on the religion famed by Tom Cruise – and his own son
He was once a carefree, playful lad until proud parent Ron Miscavige introduced his son David – who was only nine at the time – to Scientology. The loving boy he thought he knew then changed forever.
“When I compare the happy, fun-loving boy I raised to the man he has become, the images of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde spring immediately to mind,” says Ron.
Rising through the ranks, David, now 58, was declared head of the
Church Ch h of fs Scientology i l i in 1986 following the death of founder L Ron Hubbard.
Now, Ron gives a brutal and honest insight into his decades as a Scientologist and spills the beans on Mission: Impossible star Tom Cruise’s devotion to the church, as one of its most valued members.
“Tom looks up to David as the top spiritual being on the planet,” Ron reveals. “He idolises him.
“If anything, Tom runs whatever decision he has to make through David, not the other way around.”
The 83-year-old father of the cult leader admits to having met Tom “many times”, and says the 56-year-old Hollywood heavyweight once made a $14 million donation to the church.
“David ordered everyone in the Sea Org to call him Mr Cruise, never Tom, as a sign of respect,” he explains. “All that said, David is very much the leader and nobody, including Tom, disobeys him.”
Ron recalls how Tom’s second wife, Nicole Kidman, would visit the church’s Gold Base headquarters in California.
“I thought she was a nice lady.” Ron reveals. “She did get audited, but she was never solidly into the church. Her father was seen as a problem because he was a psychologist.”
Eventually, Nicole, 51, and Tom separated, and the Top Gun star dated several actresses before hooking up with Katie Holmes.
TOXIC POLICY
“The church organised interviews to find Tom a new girlfriend and Katie was picked,” Ron explains on how they were matched up.
“At their home they would have people from the Sea Organisation living with them, making sure all of Tom’s whims and desires were taken care of. That didn’t sit well with Katie, but the big issue was raising [their daughter] Suri as a Scientologist. If that happened, someday it was a possibility that she would disconnect from Katie.
“Ultimately, this is what has happened to me. It’s a toxic policy that ruins lives. Katie didn’t want that to happen so she left.”
Ron quit Scientology in 2012 after 41 years – the same year that Katie, 39, divorced Tom.
The musician and his second wife Becky left Gold Base under the pretence they were running errands and escaped.
The following year, he was told by police that his powerful son had hired people to watch his every move for months.
Scientology has attempted to discredit Ron’s name and reputation, but that did little to discourage him from releasing his memoir Ruthless: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige And Me in 2016.
Ron now lives a peaceful life in Wisconsin, but to this day believes the religion has turned his son into a “monster”.
“David runs Scientology with an iron fist,” he says. “And to my mind, it has become a cult, pure and simple.”
‘Tom looks up to David as the top spiritual being on the planet’