Television personality Jenny McCarthy claimed that actor Tom Cruise repeatedly attempted to bring her and her then-boyfriend, Jim Carrey, into the Church of Scientology, beginning around the time of Cruise’s 2006 wedding to Katie Holmes.
McCarthy shared the allegations during the Oct. 15 episode of “The Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg Show” while speaking with former Scientologist Anne Gollert Hill, according to reports by Page Six and The Mirror US. McCarthy, 53, and Carrey, 64, dated between 2005 and 2010 and were among the celebrity guests who traveled to Italy for Cruise and Holmes’ nuptials in November 2006.
Awkward encounters at 2006 nuptials
McCarthy recalled sitting directly across from Cruise and Holmes at the rehearsal dinner shortly after the couple welcomed their daughter, Suri. When a nanny brought the infant over to the table, McCarthy said she asked if she could hold the baby.
McCarthy alleged that the room abruptly fell silent. She compared the atmosphere to the horror film “Rosemary’s Baby” and described the reaction from attendees as “the Scientology stare,” The Mirror US reported. McCarthy said she held the baby briefly before handing her back to Holmes, at which point dinner conversations resumed.
The podcast host also recalled meeting Cruise’s best man, Church of Scientology leader David Miscavige. McCarthy said she playfully told Miscavige, “Ha ha, you got picked. Congratulations,” which she acknowledged sounded demeaning and visibly irritated the church leader while Cruise laughed to smooth over the awkwardness, according to Page Six.
At the wedding reception, Miscavige delivered a roughly 30-minute address asserting that Cruise and Holmes would become the most important couple in the world, McCarthy said. She noted that while Holmes’ high school friend gave a lighthearted maid of honor speech, Miscavige’s remarks appeared to leave Holmes’ family confused, with Holmes attempting to smile through the address.
Concerns over recruitment and changes in Holmes
McCarthy further alleged that Cruise attempted to entice Carrey to join the faith. She said Cruise once invited the couple to his home in Aspen, Colorado, but Carrey refused to go because he feared they would try to recruit them. According to McCarthy, Carrey told her that church members had already attempted to recruit him in the past.
McCarthy also remarked on Holmes’ demeanor over the course of the relationship. While Holmes seemed like herself during the wedding celebrations, McCarthy claimed a noticeable shift occurred later in the marriage. She recalled pulling Holmes aside at subsequent events to ask if she was doing well, alleging that Holmes appeared “like a deer in headlights,” the Daily Mail reported.
Holmes filed for divorce from Cruise in June 2012 after more than five years of marriage, reaching a settlement within 11 days. Representatives for Cruise and Holmes did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding McCarthy’s podcast remarks, according to the Daily Mail.
