Tom Cruise is one of the primary targets in Going Clear, Alex Gibney's shocking, thorough examination of the Church of Scientology and its abusive practices. The film alleges Cruise asked the church to tap Nicole Kidman's phone and has taken advantage of the church's underpaid workers to maintain his motorcycles and airplane.
Gibney explained why he honed in on Cruise during a Monday night screening of the documentary for HBO. "Cruise is the big kahuna, and that's why we've gone to the trouble of calling him out," he said. "We believe that he has a responsibility to say something about the abuse."
Cruise has yet to respond to the allegations about him or those against the church for physical and emotional abuse. "He can espouse his beliefs, that's fine," Gibney added. "But not to address the allegations of abuse seems to me palpably irresponsible.
The church, however, hasn't been silent. Here's just one of the many statements it's made about Going Clear:
"The Church has documented evidence that those featured in Gibney’s film regurgitating their stale, discredited allegations are admitted perjurers, admitted liars and professional anti-Scientologists whose living depends on the filing of false claims. All have been gone so long from the Church they know nothing of it today. Yet Gibney and HBO stonewalled more than a dozen requests by the Church to offer relevant information about them, with more than 25 individuals with firsthand information eager to speak. To this day, neither HBO nor Gibney can deny that they have yet to present the Church with a single allegation from the film so the Church may have an opportunity to respond. The Church never sought special treatment, only fair treatment."
Going Clear premieres on HBO March 29.
[via Huff Post]
