The crazy story of how Scientology allegedly once groomed a girlfriend for Tom Cruise - and then tore them apart
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As former Scientologists explain in the documentary, the church does whatever it can to keep Cruise happy because "In the eyes of [Scientology leader] David Miscavige, Tom Cruise is the perfect Scientology celebrity," according to ex-Scientology executive Mike Rinder.
The church reportedly kept Cruise happy by doing him favors like tricking out all of his cars and motorcycles.
HBO/"Going Clear"
And decking out his airplane hanger in Santa Monica, California.
HBO/"Going Clear"
"Tom was in Spain. They were opening a new Scientology church in Madrid, and he was overheard complaining that he needed a new girlfriend," said Lawrence Wright, author of best-selling book "Going Clear" on which the documentary is based.
HBO/"Going Clear"
"Soon after that," Wright said, "a young Scientologist pre-med student named Nazanin Boniadi was told she was going to get a special assignment."
HBO/"Going Clear"
At this point in the documentary, director Alex Gibney chimed in via narration to explain: "Years later, Nazanin became a successful TV actress..."
HBO/"Going Clear"
Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images
HBO/"Going Clear"
"But at the time, she was a dedicated young Scientologist..."
HBO/"Going Clear"
"... who believed in the church's claims for its humanitarianism mission."
HBO/"Going Clear"
"In fact, she set a monthly record for selling books for the church."
HBO/"Going Clear"
"Nazanin may not speak publicly about her experiences because of an NDA the church pressured her to sign," Gibney said, "but I discovered details from FBI testimony regarding her ordeal."
"David Miscavige assigned Nazanin's case to a key church official, Greg Wilhere," Gibney said. "He put her through a one-month program of on-camera interviews, intensive auditing, and some security checks."
HBO/"Going Clear"
HBO/"Going Clear"
HBO/"Going Clear"
"Wilhere took her to an orthodontist to have her braces removed," Gibney said.
HBO/"Going Clear"
David McNew/Getty Images
Katy Winn/Getty Images
HBO/"Going Clear"
HBO/"Going Clear"
HBO/"Going Clear"
HBO/"Going Clear"
"Two weeks later, church henchman Tommy Davis delivered the news to Nazain that her relationship with Cruise was over."
HBO/"Going Clear"
HBO/"Going Clear"
She did nothing wrong, other than tell her friend she was heartbroken, and this is the way she was treated?"
HBO/"Going Clear"
Neither she nor Cruise have ever publicly discussed their alleged relationship.
Despite Bodiani's story, "The church claims [leader] Miscavige has no involvement in Cruise's personal life and that the search for Cruise's girlfriend never existed," Gibney states in the film.
But Cruise and Miscavige's relationship is deep, going back decades.
"Tom cruise was the guy," former Scientology exec Mike Rinder said. "Miscavige and Cruise have been pretty buddy-buddy way back to 1990s 'Days of Thunder.' In the eyes of Miscavige, Tom Cruise is the perfect Scientology celebrity."
And it seems like Cruise also enjoys Miscavige's friendship.
In one clip during "Going Clear," Cruise enthusiastically congratulates the Scientology leader during a church conference by proclaiming, "We are lucky to have you. Thank you."
HBO/"Going Clear"
Nazanin Boniadi's rep declined to comment on the story, and Cruise's rep hasn't responded to our request for comment.
Read Scientology's lengthy response to "Going Clear" here.
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