Scientology Held Secret Auditions to Find Tom Cruise a Wife (Report)

This sounds like the audition from hell.

our editor recommends

Venice 2012: Paul Thomas Anderson Says Tom Cruise Has Seen 'The Master' 'And We're Still Friends'

Tom Cruise and Suri: Scientology's Heartbreaking Double Standard?

Katie Holmes 'Biggest Nightmare' in Scientology History, Say Experts

Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes Divorce Final

Diary of Tom Cruise's Lawyer: 10 Days, 200 Phone Calls and 30 Letters

According to an upcoming story in Vanity Fair, The Church of Scientology held secret auditions to find a wife for church member Tom Cruise following his divorce from Nicole Kidman.

The auditions were so secret that the candidates didn’t know they were taking place. These allegations are being presented in a story written by Maureen Orth and drawing upon "several sources," including former Scientologists and Marc Headley, who left the church in 2005 with police help. Headley reportedly saw "a number of the audition tapes."

In 2004, the church allegedly brought in actresses who were also Scientologists, telling the women they were auditioning for a role in a church training film. During the process, the actresses would be asked “What do you think of Tom Cruise?”

STORY: Tom Cruise and Suri: Scientology's Heartbreaking Double Standard?

Drawing from the ex-Scientologist sources, Vanity Fair describes as former Scientologists, the magazine reports Iranian-born, British actress Nazanin Boniadi was the first to be groomed to be Cruise’s partner. She was initially only told she had an “important mission” for the church, and was made to tell a Scientology official her innermost secrets and sexual history during her month-long preparation to meet Cruise.

The magazine did not specify if Boniadi spoke with its staff for the story, and she is not quoted in its preview of the piece.

According to the magazine's sources, Boniadi was then brought to the U.S., where she dated Cruise from November 2004 to January 2005. During this time, she allegedly angered Cruise for innocuous seeming transgressions, such as saying “very well done,” when he was awarded Scientology’s Freedom Medal of Valor. (Cruise felt her congratulations implied she was his social superior.)

STORY: Katie Holmes 'Biggest Nightmare' in Scientology History, Say Experts 

According to what Vanity Fair describes as "a knowledgeable source," Boniadi is said to have angered church head David Miscavige for repeatedly saying “excuse me” because she couldn’t understand his fast way of speaking. Cruise chastised her for this, and eventually broke up with her through a third party. Boniadi was told Cruise could not be bothered to break up with her in person.

Vanity Fair's source said Boniadi was then sent to a Scientology center in Florida, where she was forbidden to speak of her relationship with the actor, and was later punished when she confided about Cruise to a friend.

STORY: Paul Thomas Anderson Says Tom Cruise Has Seen 'The Master' 'And We're Still Friends'

Her punishment included sessions scrubbing toilets with a toothbrush and being forced to sell Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard’s Dianetics on the street, according to the magazine's "knowledgeable source."

The church has denied these claims, calling them the work of disgruntled former members.

“The Church does not punish people, especially in [that] manner,” a church spokesperson told the magazine.