section_path: Personal life/Scientology advocacy
section_name: Scientology advocacy
paragraph_text: Scientology advocacy
  
  Cruise was converted to Scientology by his first wife, Mimi Rogers, in 1986 and became an outspoken advocate for Church of Scientology in the 2000s. His involvement in the organization was leaked by the tabloid Star in 1990, and he publicly announced he followed Scientology in a 1992 interview with Barbara Walters. Cruise has said that Scientology, through its teaching method Study Technology, helped him overcome his dyslexia. Cruise has been a close friend of Scientology leader David Miscavige since the 1980s.
  
  Several years after Cruise started studying Scientology, the organization's leaders promised to share some Scientology secrets with him, including information about the extraterrestrial ruler Xenu. According to Janet Reitman's book Inside Scientology: The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion (2011), Cruise "freaked out" and took a step back from the Church to work on the film Eyes Wide Shut. In 1999, Marty Rathbun was sent by David Miscavige to convince Cruise to return to the Church and continue his studies. Cruise later sparked controversy in the 2000s with his efforts to promote Scientology.
  
  In the aftermath of 9/11, Cruise co-founded and raised donations for Downtown Medical to offer New York City rescue workers " detoxification therapy ", drawing criticism from medical professionals and firefighters. In late 2004, David Miscavige created the Scientology Freedom Medal of Valor and awarded it to Cruise for this work. Former Scientologist Paul Haggis has claimed that Cruise attempted to convert several celebrities to Scientology, including James Packer, Victoria and David Beckham, Jada Pinkett, Will Smith, and Steven Spielberg. Since 2008, Cruise has restricted interviewers from asking him about Scientology.
  
  Cruise was converted to Scientology by his first wife, Mimi Rogers, in 1986 and became an outspoken advocate for Church of Scientology in the 2000s. His involvement in the organization was leaked by the tabloid Star in 1990, and he publicly announced he followed Scientology in a 1992 interview with Barbara Walters. Cruise has said that Scientology, through its teaching method Study Technology, helped him overcome his dyslexia. Cruise has been a close friend of Scientology leader David Miscavige since the 1980s.
  
  Several years after Cruise started studying Scientology, the organization's leaders promised to share some Scientology secrets with him, including information about the extraterrestrial ruler Xenu. According to Janet Reitman's book Inside Scientology: The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion (2011), Cruise "freaked out" and took a step back from the Church to work on the film Eyes Wide Shut. In 1999, Marty Rathbun was sent by David Miscavige to convince Cruise to return to the Church and continue his studies. Cruise later sparked controversy in the 2000s with his efforts to promote Scientology.
  
  In the aftermath of 9/11, Cruise co-founded and raised donations for Downtown Medical to offer New York City rescue workers " detoxification therapy ", drawing criticism from medical professionals and firefighters. In late 2004, David Miscavige created the Scientology Freedom Medal of Valor and awarded it to Cruise for this work. Former Scientologist Paul Haggis has claimed that Cruise attempted to convert several celebrities to Scientology, including James Packer, Victoria and David Beckham, Jada Pinkett, Will Smith, and Steven Spielberg. Since 2008, Cruise has restricted interviewers from asking him about Scientology.