Tom Cruise Thought about Becoming a Monk While Married to 'Extremely Bright' Woman before Nicole Kidman

Tom Cruise is one of the wealthiest actors in Hollywood, but the actor struggled with reading growing up because of dyslexia. His marriages did not last, but one of them reportedly ended because he wanted to become a monk.

Tom Cruise is one of the most famous American movie stars who gained fame from a young age. The actor was only 24 years old when he starred in "Top Gun," a film that is still a classic today.

However, what fans might not know is that Cruise was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of seven. Additionally, the actor is a long-standing member of the Scientology church and has credited overcoming his dyslexia to the church, reported Today.

Cruise was introduced to the church by his first wife, Mimi Rogers, reported Nicki Swift. Her father was a member of Scientology, so Rogers shared her religion with Cruise and invited him for a meeting at the Scientology center in Hollywood,

According to Today, Cruise is part of the board of H.E.L.P., the Hollywood Education Literacy Project. This learning technology offers one-on-one tutoring to adults and children at no cost.

Cruise said he did all he could to find ways to comprehend any reading material, but he struggled to remember whatever he read, despite the help of multiple tutors.

But Today reported that it was not until Cruise find out about the L. Ron Hubbard Scientology Study Tech that he got the help he needed.

Therefore, the H.E.L.P, a technology, is dear to the actor's heart because its technique of having an object you are studying in front of you helped him overcome his learning disability. As reported by Today, the concept is easy; "if you are studying an airplane, have an airplane in front of you if you can."

The example of airplanes is fitting because Cruise confessed to People that he had always dreamt of becoming a pilot. Even though he got to act out flying a plane in "Top Gun," his dyslexia did not allow him to become a professional pilot.

The Reason behind the End of Tom Cruise and Mimi Rogers' Marriage

According to Instyle Magazine, Cruise and Rogers met in a Rolling Stone interview in 1986. But the actor could not make a move because Rogers was dating his friend then.

However, the "Top Gun" star said he was intrigued by her because he thought she was "extremely bright." When the couple got together, things started moving fast, and marriage conversations started happening.

However, marrying one of the most famous men in Hollywood was not an easy task; Instyle said they disguised the wedding by naming it "the project." The project" was fulfilled in 1987. Cruise and Rogers were said to have had a beautiful and intimate wedding ceremony.

Surprisingly, just before the announcement of their separation, Cruise had an interview with Rolling Stone and gushed over his then-wife.

According to Instyle, the actor said Rogers made him a better actor and that he could not imagine himself with anyone else. He added, "I care about my wife more than anything in the world. She's my best friend."

According to Andrew Morton's unauthorized Tom Cruise biography, the actor filed for divorce on December 9, 1989. The couple's relationship was well known and thus highly scrutinized, especially because Rogers was six years older than Cruise.

However, in an interview with Playboy, Roger set the record straight about what ended her marriage. Rogers admitted that her age was constantly brought up in tabloids, which "annoyed" her.

However, Rogers, who is also a prominent actress, clarified that Cruise's stardom or jealousy was not the reason behind the demise of their union.

The actress revealed that Cruise was seriously considering becoming a monk, which did not include marriage, so that was why Rogers and the "Mission Impossible" star ended their marriage short-lived.

However, since the divorce, the actors have moved on. Cruise keeps his life private, but Instyle stated that he was rumored to be dating his "Mission Impossible" co-star Hayley Atwell from 2020 to mid-2022, but now he is single.

As for Rogers, she happily married producer Chris Ciaffa in 2003, and together they have two children, Lucy and Charlie.

The Scientology Played in Tom Cruises Marriages

When Cruise and Rogers divorced, the actress confirmed that she stepped down from the Scientology religion, and Cruise remains an avid member of the church.

Although Rogers has given a reason for the end of her union with Cruise, the Scientology church was reportedly behind the end of Cruise's two marriages; his first one to Rogers, then the second to Nicole Kidman.

According to Nicki Swift, Scientology's former inspector general and No. 2, Marty Rathbun, confessed that he had a hand at the end of Cruise's marriages.

He revealed that he helped end things between Cruise and Rogers and when he was with Kidman. Rathbun said, "Both women got cold on [Scientology head David] Miscavige. He was integral to the breakup of the marriages."

Cruise still stands with his church, and the actor believes Scientology played a significant role in his massive success and overcoming his dyslexia.