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Over the last several decades, Tom Cruise has become one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood history. Thanks to how famous Cruise has become, there have seemingly been endless examples of headlines about his personal life. When it comes to the rumors about Cruise, it can be hard at times to decipher which ones are facts and which ones are fiction. After all, the fact is that some stories about Cruise are partially real but also exaggerated including the crazy rumor about how Suri Cruise was born.On top of the discussion about Cruise's love life, one of the most gossiped-about aspects of the actor's life is his involvement with the Church of Scientology. Often cited as the most famous Scientologist, most people seem to closely associate Cruise and the church. Considering Cruise has a huge fortune to spend and his long-lasting relationship with Scientology, it makes sense that some people are curious about how much he has donated to the church.
How Much Has Tom Cruise Donated To Scientology?
Thanks to publications like Forbes and celebritynetworth.com, a lot of people expect to know exact numbers about celebrity's finances. However, aside from the rare occasion when a star's financial paperwork is revealed to the public, there is no way to know concrete numbers.
When it comes to the question of how much money Tom Cruise has donated to Scientology, there is no way for anyone other than the accountants to know the exact numbers. However, there have been some reports about his donations that give a ballpark idea of the money Cruise has given to the Church.
Back in 2008, the Daily Mail published a report claiming they knew how much money Cruise had donated to Scientology at that time. According to that report, Cruise donated £2.5million to Scientology in 2007, £1.25million in 2006, and a total of £5 million from 2004 until 2007.
As fascinating as that report is, it is important to consider it in the full context. After all, there is a long history of stars suing the Daily Mail claiming their reports were false. On top of that, the Daily Mail's article cited "U.S. reports claim".
Four years later, Business Insider published their own article looking at Scientology's financial situation. According to that article, which was titled "Scientology Is Bigger, Richer And Growing Faster Than You Realized", Cruise had donated $25 million in total by that time.
Historically speaking, Business Insider has been considered to be a credible publication. That said, the truth is that there aren't any other sources that have confirmed Business Insider's $25 million figure.
As of the time of this writing, it has been roughly a decade since Business Insider's $25 million estimate. In the intervening years, Cruise and the Church of Scientology have continued their relationship. With that in mind, it seems safe to assume Cruise has continued to donate to the Church.
Assuming that Business Insider's report is even close to accurate, it seems likely that Cruise has donated millions more over the last decade. It has to be noted that an estimate is nothing more than an educated guess.
How The Church Of Scientology Reportedly Makes Money Aside From Donations
On top of Tom Cruise and John Travolta, another star that a lot of people closely associate with Scientology is Leah Remini. After leaving the Church several years ago, Remini has spoken about Scientology at great length and interviewed lots of other former members.
According to Remini, members of the Church of Scientology pay millions for services rendered. At face value, that may seem crazy but Remini has explained some of the expenses she claims members of the church incur.
Some of the expenses Remini claims she paid include spending thousands to buy all of Church founder L. Ron Hubbard's books and hundreds on each course she took. Remini also says she paid $800 an hour to be "audited".
On top of the money Remini says members pay, she also claims they give free labor to the church.
In response to all of Remini's claims about Scientology, the church put out a statement claiming that her claims are false. Furthermore, the church has claimed that Remini has made so many accusations about the church in an effort to profit herself.
Most notably, the church claims Remini's version of events is "revisionist history" and that she has been engaging in a series of "obnoxious efforts to harass the leader of the Church of Scientology and his wife".
