How Scientology seduced Tom Cruise

The Hollywood Reporter has published a fascinating excerpt from a new tell-all book about how Scientology seduced Tom Cruise, written by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Lawrence Wright.

Apparently Tom and Nicole Kidman had started to drift away from the church in the mid-’90s, before filming Eyes Wide Shut and there was a frantic scramble to win him back.

David Miscavige - Scientology's head since L. Ron Hubbard's death - blamed Nicole "and viewed her as a gold digger who was faking Scientology ... Miscavige was hopeful that if they portrayed Nicole Kidman as a Suppressive Person, Cruise could be peeled away from her."

Here are Lainey Gossip's favourite bits from the article (the excerpt is REALLY long, I'll get back to you if she's missed anything): "Like, did you know he [Tom] used to sit in a car outside Home Depot watching people coming in and out as part of a Xenu exercise to, erm, read their emotional state?

And that he lobbied Tony Blair on behalf of the Church to relax tax laws on Scientology in England? That he tried to get Scientology educational models included in Bush’s No Child Left Behind programme? That he based his character in A Few Good Men on DAVID MISCAVIGE....?

"This is the best part of it all: the Cruise-Miscavige subtext (to me at least). Miscavige behaved like a man with a mega crush. Wright doesn’t come out and say it straight up but, ahem, the way he describes it, Tom and David act like life partners, apparently believing that they are the only two deserving of each other. Here’s an example...

"When Tom and Nicole were together, Miscavige went out of his way to try and redesign the Scientology Gold Base and turn it into a romantic utopia so that Tom could run through a tall grass meadow holding Nicole’s hand..."

Courtney's botox confesson

Courtney Cox, 48, admits to using Botox and other anti-ageing treatments in the premiere issue of New You magazine.

"You know what, I'm game for anything. I'm very open to trying to prolong the inevitable," she confesses. "I'm a big laser believer - I really think they are the wave of the future. I just did Ulthera, which is supposed to produce collagen, and I'm about to do Fraxel, which will get rid of all these brown spots off my arms, chest and face."

And she's not looking forward to turning 50 in 2014. "That's gonna be brutal. I'm not that interested in that! That sounds different. It feels different. I think it's hard, the fact that there's a certain age that we can't have kids anymore. My doctor told me today that he just delivered a baby and the woman was 48.  It's like, that's awesome, but it's rare. It's a miracle, you know?"

Rosie's new bub

Rosie O'Donnell has revealed via Twitter that she's a mum again at age 50: "we r thrilled to announce the arrival of r daughter Dakota"

Rosie already has four children (Blake, Vivienne, Parker and Chelsea) from her marriage with Kelli Carpenter.

Her current partner is Michelle Rounds. The couple married in June 2012, days before Michelle underwent surgery for desmoid tumours.


Lindsay's dad threatens to sue her mum

TMZ reports: "Michael Lohan is threatening ex-wife Dina Lohan -- either stop accusing him of rape, or face his legal wrath.

Michael's attorney just sent a cease-and-desist letter to Dina -- following a recent interview in which Dina claimed Michael raped her during a coke binge in 1990.

In the letter, Michael's attorney calls Dina's allegations "false, defamatory, and unlawful."


Hot pics & clicks

* Miley Cyrus has tweeted a pic of herself in bed with Harry Styles ... In case anyone might get the wrong idea, she explains in the caption: 'In no way do I want Harry. No offense. I'm sure that'll be a story now 2. I'm happily engaged. Just got saucy with a cardboard cut out."

* Hilary Duff has tweeted a pic from her pilates class, with the caption: ‘Nice stretch... Mmm.’

* Page Six is reporting that Justin Bieber's parting words to Selena Gomez during their most recent break up in Mexico were: “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”