Tom Cruise: The politics behind the Scientology celeb’s French knighthood

We admitted yesterday that we were puzzled by the decision of France’s Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, to name Tom Cruise a Knight of Arts and Letters in a secret ceremony just before the start of the XXXIII Olympiad in Paris.

Many of you had questions about it as well. Why, if Tom was being knighted, was he wearing a polo shirt rather than a suit and tie? And why is he getting this prestigious honor now, and according to Dati, for using Paris as a backdrop for his 2017 film, Mission: Impossible — Fallout?

One person we were hoping to hear from was our good friend in Paris, British journalist Jonny Jacobsen, who has been keeping us up on all things Scientology in France, and was most recently at the opening of the Paris “Ideal Org” in April.

To our great relief, Jonny sent in this report, helping us understand the political background to Top Gun’s knighthood…

It’s not such a surprise Dati would choose to honour Cruise. She’s not, after all, the first star-struck right-wing politician in France to court him.

You will recall that back in 2004, even before Nicolas Sarkozy became president, he was schmoozing with Cruise during his time as finance minister during Jacques Chirac’s presidency.

Dati’s first major government job was as justice minister under prime minister François Fillon in the first years of Sarkozy’s presidency – between 2007 and 2009.

The timing of this award is interesting.

Dati is part of the outgoing government, overseeing affairs until President Emmanuel Macron names a prime minister to form a new administration following this month’s snap elections. (He says he’ll get around to it only after the Olympics are over.)

This nomination is not part of the regular awards calendar. It appears to be a personal initiative from Dati — a parting shot before her brief tenure as Culture Minister comes to an end (she was only appointed in January).

One last thing: below Dati’s post on X, I see a response from Arnaud Palisson, the former interior ministry officer who wrote a doctoral thesis on Scientology.

“Bravo Madame Minister. You’re whitewashing the Church of #Scientology. Certainly, an actor has a perfect right to do his job, whatever his religion. But nobody’s forcing you to set him up as an icon and thus play into the hands of a criminal organisation.”

Palisson is a regular critic of France’s current loose grip on cultic abuse.

Well, that certainly puts some light on the issue, and thank you, Jonny.

So a short-term right-wing Minister of Culture decides to hold a secret ceremony that’s so sudden it’s not on the ministry’s calendar and Tom doesn’t even have time to dress properly.

And of course, she didn’t have time (or didn’t care) to look up Tom’s association with Scientology, and his choice for his dedication to leader David Miscavige over a relationship with his own daughter.

Well, Dati got her wish and got to hang out with Top Gun, and no doubt enjoyed pinning a medal on him.

But do we have to call him Sir Tom now or something?

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Chris Shelton is going Straight Up and Vertical

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