'I Auditioned To Be Tom Cruise's Wife': Ex-Scientologist Claims She Underwent Secret Auditioning Process Before Katie Holmes
Aug. 26 2013, Published 9:22 a.m. ET
Tom Cruise has been married three times, but in a new report a woman has come forward with a bombshell claim that before he tied the knot with Katie Holmes, the Church of Scientology put her through a secret audition to see if she was worthy of his hand in marriage.
Anette Johansen, a 27-year-old Norwegian woman, detailed her experience with the church in a new interview with Australian magazine Woman’s Day and said she believes that a video she made for the church was actually an audition to be the next Mrs. Tom Cruise, but says she is glad she didn’t marry him.
Anette revealed that she was a member of Scientology helping with disaster relief in Thailand following the tsunami on behalf of the church, and they filmed her delivery aid to the areas in need. She said that in early 2005 the church contacted her to film a training video.
According to the report, she claims “I was the only person asked to audition,” about the tape she believes would have made her Tom’s third wife, after Mimi Rogers and Nicole Kidman.
“They asked me so many questions about my life, my family background, everything I’d ever done in Scientology. There was a lot of talk about Tom Cruise at that time – he had just been in Norway hosting the Nobel Peace Prize Concert.”
She recalled that preparation for the video seemed extreme to her. “A film crew of four turned up, along with a make-up and hair stylist who made me look very glam – loads of eye shadow, mascara and lip gloss. I prefer a natural look but they told me I had to have lots of makeup.”
Anette said that she remained in the dark about her true audition tape, and said it wasn’t until reading former Scientologist Paul Haggis’ New Yorker article about the church’s search for a new wife for Tom after his divorce from Nicole Kidman that she realized what the real reason for her video was.
“It was exactly the same! Every little detail was the same - there is no doubt that I was auditioned to be Tom’s wife.”
Anette said after she filmed her initial video she had received a call from a church member. She said the interview was “extremely weird.”
According to Women’s Day, Marc Headley, a former senior Scientologist who was in charge of putting together a reel of women for Tom to review, confirmed her claim.
“Anette was auditioning for Tom Cruise,” he said.
“Those were the exact same questions they were asking the other girls. This girl had to be perfect in every way.”
Ultimately, Anette was not Tom’s next wife, he had daughter Suri Cruise with Katie Holmes in April 2006 and married her in a lavish ceremony in Rome in November of the same year.
“I think what happened to Katie is terrible,” Anette says about the women who divorced Tom in 2012. “Even now it must be very difficult for her because she still has a child with him.”
Anette also told Women’s Day that she is thankful to not have become the third Mrs. Cruise.“I’m very happy that I wasn’t matched up with him.”
In response to a prior report claiming that the Church conducted auditions, the Church stated, "There was no project, secret or otherwise, ever conducted by the church to find a bride (via audition or otherwise) for any member of the church. Never. "