Tom Cruise's Lawyer: The Church of Scientology Played NO ROLE In Katie Holmes Divorce Settlement
July 11 2012, Published 9:00 a.m. ET
By Jen Heger - RadarOnline.com Assistant Managing Editor
Tom Cruise's long-time attorney, Bert Fields, tells RadarOnline.com exclusively that the Church of Scientology played no role in the Mission Impossible star's divorce settlement with Katie Holmes.
As we previously reported, Holmes and Cruise signed a divorce agreement, just eleven days after the Dawson's Creek star filed, which gives her sole legal custody of Suri.
There had been rumblings that the Church had advised Cruise to settle the divorce quickly to avoid further negative publicity. However, the famed legal ace vehemently denied that the Church played any role in the divorce settlement.
"Let me be very clear about this. The Church of Scientology played absolutely NO ROLE in the divorce settlement talks at all. Period. The mere suggestion that the Church was involved in any element of the talks and ultimate settlement is categorically false. Anyone suggesting otherwise is just wrong," Fields told RadarOnline.com exclusively.
Meanwhile, as previously reported, the Los Angeles Times claimed that a close friend gave a disposable cell phone to Katie so she could keep her divorce plans hidden from Cruise until she was ready to file for divorce. The L.A. Times reported that Katie didn't want Tom or his staff to know the divorce was coming, and by the time she filed, she had already hired three law firms in three different states.
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Holmes will maintain sole custody of their 6-year-old daughter with Cruise having liberal visitation of the little girl. For the time being, Katie plans to live in New York City with Suri. Cruise maintains a primary residence in Beverly Hills and has an apartment in the Big Apple, not far from Katie's new digs.
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