Tom Cruise 'Oil Attack' Plot Claim 'Planted by Scientologists' to 'Dupe Cops Into Detaining One of Church's Fiercest Critics' 

A high-profile critic of the Church of Scientology has claimed he was targeted by police and falsely detained at the recent London premiere of Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, starring long-time Scientology member and activist Tom Cruise, RadarOnline.com can report.

Alexander Barnes-Ross was accused of plotting to throw oil at the Hollywood star in protest – something he vehemently denies.

Barnes-Ross was with a group of other former church members protesting the notoriously secretive and controversial organization.

According to a new report, London police officers received a call from someone who claimed they were watching a livestream of the protest, and said that Alex told viewers that he "planned to throw oil" on Cruise on the red carpet.

Cruise has been a Scientologist for over 30 years. He was introduced to the organization through his first wife, Mimi Rogers, in 1986.

The YouTuber explained that he was placed in handcuffs and detained for questioning, and by the time he was released, Cruise and his fellow co-stars had already entered the theater.

He told journalist Tony Ortega he was shocked officers didn't check out the validity of the story before detaining him in what he called an unnecessary and excessive use of police force.

"I understand the need to stop and search somebody after receiving a complaint of that nature, but I posed no threat to anybody, did not attempt to flee or react to the situation with aggression in any way," Barnes-Ross said.

"By putting me in handcuffs from the offset, the police unwittingly fell for Scientology’s trap and gave them exactly what they were after – a photo they can use to paint me as some kind of criminal."

In an exclusive response to Radar, officials with the church disputed Barnes-Ross' claims, and pointed to a damning website which refers to the former member as an "'antireligious bigot and hate-speech propagator."

"Alex Barnes-Ross has a long track record of harassment, stalking and obsessive attacks on the Church of Scientology," the statement to Radar said. "He continues his pattern of deceit and self-promotion as part of his ongoing victimhood campaign.

"In fact, Alex Barnes-Ross created a livestream of the event at which he was detained, and openly taunted law enforcement: 'Let’s see how long it takes security to come down on us.'

"Unsurprisingly, they did so. Alex Barnes-Ross is personally and solely responsible for the waste his life has become."

Barnes-Ross filmed the encounter, which lasted approximately ten minutes. He told Ortega he suspects a Scientology staffer or operative tipped off police, revealing he had spotted at least one London staffer in the crowd that day.

He added: "The whole event was extremely distressing. The last time I was forcibly held against my will was when I was locked up as a teenager at London Org.

"But I hope it serves as a case study on why it's vital we continue speaking out against this abusive behavior."

On his personal LinkedIn page, Barnes-Ross shared his history with the church, starting with his introduction to Scientology as a teenager.

"By 17, I was a top recruiter and had been promoted to sales director level, responsible for book sales in London and Malta. I was fully committed, signing a one billion year contract, dedicating my eternity to working for the so-called 'Church'.

"I was forcibly held against my will, put on hard manual labour as punishment, and subjected to countless hours of indoctrination and psychological abuse."

He continued: "Leaving was only just the beginning, and it took years to process what I’d been through. In 2022, overwhelmed by the impact it was having on my mental health, I started researching Scientology and was horrified by the extent of its abuses at every level of the organization.

"Knowing I had once recruited others, I felt a duty to speak out."