ALISON BOSHOFF: Has Tom Cruise cooled on Scientology? Sources claim the Mission: Impossible star hasn’t visited the religion’s UK headquarters for three years despite being based in Britain for most of that time

Tom Cruise is Scientology’s most famous member, but could he be losing his enthusiasm?

The actor was close friends with his leader David Miscavige, who was best man at his wedding to Katie Holmes in 2006, but sources say he hasn’t flown his helicopter to Scientology’s East Grinstead headquarters in East Grinstead for about three years.

During that time, Cruise, 61, was mainly based in the UK, where he made Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One, and has taken the helicopter across the country, including to Birmingham and the Cotswolds.

But not to East Grinstead – although Scientology does have a branch in central London where the actor could be present. Spokesmen for Cruise and the church did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Scientology’s UK headquarters is Saint Hill Manor, in West Sussex, which was purchased in 1959 by the religion’s founder, L. Ron Hubbard, and was his childhood home before being converted into a church.

Pictured are the buildings of the Church of Scientology of Atmosphere in Los Angeles, California, USA, in October 2020

According to Scientology’s website, it provides “advanced religious services to Scientologists around the world.”

Previously, Cruise used to fly to West Sussex in his AS350 helicopter to visit the church.

He has a pied-a-terre in London’s Knightsbridge and would fly from the nearby Battersea heliport (where he was sometimes filmed by fans).

Cruise’s daughter Bella (from his marriage to second wife Nicole Kidman) lives in Croydon and reportedly works in Saint Hill, which employs about 400 staff. (Connor, the son of Cruise and Kidman, is a fisherman and cook who lives in Clearwater, Florida, where the religion has its global headquarters.)

Cruise’s third wife, Katie Holmes, lives in New York with daughter Suri, 17. Neither she nor Kidman are Scientologists, but Cruise’s first wife, Mimi Rogers, was — and she introduced him to the religion, which he joined in 1986 .

Tom Cruise is pictured leaving The Mark Hotel on July 10, 2023 in New York City

In July 2021, it was reported that Cruise was “drifting away” from the religion as he had not been seen near Saint Hill Manor despite being in the country for filming.

Sources indicated he had previously stayed at the mansion on such occasions, though the change was attributed to concerns about gatherings during Covid.

The British Church of Scientology is small: the 2021 Census found that fewer than 2,000 people in England and Wales describe themselves as Scientologists. In contrast, more than 8,000 said they believed in shamanism.