Tom Cruise’s ex-wife you’ve probably never heard of: Bosch star Mimi Rogers introduced actor to Scientology and made startling claim about their sex life – now she loves going to county fairs and selling Cameo videos

Posing proudly at the local fair with a bundle of hay and a rosette for third place, no one would have guessed that this striking woman in her sixties was once married to perhaps Hollywood’s biggest star.

While fans of Tom Cruise will be well aware of his marriages to Katie Holmes and Nicole Kidman, some could be forgiven for forgetting his first wife – whose life has taken a very different direction.

Tom, now 62, quietly married Florida-born actress Mimi Rogers, during his rise to stardom in Top Gun, with only two in attendance saying their vows.

Mimi, now 68, who is also a professional poker player, is believed to be the person who first introduced Tom to Scientology, a religion that has dominated conversations surrounding the Mission Impossible star throughout his career.

The couple’s union was short-lived and they split after two years in 1989, just days before Tom started filming Days Of Thunder, where he met Nicole Kidman, who would become his second wife.

A photo of the couple at the Vanity Fair Vanity Fair Oscar Party in West Hollywood in 2000, showing Nicole heavily dragging on a cigarette, went viral this week, proving just how much interest in the couple remains, even 20 years after their divorce . But wAlthough Nicole is still a leading lady, Mimi has since taken a significant step back from the Hollywood landscape.

Although Tom Cruis is considered one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, fans will be forgiven for forgetting his first and lesser-known marriage to actress Mimi Rogers (pictured in 1989).

As Tom’s star has continued to rise, Mimi has pursued more unlikely ventures, competing with her homegrown hay at provincial fairs and recording personalized video messages on Cameo.

Now 68, Mimi regularly shares glimpses of her less-than-sterile lifestyle on Instagram

Although she starred in the Prime Video series Bosch, a look at Mimi’s social media shows that her life couldn’t be further removed from the glitz and glamor of her marriage to Tom.

In addition to her TV work, Mimi has pursued a more unlikely endeavor: competing at provincial fairs with her homegrown hay, and she supplements her salary by recording personalized video messages on Cameo.

Tom and Mimi first met in 1985 when he was developing Top Gun, although the pair’s memories of their first meetings are conflicting to say the least.

The actor, who was 23 at the time, told Rolling Stone in 1986 that he met Mimi, then 29, “at a dinner about a year ago,” but he revealed that she was “dating a friend” at the time.

“I thought she was extremely smart,” Tom said.

Mimi’s version of events appears different, as she previously told Sun Sentinel that she and Tom were introduced by mutual friends.

Tom and Mimi first met in 1985 when he was developing Top Gun, although the pair’s memories of their first meetings are conflicting at best.

It is believed that Mimi, a second-generation Scientologist, also introduced Tom to the religion during their marriage

“I didn’t see anyone, he didn’t see anyone, and they were like, ‘These people should be dating someone — let’s see if they want to date each other,’” she recalled. “And we said, ‘Oh, what the heck. OK.’

Due to Tom’s high fame, he and Mimi tried to keep their wedding a low-key affair, and they tied the knot in 1987 in a “very small, intimate and beautiful” ceremony with just two guests.

It’s believed they called their big day ‘The Project’ and exchanged vows with The Mighty Ducks actor Emilio Estevez as best man.

Of their time together, Mimi initially spoke fondly, telling the Chicago Tribune in 1988, “There is a lot of contentment and security (in the marriage). I highly recommend it.’

However, she later said that marriage to Cruise did nothing to boost her career prospects.

‘Nobody will hire you because you’re married to a celebrity. In fact, I think it puts you to the test a little bit more,” she said.

In 1989, just two years after they married, Tom filed for divorce from Mimi, later claiming that their sex life had dried up by the time their relationship ended.

It is believed that during their wedding, Mimi who was six years older than Cruise, a divorcee and a professional poker player, was the one who introduced him to Scientology.

Her father was one of the original members of the Church and was close to founder L. Ron Hubbard, but was also a prominent missionary.

Additionally, her first marriage was to a Scientology counselor named Jim Rogers.

In an interview with the LA timesRogers explained that philosophy “was just part of my upbringing” and that her father, a civil engineer, had become involved in the church before her birth.

“I think it was an excellent belief system to grow up with because Scientology offers an extremely pragmatic method of breaking down spiritual issues into everyday applications,” she said.

Following their split, Mimi is believed to have left the religion and her father was reportedly declared a ‘suppressive person’ after he too quit in the early 1980s, while Tom remains one of the most famous members of the church.

In 1989, just two years after they were married, Tom filed for divorce from Mimi, which was finalized the following year.

Since her divorce from Tom, Mimi has continued to act, with roles in shows such as The X Files and Two and a Half Men, and more recently the Prime Video series Bosch.

She then reprized her role in Amazon Freevee spin-off Bosch: Legacy, the third and final season of which will be released in March.

According to Andrew Morton’s Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography, Tom chose to end his marriage just two days before he was set to begin work on Days of Thunder, where he would star opposite Nicole Kidman, who later became his second wife.

In a statement announcing their divorce, Tom and Mimi said, “While there were positive aspects to our marriage, there were some issues that couldn’t be resolved even after working on them for a while.”

Just days before their divorce, Tom could no longer speak about his wife, telling Rolling Stone, “I think it’s helped me become a better actor.”

We live together a lot. We share everything. That’s the best thing about life.

“Otherwise you’ll go through it quite sad, lonely and angry.”

‘I care about my wife more than anything in the world. She’s my best friend. I just really enjoy being with her, you know? I love her.’

Reflecting on their relationship, Mimi told People in 1995, “You are no longer an individual. Whatever the article is, it’s “Tom Cruise’s wife…”

Mimi also sells personalized birthday messages for her fans on Cameo, charging £102.50 for a recorded clip

Tom and Mimi’s divorce was finalized in February 1990, with the actress receiving a $4 million settlement, and just ten months later he and Nicole tied the knot.

After their divorce, Mimi revealed that her sex life with Tom had dried up in the months leading up to their divorce.

She told Playboy in 1993: ‘This is the real story that Tom seriously considered becoming a monk. At least during that period, it seemed that marriage would not fit his overall spiritual needs.

“And he thought he had to be celibate to maintain the purity of his instrument,” adding that her own instrument “needed tuning.”

Reflecting on their relationship, she told People in 1995, “You are no longer an individual. Whatever the article is, it’s “Tom Cruise’s wife…”

But she told The Telegraph in 2001 “stardom wasn’t really an issue” in their marriage.

Following her divorce from Tom, Mimi married her third husband, producer Chris Ciaffa, in 2003 and they have two children, daughter Lucy, 30, and son Charlie, 23.

Since her divorce from Tom, Mimi has continued to act, with roles in shows such as The X Files, Two and a Half Men and Mad Men.

More recently, she starred in the Prime Video series Bosch, which is based on a trio of novels by Michael Connelly.

The show focuses on LAPD detective Harry Bosch as he strives to solve a series of murders, with Mimi playing civil rights attorney Honey “Money” Chandler.

Although she originally had a recurring role on the show, Mimi was upgraded to a full-time cast member for Bosche’s seventh and final season in 2021.

She then reprized her role in Amazon Freevee spin-off Bosch: Legacy, the third and final season of which will be released in March.

Reflecting on her decision to continue acting in 2022, she shared Beautiful interview magazine: ‘You know, I don’t have a deep, complicated reason. I love books and storytelling, and it just seemed like a fun thing to do.

‘I thought it would be a nice job. Unfortunately, I was very naive and didn’t realize that there were millions of people who thought the same thing (laughs).

“So I just started cheerfully and said, ‘Okay. That’s what I’m going to do.” Fortunately it worked out (laughs).’

Away from the small screen, Mimi has also shared on Instagram that she sells her homegrown hay at County Fairs.

She shared a summary of her successes in August, writing, “Our hay did really well at the fair. Came third for the first cut and fourth for the second cut!’

Mimi also sells personalized birthday messages for her fans on Cameo, charging £102.50 for a recorded clip.

Following her divorce from Tom, Mimi married her third husband, producer Chris Ciaffa, in 2003 and they have two children, daughter Lucy, 30, and son Charlie, 23.

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