My friend Naz is a true champion of human rights. Long before her very vocal support of the brave protests in Iran following the death of a woman at the hands of the morality police, she was fighting for those who have no voice. I wanted to mention her here today, and encourage everyone to support and follow her on social media because she is doing such incredibly brave work. She is also a very talented actress and the nicest, kindest person who is yet incredibly strong.
Follow Naz on social media and support the causes she is championing.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NazaninBoniadi
FB: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialNazaninBoniadi
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/nazaninboniadi/
What prompted this post is that I have mentioned Naz a number of times in recent media interviews about my book. Of course, some media hones in on anything related to celebrities, and especially Tom Cruise. Because I recount in the book that I was present at the start of the project to find a new wife for Tom, and have been asked about this, I have mentioned Naz and cited an article by Maureen Orth in Vanity Fair What Katie Didn’t Know.
It is a thorough recounting of the events following the initial question of Tom Cruise quoted in the opening paragraph of the piece about his sister not being able to find him a girlfriend. That question was first posed to me before Miscavige walked into the room. The story unfolded from there, including the fact that Naz was selected and groomed for the role and was the predecessor to Katie Holmes. I wanted to make the article easily available here for those who have heard or seen the interviews where I mentioned it, and for anyone who has now read A Billion Years. Maureen’s piece is carefully researched. Naz is bound by an NDA to not talk about what happened to her. Maureen’s article has never been challenged by those involved and I believe it is accurate.
Cruise said he “wanted a woman with her own power.” That was a euphemism for “her own millions.” Gee, Tom, if you get any shallower they’ll be playing billiards on your soul. That is, if you have one, which is just idle speculation.
I am following Nazanin on Twitter now. What a beacon she is. #inspiring
Tiny Fists has never been satisfied with any of Tom’s “2Ds” for long.
Mimi Rogers brought him in, but screwed up somehow so she had to go, and was replaced by Nicole Kidman, who in turn appeared to serve adequate as Cruise’s spouse for a decade and then, uh-oh – she did something or said something that displeased Miscavige, and so she had to go.
Tom single again, he and Penelope Cruz made a cute couple but then she said No Gracias Tomas to becoming a Scientologist and quickly withdrew (or was withdrawn) from Tom’s life.
Spousal auditions then began vetting suitable mates for this famous, handsome and phenomenally wealthy movie star, the necessary qualifications being that the spousal candidate had to possess fame, beauty, youth and last but not least the willingness to become a Scientologist as befitting of the wife of Big Being #3.
Nazinin Boniadi was procured and groomed and it appeared that here was someone that would tick all the boxes but alas, Tom decided that she wasn’t famous enough, so as young and beautiful and talented and totally dedicated to Scientology as she was, Miscavige wasn’t happy and it was bye bye Naz, enjoy yourself scrubbing bathroom floors at Flag as punishment for being unworthy of matrimony with Big Being #3.
And then along came Katie with stars in her eyes who seemed like the answer to Miscavige’s postulates until one day – surprise – she dumped Tom, took the kid, and never looked back.
Here’s my take:
Naz might have been cruelly hurt and humiliated by Tom dumping her. I would never make light of that kind of pain. But I’ll opine as follows: Marriage with Tom Cruise would never have worked for long, and the pain she would have had to endure as his wife would have been far worse than what she felt over his unceremonious abandonment. Despite what she went thru back then Naz is SO much better off that she didn’t commit to this man! I would go so far as to say that he did her an enormous favor. Marriage to Tom Cruise is the first step towards an inevitable divorce. So far the women who married Big Being # 3 also, effectively married Big Being #2. No woman can have Cult Creature Tom Cruise without David Miscavige.
Wow. David “Tiny Tyrant” Miscavige is like a bad mother-in-law . . . always around, spying into your personal relationship, and no one is good enough for his Tommy.
You’re being funny and it is funny, or the actual material could be worked into a very funny comedy routine by a clever writer, but I actually believe that Miscavige believes that no one – no female, is good enough for Tom Cruise on any permanent basis. To date he has figured largely (the only thing large about him) in all 3 of Tom Cruise’s marriages, all 3 of which have ended in divorce. Look, handsome, famous, uber rich movie idols get divorced all the time – this is nothing unusual. But how many film stars have had a so-called best friend and religious advisor whose negative opinions contributed to their divorces? I mean, this is not normal, this “friendship” between David Miscavige and Tom Cruise. This is highly abnormal.
You certainly have a point. Scientology prohibits homosexuality (and a lot of other things). He may be in love with Tom and not just having your usual bromance between two of the most highly evolved beings in this corner of the universe. And Shelly Miscavige went missing right around the time of Tom & Katie’s wedding. Yep, looks like Miscavige wants to be left alone with Tom in terms of their private lives! So add being a total hypocrite to his long list of unattractive qualities.
@Linda,
Well, just on the face of things we have the plain facts of Miscavige ordering Cruise’s first divorce from Mimi Rogers and facilitating his marriage to Nicole Kidman with himself as Best Man. Fast forward 10 years later and with two adopted kids together, Cruise out of the blue dumping Nicole, divorcing her without explanation and suddenly she’s an SP and their adopted kids hate her guts and won’t speak to her any more. Then Miscavige arranging interviews for the purpose of getting Cruise a GIRLFRIEND (i mean, think of that – a world famous, endlessly rich, wildly eligible, handsome movie star needs help getting a GIRLFRIEND?) – and not just a girlfriend but a suitable future wife – all pre-arranged by order of Miscavige, then the vetting and careful grooming of Naz for this purpose and the dumping of HER, then Cruise taking up with Katie and getting her pregnant AND the child BORN first BEFORE marrying her with ever-present Miscavige AGAIN as his best man…
Of course, the Scientology factor is a major one. But this OBSESSION of Miscavige with Tom Cruise (and seemingly vice versa) – is it possible that their mutual obsession with one another exists solely for the benefit of Scientology and a strong 3rd dynamic friendship?
Kidman served adequately as his wife? Let’s not diminish the importance of Nicole Kidman here. Tom Cruise was most removed from the church when he was with her. He was willing to keep the church at arms length throughout most of the marriage until they began infiltrating his mind with bad thoughts about Kidman. The marriage, in my opinion, was Cruise’s last shot at a relationship with real emotional intimacy. Throughout his relationship with Cruz, he was becoming more and more indoctrinated. If she wasn’t showing huge interest in Scientology, I can’t imagine this was ever going to be anything long-term for either party. Naz was everything he thought he wanted on paper, but as quoted in the Vanity Fair article, “You can lead a horse to the water, but cant make it drink.” Naz didnt fit the bill. Holmes was his chance at marriage again on his terms…with a partner that followed his rules, allowed him him to be in control…until that didn’t work for her anymore and we all know how that ended. He hasnt had the ability to connect with a woman on an emotional level in a sustainable way in 20 years in my opinion.
Suzie, I could not agree more. “…served adequately as his wife…” sounds quite dismissive of her and was NOT what I really meant to communicate. . My apologies. I wrote my comment in a huge hurry. Appearances to the contrary I am a total admirer of this lady. She is a talented and amazingly versatile actor, beautiful, with a natural, unforced elegance, and from what I’ve observed in interviews as well as from how she has comported herself since being dumped without warning by Tom Cruise and shunned by her beloved adopted children, a total, consummate class act. I have nothing but admiration for in every way, and empathy for the shock and pain she endured because of Cruise and Miscavige. I’ve always had the sense that she is just as beautiful a person inside as outside. Tom Cruise was WAY out of his league with her even though she wasn’t famous and he was when they married. And she was totally in love with him for years. I’m so glad that her career took off almost immediately AFTER their divorce! Good for her! She’s an amazing actor. She can play anything and anyone. Not like him – a one trick, aging action adventure hero pony. Same ole same ole always with him. And for the record, I’m also eternally glad that Katie Holmes dumped HIM without warning. Hah! He didn’t know what hit him. But at that point he probably had a lot more reality on what it must have been like for Nicole.
Most of our everyday US citizen problems are nothing we should waste our time complaining about, and shift to thinking about the wider world’s problems.
Adult education, decent adult wider history and world context adult education puts our average privileged US citizen life problems into way smaller significance by comparison. We are so incredibly fortunate.
Naz to me sounds like an absolute gem of a human being. She’s brave, loving, compassionate, a captivating actress and very strong. What TC and the cult done to her was wrong on so many levels, it honestly angers me. I am SO GLAD she has such good friends in you and Leah and the rest of the survivors because she deserves the best. I hope she has recovered from what im sure was a completely flooring and absolute mind fuck of an experience from those two egocentric sociopaths (TC &DM ofcourse)
Also can I just add, I was absolutely delighted to see her appear in the Rings of Power series – good for her, keep shining girl – thats what will get them the most!
Nazanin Boniadi is a total class act in every way. I’ve done some superficial research on her. Wlhile I’m certainly very sorry for any pain she experienced attributable to Cruise, Miscavige and their Cult of Scientology, if I were she I would have nothing but contempt for they who passed her by. Their loss, entirely. She is far, far above them in every way. Boy, did this lady dodge a lethal bullet!
And I’ve said it before but it bears repeating:
Scientologist or not, how pathetic is it that a famous, handsome movie idol with powerful connections in the entertainment industry not to mention instant access to the world’s movers and shakers in other fields and hundreds of millions of dollars in the bank – how pathetic is it that such a man would not be able to find his own Scientology girlfriend. Forget his bravura screen actor adventure hero image – what a wuss! After the initial glamor of being with someone uber-famous wears off, what real woman would want to co-habit with a man who can’t even choose his own girlfriend? A real woman would want a real man, and just about any real man, be he a janitor or a movie star, can choose his own mate.
Not surprising that he accepts Miscavige’s continual helicoptering over him, his micromanaging and bullying. Not surprising to me at all. I’ll bet he likes it.
Go Nazanin! Much respect to this person that is an enemy of many free people’s enemies.
For those with Amazon prime you can find her currently as Bronwyn in the JRR Tolkien adaptation “The Rings of Power”. A great performance from her and I have really enjoyed the series so far.
Hoping the best for the people of Iran. This isn’t the first uprising and if they don’t get some major changes it won’t be the last.
I read this and then let it sink in. I am so glad I didn’t have to have a team of people to help me find a good wife. I did an excellent job allll on my own. This year will be 45 years we have been married and I wouldn’t take anything in the world for her!!!!
Great comment!
I have such respect for her.
Is she currently living in Iran?
No