Scientology Broke Up Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman

New documentary claims Church of Scientology big wigs ended Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman's marriage after Nicole convinced Tom to pull away from the church.

Scientologists 'broke up Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman': Controversial documentary claims church used aggressive intimidation tactics because they were 'suspicious' of the actress

• Going Clear, created by Alex Gibney, is an expose of the religion 

• Film says head of the church David Miscavige was 'suspicious' of Kidman 

• Marthy Rathburn, the second in command, was told to 'facilitate' the split 

• Organisation wire-tapped Kidman's phone and psychoanalyzed Cruise 

• Tried re-educating the pair's children so they would turn against Kidman 

• A furious Miscavige condemned Cruise for his 'sexual fetishes' 

• The Hollywood couple divorced in 2001 - following the split Cruise became more active in the church

A controversial documentary premiered at the Sundance Film Festival claims the Church of Scientology broke up Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.

Going Clear, created by Alex Gibney, makes a number of startling revelations about the organisation - including allegations they used aggressive intimidation tactics to force the Hollywood couple apart.

The film, based on the book by journalist Lawrence Wright, is an expose of the controversial religion - claiming that it evades taxes and abuses its members.

Marty Rathbun, formerly the second highest-ranking official, claims he had been appointed to 'facilitate the breakup' because the head of the church, David Miscavige, was suspicious of Cruise's second wife.

Kidman's was listed as a 'Potential Trouble Source' because her father was a psychologist in Australia, according to the Daily Beast.

Gibney's film claims that Kidman, who was raised Catholic, convinced Cruise to distance himself from the Church of Scientology between 1992 and 2001.

It also alleges that during the filming of Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut, Cruise wasn't returning Miscavige's phone calls, even though he was the best man at the actor's wedding.

Rathbun suggests this is when the aggressive campaign to tear the couple apart begin.

It included wiretapping Kidman's phone and psychoanalyzing Cruise and his movements around the clock.

The personal information they gathered was then passed to Miscavige who is believed to have condemned Cruise for his 'sexual festishes'.

Rathbun even states that the Church of Scientology 're-educated' Cruise's adopted children, Connor and Isabella, so they would turn against their mother in a bid to make Cruise's custody case stronger.

Before Going Clear's first screening, HBO hired 160 lawyers to look through the film. It is expected to air on the channel March 16.

The church also took out an advert in the New York Times claiming the film was a a Rolling Stone/UVA redux, even though they had not seen it.

Despite the furor surrounding the production, Gibney hopes it will lead to more investigations and reports into Scientology.

He told Variety magazine: 'We hope that this film and Larry’s book will start the process where more media will say well we don’t care anymore. We’re going to pursue this no matter what.

According to the credits at the end of the film, Cruise and Kidman refused to be interviewed.

The pair divorced in 2001 and following the split, Cruise became more active in the Church of Scientology, receiving the church’s Freedom Medal of Valor in 2004.

Jacked from The Daily Mail