Actress Brooke Shields is telling fellow actor Tom Cruise to back off his criticisms -- and get that alien rectal probe removed.
Okay, she didn't exactly say that second part, but she's furious that Cruise has publically criticized her battle with depression and addiction to medication. He mashed on her last week for seeing a therapist and taking meds (instead of vitamins) to help her through her depression after the birth of her baby.
She fumes: "His comments are dangerous. He should stick to saving the world from aliens, and let women who are experiencing postpartum depression decide what treatment options are best for them." She added that she wouldn't take advice from someone who devotes his life to creatures from outer space.
, Ooooooh, low blow, and she probably wasn't kidding, even though she was referring to his upcoming alien movie "War of the Worlds" and not his belief in the teachings of Scientology, whose followers are opposed to taking drugs for psychiatric problems and believe high doses of vitamins and minerals are a better cure.
She says she is currently weaning herself off the anti-depressant medication Paxil so she and husband Chris Henchy can have another child.
Cruise told Access Hollywood in an interview last week: "I care about Brooke Shields because I think she is an incredibly talented women, but look at where has her career gone."
"Doctor" Cruise, a cheerleader for Scientology, which condemns mind-altering prescriptions of any kind, says: "When someone says (medication) has helped them, it is to cope, it didn't cure anything. There is no science. There is nothing that can cure them whatsoever." Instead, Cruise, 41, suggests that women like Brooke should take "vitamins" and use "exercise" to cure their ailments, and warns that what Shields is promoting is "irresponsible."
Then, he couldn't resist one more zinger: "Look, is she happy? Is she really happy?"
A few weeks ago, Cruise was boasting that Scientology was the best thing for helping anyone addicted to drugs. When German magazine Spiegel asked him if he saw it as his "job" to recruit new followers to the cult, they had the following conversation --
Cruise: "I'm a helper. For instance, I myself have helped hundreds of people get off drugs. In Scientology, we have the only successful drug rehabilitation program in the world. It's called Narconon."
Spiegel interviewer: "That's not correct. Yours is never mentioned among the recognized detox programs. Independent experts warn against it because it is rooted in pseudo-science."
Cruise: "It's a statistically proven fact that there is only one successful drug rehabilitation program in the world. Period."
Spiegel interviewer: "With all due respect, we doubt that."
Ooooooh, low blow, and she probably wasn't kidding, even though she was referring to his upcoming alien movie "War of the Worlds" and not his belief in the teachings of Scientology, whose followers are opposed to taking drugs for psychiatric problems and believe high doses of vitamins and minerals are a better cure.
She says she is currently weaning herself off the anti-depressant medication Paxil so she and husband Chris Henchy can have another child.
Cruise told Access Hollywood in an interview last week: "I care about Brooke Shields because I think she is an incredibly talented women, but look at where has her career gone."
"Doctor" Cruise, a cheerleader for Scientology, which condemns mind-altering prescriptions of any kind, says: "When someone says (medication) has helped them, it is to cope, it didn't cure anything. There is no science. There is nothing that can cure them whatsoever." Instead, Cruise, 41, suggests that women like Brooke should take "vitamins" and use "exercise" to cure their ailments, and warns that what Shields is promoting is "irresponsible."
Then, he couldn't resist one more zinger: "Look, is she happy? Is she really happy?"
A few weeks ago, Cruise was boasting that Scientology was the best thing for helping anyone addicted to drugs. When German magazine Spiegel asked him if he saw it as his "job" to recruit new followers to the cult, they had the following conversation --
Cruise: "I'm a helper. For instance, I myself have helped hundreds of people get off drugs. In Scientology, we have the only successful drug rehabilitation program in the world. It's called Narconon."
Spiegel interviewer: "That's not correct. Yours is never mentioned among the recognized detox programs. Independent experts warn against it because it is rooted in pseudo-science."
Cruise: "It's a statistically proven fact that there is only one successful drug rehabilitation program in the world. Period."
Spiegel interviewer: "With all due respect, we doubt that."
Comments
First of all, Tom Cruise has never even experienced a pregnancy from him ex-wife so he has absolutely no idea the hormonal impact it has on a woman's body. Post partum depression is very real. I am a psychologist who has seen women experience depression so deep that psychosis followed. There was nothing they could do other than be responsible and seek medical attention. The fact that he does not comprehend how real mental illness is only shows his ignorance.
Posted by: Anonymous | June 3, 2005 4:49 AM
In 2003 I, along with some colleges, started a nonprofit foundation to assist women with suffering from Postpartum Depression. This was born out of my own experience with the disorder and my attempts to regain control of my life. As I had back to back pregnancies, this process took me the better part of two and a half years. After working tirelessly for two years we have finally gained some traction with our fundraising efforts so that our professionally designed programs can be utilized by women truly in crisis. With the publication of Brooke Shields book there has been a forum for discussion that until this point did not exist. No longer when I say we work with PPD patients do people look at me like I have bees coming out of my ears. More importantly the number of women willing to share their personal experience with me has skyrocketed. You can not imagine my horror at the recent comments of Tom Cruise. He has taken the issue and changed the discussion to a more politically charged one that loses sight of the real need for treatment. There are many who believe that there is a problem with over medication in this country that does not lead to a cure. I myself can not argue one way or another on that point. What I do know is this: the long term effects on children who are raised by mothers that are left to suffer with out diagnoses and treatment, or do not respond to traditional treatment are monumental. They include, but are not limited to emotional issues, intellectual underdevelopment and can even lead to physical underdevelopment. The breakdown of the family structure usually follows and we all know what many times happens to the children of divorce. Thus the argument can be made that short term use of medication to assist someone who might take too long to respond to other more traditional forms of therapy is a responsible way to treat PPD. Given that the effects on children are scientifically true and documented it is fair to say that Mr. Cruises comments are irresponsible, discriminatory and may have a lasting effect on children being born right this minute. I don’t care if he is American Royalty, he does not have a point of reference from which to see the issue clearly. Since he is obviously going to do more harm than good he should keep his mouth shut or become more educated regarding the issues that he chooses to champion.
Laura Hicks
Co-Founder, Atlanta Program Director
Mother Balance Foundation
www.themotherbalancefoundation.org
Posted by: Laura | June 10, 2005 7:52 PM
Tom cruise is a celebrity who lives in a fantasy world of unrealness. Why would anyone believe anything that this hippocrite has to say???
Posted by: carolyn | April 19, 2006 4:34 PM