Tom Cruise's divorce shines new light on Scientology
- 12 years ago
PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL
Actress Katie Holmes faces not one, but two strong adversaries in her legal fight for sole custody of six-year-old daughter, Suri, as she battles estranged husband Tom Cruise and his religion Scientology.
The "Dawson's Creek" actress, 33, made headlines last week when she filed for divorce from "Mission: Impossible" actor Cruise after more than five years of marriage and one child.
While Holmes, Cruise and representatives for both have remained quiet about the reasons for the high-profile split, speculation in the media is that Suri, now at the age when she begins a formal education, and the Church of Scientology, of which Cruise is a key member, are central to the breakup.
Family law expert and associate dean at the University of Southern California's Law School, Scott Altman, says that Holmes will face an uphill battle if she hopes to use Cruise's Scientology connection to help her custody case.
SOUNDBITE University of Southern California's Law School, Scott Altman, saying (English):
"Courts are very wary, for reasons that are pretty obvious, for making a declaration that Catholicism is bad for children or Scientology is bad for children or Judaism is bad for children. They don't think it's the role of the court in a pluralistic society to pass these kinds of judgments."
Holmes, who filed the divorce and custody documents in New York, could be hoping for a legal edge in state custody law.
In California, the courts presume joint custody, whereas in New York, the courts look at the best interests of a child and who's going to make decisions and care for the youngster.
John Russell, Reuters.
Actress Katie Holmes faces not one, but two strong adversaries in her legal fight for sole custody of six-year-old daughter, Suri, as she battles estranged husband Tom Cruise and his religion Scientology.
The "Dawson's Creek" actress, 33, made headlines last week when she filed for divorce from "Mission: Impossible" actor Cruise after more than five years of marriage and one child.
While Holmes, Cruise and representatives for both have remained quiet about the reasons for the high-profile split, speculation in the media is that Suri, now at the age when she begins a formal education, and the Church of Scientology, of which Cruise is a key member, are central to the breakup.
Family law expert and associate dean at the University of Southern California's Law School, Scott Altman, says that Holmes will face an uphill battle if she hopes to use Cruise's Scientology connection to help her custody case.
SOUNDBITE University of Southern California's Law School, Scott Altman, saying (English):
"Courts are very wary, for reasons that are pretty obvious, for making a declaration that Catholicism is bad for children or Scientology is bad for children or Judaism is bad for children. They don't think it's the role of the court in a pluralistic society to pass these kinds of judgments."
Holmes, who filed the divorce and custody documents in New York, could be hoping for a legal edge in state custody law.
In California, the courts presume joint custody, whereas in New York, the courts look at the best interests of a child and who's going to make decisions and care for the youngster.
John Russell, Reuters.