Tom Cruise has admitted that Katie Holmes filed for divorce in part because of his involvement in the controversial Church of Scientology.

During his deposition, first obtained by RadarOnline, for his $50 million defamation case against Bauer media (whose magazines claimed he abandoned his daughter Suri Cruise), the 51-year-old actor first exploded with anger when asked if Holmes left him "in part to protect Suri from Scientology."

Cruise first responded that he found the question "offensive," saying, "there is no need to protect my daughter from my religion.” But when lawyers pushed the question again, asking if his ex-wife ever indicated that she left because of the religion or because she wanted to protect their daughter from Scientology, Cruise responded:

"Did she say that? That was one of the assertions, yes."

What's more, Cruise also admitted that his 7-year-old daughter is no longer a practicing member of the religion. This is a huge admission since anyone who leaves the faith is considered a “Suppressive Person” and is cut off from all members of the church, including their immediate family.
When Holmes and Cruise divorced back in 2012, many of Scientology's defectors spoke out claiming that the church seemed to be playing favorites and bending rules when it came to Cruise and his family. Former Scientologist Samantha Domingo (whose ex-husband Placido Domingo Jr. spoke out and left the church after officials tried to make him "disconnect" from her when she was labeled a "Suppressive Person") told Vanity Fair that the way Holmes blindsided Cruise with the divorce and enrolled Suri in private school would be automatic grounds for disconnection if Holmes were married to any other Scientologist.

Domingo said that even if Holmes left Cruise to protect her daughter from the church, he likely won't give up on bringing her back to the religion.

"According to Scientology doctrine, Katie has denied Suri her spiritual eternity in the church. There's no chance for her now," Domingo explained to Vanity Fair. "Why would Katie deny their daughter her spiritual freedom? How suppressive is that? If [Tom] loves his daughter, he will never give up on [Scientology]. He will try to use every means available to help his child, and he does think he's helping his child, but he's also helping the church control his life."