Tom Cruise Wants All Your Sympathy

All right, all right, I know that last week I expressed some sympathy for Tom Cruise when we heard a story about how he first became involved with Scientology. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him when that story was spun to make Tom look like a naive simpleton with a heart of gold, but I’m over it now. Now, I’m able to laugh forever about how hard some people are trying to make Tom look like a pitiful, innocent saint in the aftermath of this divorce.

Take, for instance, this week’s People cover. It’s a picture of Tom, and in big letters, right under his face, it reads “Tom’s SHATTERED WORLD.” The cover then promises to take you “inside his days of turmoil,” and all about how “missing his little girl, the devastated star turns to his inner circle – and Scientology.” But wait for it: the little excerpt from the story they have up on their site? It’s called “Inside Tom Cruise’s Private Pain.” You know, just in case no one was clear as to whose side they’re on.

This was not how Tom Cruise expected his life to be.

The 50-year-old megastar, who was blindsided when his wife of five years, Katie Holmes, filed for divorce on June 28, “was thinking, ‘What did I not see?’ ” a source who knows the former couple tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story.

Especially tough: His month-long separation from 6-year-old daughter Suri, which finally ended when the pair reunited on July 17in New York City.

What took so long?

“He’s wanted to see her as fast as possible since this started,” a source, who cites Cruise’s obligation to his sci-fi thriller Oblivion as the main obstacle. “He couldn’t shut down production, cost people their jobs. People count on him.”

In agreeing to a divorce settlement in a mere 11 days, “Tom tried his best to do what’s right for Suri,” according to his longtime friend and lawyer Bert Fields, who says the star is “sad” but not “bitter” about the situation.

Cruise has been leaning on his older children, Connor, 17, and Isabella, 19, his three sisters and his mother – all of whom share his Scientology religion. Several members of his family joined him for support as he filmed his final scenes for Oblivion.

“Tom is not ashamed of his beliefs,” says the source, who knows the former couple, “and won’t hide them from his daughter.”

What a great closer, the bit about how Tom won’t hide Scientology from Suri. I’ll be interested to see what happens when Suri starts going to Catholic school. Will she visit Tom during breaks and get audited? Will Tom be able to brainwash her without primary custory? I don’t know, I guess we’ll just have to wait until Tom lets us further into his SHATTERED WORLD.