Cruise shadowed by two strangers in the limelight

The Sydney Morning Herald/February 25, 2006
By Andrew Hornery

Were they celebrity decoys or Scientology infiltrators? That's the question occupying Sydney's gossips, dying to know who were the mysterious man and woman "shadowing" Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes during their Sydney sojourn.

The curious couple managed to work their way into the most intimate of circles, chatting with the likes of Cruise's buddy James Packer and his girlfriend Erica Baxter.They were also close by when Cruise and Packer chatted with Lachlan and Sarah Murdoch aboard the Packer family's floating gin palace, the Arctic P, as it bobbed about on the harbour. And there they were again, hovering as Cruise, Packer and Holmes chatted with a long line of heavyweights from Australian society, business and political life during Kerry Packer's memorial service.

PS understands the woman is Jessica Rodriguez, who described herself as "Katie's best friend" this week but has been previously exposed as the full-time Scientology minder of Holmes and Cruise. Rodriguez is the same woman who, during an interview Holmes gave to America's W magazine last year, batted away difficult questions and told Holmes "you adore him" when she was asked to describe her feelings for Cruise.

As for the male companion, his identity is a mystery. Was he Cruise's PA, spiritual guide, bodyguard or simply a close friend? We may never know the truth, though wherever the woman appeared with Cruise and Holmes, he did too.

"Every move Tom made, this guy did the same thing," said a close observer. "When Tom stripped down to his shorts, so did he. When Tom was chatting to people after the memorial service, so was he. It was weird, bordering on creepy." The mystery couple carried their Blackberries everywhere, watching Tom and Katie while incessantly tapping out messages to persons unknown.

"I have no data on that," said Church of Scientology Sydney spokesman Nick Broadhurst when asked about the pair, adding that neither Cruise nor Holmes visited the controversial church's headquarters while they were here. "Of course we would have loved them to visit, but they didn't."

Nor could Broadhurst shed any light on fellow Scientologist and singer Kate Ceberano's relationship with the Packer family. Ceberano, who has no apparent links to Kerry Packer, was seen at his memorial service. Her management did not respond to inquiries.

James Packer has had a long friendship with Tom Cruise, arguably Scientology's most famous member. As previously reported, two weeks after Packer's marriage with Jodhi Meares ended, he headed to Los Angeles and went to Cruise's 40th-birthday party. In 2004 Packer and Baxter attended the Golden Globes with Cruise, the couple photographed in the background as Cruise posed for the paparazzi. It has been speculated for years that Packer has joined Scientology, attending courses at its Glebe centre and reportedly employing a Scientologist as a live-in personal assistant and tutor.