Scientology held Catholic Andrea Bocelli back from singing at TomKat's wedding!

Asian News International/January 12, 2007

Everyone expected Andrea Bocelli to serenade pal Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes on their wedding. However when he didn't, it left a lot of people wondering why. Now, the Opera superstar has revealed that Scientology was the reason why he skipped the couple's nuptials.

Bocelli revealed that he turned down Cruise's request at performing at the Scientology ceremony, or even attending it, as it would have gone against his own Catholic faith.

"I was not present at the (Scientology) ceremony because I'm Catholic. I didn't think it was respectful for my religion to be there," Contactmusic quoted Bocelli, as telling the US edition of OK! magazine.

However while the tenor didn't attending the couple's lavish Scientology wedding, he did have a very special gift for them at their pre-wedding dinner party.

"I sang two small songs - one at the party for the dinner. (It was) a romantic, classic piece in Italian," he said.

And while Cruise has seen a dip in his popularity in the last few years thanks to his couch-jumping antics and rant against anti-depressants, Bocelli insists that the actor is a "big talent" who has a "great sensibility".

"Tom is a friend of mine. He is a big talent and has a great sensibility," he said.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes tied the knot in a ceremony in Italy in November last year in the presence of family as well a host of famous stars celebs such as Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, Brooke Shields and Chris Henchy, as well as pal Victoria Beckham.