Counselling not an option for Cruise and Kidman

Thomas Crosbie Media/May 26, 2005

Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman didn't consider marriage counselling to save their relationship - because the movie hunk's Scientology beliefs forbid such forms of "psychiatry".

The couple shocked Hollywood when they split in February 2001 after almost 10 years of marriage, and now, in an exclusive interview with US TV show Access Hollywood, Cruise reveals there was no way of working things out once he decided it was over.

He says: "They say::'Hey, promiscuity is part of marriage, it's OK.' You have this whole thing going out there."

Cruise insists even the church's own counselling schemes wouldn't have worked for him and Kidman, but refuses to go into details about why they split up.

He adds: "There is marriage counselling in scientology that we apply that actually helps to put people back into communication with one another."

Meanwhile, the Mission: Impossible star used the interview on the show to praise his Catholic ex-wife for allowing him to follow his Scientology beliefs, and let their adopted kids join the church, even though she never became a member herself.

He explains: "Nic and I are doing a great job raising our children because, right from the beginning, the thing that I do admire about Nic is the respect of someone else's beliefs. She's not a bigot."