LONDON — Katie Holmes says she’s embracing Scientology, the religion of her boyfriend, Tom Cruise. Holmes, in London to promote her new film, “Batman Begins,” was asked if she is taking lessons in the Church of Scientology, a religion founded by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard.
“Yes, I am, and I’m really excited about it,” she said Monday.
The 26-year-old actress and Cruise went public with their romantic relationship in April. The former star of television’s “Dawson’s Creek” grew up with a poster of Cruise on her bedroom wall and has said she grew up wanting to marry him.
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“We all keep dreaming, and luckily, dreams come true,” Holmes said.
She dismissed critics who have accused the couple of staging a relationship for publicity of their new movies.
“It doesn’t hurt me at all. There are a lot of people really, really happy for us. It’s really exciting. We are so happy. I don’t really care about the critics,” she said.
Asked about wedding plans, Holmes replied: “There’s nothing official to report.”
Cruise was in Tokyo Monday for the premiere of his new film, “War of the Worlds.”
In an interview in the June 17 issue of Entertainment Weekly, the 42-year-old actor was asked if Holmes is curious about Scientology.
“Yeah, absolutely. She digs it,” he tells the magazine.
In response to a question about whether he’d asked Holmes not to do “Factory Girl” _ about Edie Sedgwick and Andy Warhol _ because of the drug use in the movie, Cruise says: “I don’t even know what `Factory Girl’ is.”
He adds: “Listen, the thing you’ve got to know about Katie is that she’s an incredibly bright and self-determined woman. She makes her own decisions.”
Cruise was previously married to Mimi Rogers and Nicole Kidman, and dated Penelope Cruz for several years.
Holmes and actor Chris Klein recently called off their engagement, after dating for five years.