Tom Cruise and John Travolta are two of the most well-known and respected actors in Hollywood, but their relationship within the Church of Scientology is far from friendly. The two have been competing for the favor of the head of Scientology, David Miscavige, for decades, and it's no secret that they don't like each other very much. When Cruise received the Medal for the Valor of Freedom, Travolta was reportedly very angry. He allegedly wrote a heated letter to Miscavige, demanding an explanation of why Cruise was chosen following Travolta's efforts.
After Cruise received the Medal, David Miscavige notably referred to Cruise as the best Scientologist he knew. It turns out that Cruise has a direct line to leader David Miscavige, which is speculated to have something to do with Cruise's high rank within the Church itself. This was made even more evident when Miscavige was a member of Cruise's wedding party, while Travolta wasn't even invited. A former Scientologist who supposedly acted as Tom Cruise's personal security guard has given an intriguing account of the long-rumored rivalry between Cruise and Travolta.
He added that, despite Cruise's enormity in the Church of Scientology, Travolta didn't recognize him as superior in any way. Cruise and Miscavige became such close friends that the religious leader was even a best man at Cruise's wedding to Katie Holmes, something Travolta never received. Even though Cruise and Travolta were also friends, their friendship wasn't strong enough to overcome Cruise's new place in the Church of Scientology.
