It seems that Viacom mogul, Sumner Redstone, may have been retaliating against intimidation tactics used by Tom Cruise with Paramount’s studio honcho, Brad Grey, when he decided to sever Paramount’s ties with the action movie star. According to Radar Online, during negotiations between Cruise and Paramount over Mission Impossible 3, more than a dozen Scientologist goons intercepted Grey in the Paramount parking lot, in the hopes of pressuring Grey to agreeing to Tom’s terms for the deal. Although the message was clear, Grey stood his ground.

This encounter was remiscent of a similar encounter, recounted by Radar:

In the late nineties, John Travolta furiously lobbied reluctant former Fox studio chief Bill Mechanic to produce Battlefield Earth, the science-fiction stinker based on a story by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. “He had Scientologists all over me,” Mechanic told Radar last year. “They come up to you and they know who you are.” Despite the religion’s reputation for intimidating its enemies, Mechanic, like Grey, was unswayed: “Do you think in any way, shape, or form that weirding me out is going to make me want to make this movie?” he said.

I love that their tactic for intimidation is basically just to behave in a weird and slightly annoying manner and (I’m guessing) their most dangerous weapon is their ability to nag someone to death. It’s like how scary–and effective–I imagine Tony Soprano would be if he were a talking head floating in a jar.

Brad Grey’s Scientology Scare [Radar]

Written by Lisa Timmons

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