The Church of Scientology was responsible for “turning Tom Cruise’s children against their mother”, his ex-wife Nicole Kidman, according to new reports.

The claims were made in an excerpt from a controversial article about Scientology which is due to be published in Vanity Fair.

The allegations have been strongly rejected by a Scientology spokesman, which labelled the article “hogwash”.

The new report, published in Us Magazine, claims the home-schooled children, Bella and Connor Cruise, were sent on a course to teach them to recognize “suppressive persons”, such as their adoptive mother.

The article includes an interview with John Brousseau, who was a Scientologist for 32 years and is a former brother-in-law to the church leader David Miscavige.

Us Magazine claims that Bella and Connor Cruise were sent on a course to teach them to recognize “suppressive persons”, such as their adoptive mother Nicole Kidman

John Brousseau told the magazine: “They took a course, PTS/SP, Potential Trouble Source/Suppressive Person, for persons connected in their lives who are an SP.”

And he added: “[Bella and Connor] whispered to me, <<JB, Nicole is an SP! Our mom’s an SP – we hate going and seeing her>>.”

Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise divorced in 2001. During their marriage they adopted two children together, Connor, now 17, and Bella, 19.

An earlier excerpt from the report, issued last week, claimed Scientology leaders had auditioned potential brides for Tom Cruise before he met and decided to marry his third wife Katie Holmes.

This was roundly denied by the church in a statement.

“The entire story is hogwash,” they said.

“There was no project, secret or otherwise, ever conducted by the Church to find a bride (audition or otherwise) for any member of the Church. Never.

“The allegation and entire premise of the Vanity Fair article is totally false.

“Like clockwork, stories about this <<phantom>> audition surface in the tabloids every few months.

“We have been denying this ridiculous tale now since it first appeared in print FOUR years ago.”

A spokesman for Tom Cruise also poured cold water on the article, saying: “Lies in a different font are still lies – designed to sell magazines.”