Tom Cruise Hands His Image to a Pro

By Stephen M. Silverman

UPDATED 11/08/2005 at 09:25 AM EST • Originally published 11/08/2005 at 08:25 AM EST

After what has been viewed by some in the entertainment industry as a series of public-relations gaffes, Tom Cruise has replaced his sister, Lee Anne DeVette, as his personal publicist with a more experienced hand.

In a statement, Cruise, noting that his sibling would still be working with him, said: "Lee Anne has done a wonderful job on behalf of me and Cruise-Wagner Productions over the last few years, but she has always expressed a desire to oversee and expand the day-to-day activities of my charitable endeavors."

In her accompanying statement, DeVette said: "I know how important Tom's charitable goals are to him, and I look forward to assisting in raising the profile of the good works that he does on behalf of children's health issues, mentoring, literacy and other social reforms."

Paul Bloch, of the publicity firm Rogers & Cowan, will now represent Cruise, the Associated Press reports. Among Bloch's other clients are Sylvester Stallone, Billy Bob Thornton, David and Victoria Beckham, and John Travolta, who, like Cruise, is a Scientologist.

Before DeVette assumed the role, Cruise's publicist was Pat Kingsley, a longtime publicity veteran known for keeping a tight rein on clients as well as the press.

Once free of Kingsley's control, Cruise, 43, was criticized by some media observers for his grandstanding on Oprah Winfrey's sofa (declaring his love for Katie Holmes). He also took his knocks for lashing out at Brooke Shields on the Today show, attacking her for her use of antidepressants to deal with her postpartum depression.