Tom Cruise: sincere, cunning, bonkers?

America’s favorite hunk acting like a ninny on Oprah?

While promoting that film over the last several weeks, Mr. Cruise engaged in an increasingly public discussion of his religion, Scientology. Then he set tongues wagging in Hollywood and elsewhere with an hourlong appearance on the May 23 Oprah show, during which he jumped around the set, hopped onto a couch, fell rapturously to one knee and repeatedly professed his love for his new girlfriend, the actress Katie Holmes.

How Personal Is Too Personal for a Star Like Tom Cruise?

Ah, that faithfless old American public.

People magazine recently ran an unscientific poll showing that nearly two thirds of those questioned believed the Cruise-Holmes relationship, which became public in late April, was a stunt. Cruise is starring in Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds, due for release this month. His love life is a mainstay of celebrity gossip. Cruise and Nicole Kidman divorced in 2001 and he dated Penelope Cruz until last year.

Romance real, say Hollywood hot pair

Katie Holmes offers her own insight:

“He’s the most amazing man in the whole world.”

And Radar will tell you what the powers that be in Hollywood think about it all.

“Tom has looked like a lot of things, but he’s never looked like a joke,” another source notes. “Thanks to his sister not controlling him, he looks like one. If I’d been at the [Oprah] taping I would have pulled the plug on every camera and dragged him out of the studio by force.”

Fresh Intelligence: Ground Control to Major Tom