Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman didn't consider marriage counselling to save their relationship because beliefs in his controversial religion, Scientology, forbids such forms of "psychiatry".

The couple shocked Hollywood when they split in February 2001 after almost 10 years of marriage - and now, in an exclusive interview with TV show "Access Hollywood", Cruise reveals there was no way of working things out once he decided it was over, reports Internet Media Database.

"They say, 'Hey, promiscuity is part of marriage, it's OK. You have this whole thing going out there'," the "Mission Impossible" actor said, insisting that even the church's own counselling schemes wouldn't have worked for him and Kidman.

"There is marriage counselling in scientology that we apply that actually helps to put people back into communication with one another," he said, but refused to go into details about why they split up.

Meanwhile, the star used the interview on the show to praise his Catholic ex-wife for allowing him to follow Scientology, and letting their adopted kids join the church, even though she never became a member herself.