What Scientology rivalry? John Travolta celebrates Tom Cruise’s famed coconut cake

While Tom Cruise and John Travolta have never worked together, the iconic movie stars have often been mentioned in news stories, documentaries and investigative reports about being two of the most prominent members of the controversial Church of Scientology.

In fact, some of these stories have spoken about the men being rivals in the organization, with a former member revealing in a 2018 interview that they “despised” each other and that Travolta became “extremely jealous” of Cruise after the “Top Gun” star was hailed as Scientology’s “most dedicated member” in 2008 by leader David Miscavige.

With this supposed rivalry, it therefore comes as a surprise that Travolta would want to give any kind of shout-out to anything Cruise does. But that’s what happened this week when the “Saturday Night Fever” legend posted an Instagram video of his daughter Ella making her own scrumptious, home-made version of Cruise’s famous holiday coconut cake.

John Travolta’s daughter Ella recreates Tom Cruise’s famous coconut cake. pic.twitter.com/yfmvOPf9wi

— Access Hollywood (@accesshollywood) June 7, 2023

This is the white chocolate Bundt cake that the “Mission: Impossible” star orders en masse at Christmas from Doan’s Bakery in Woodland Hills and has delivered to family, celebrity friends and anyone else who has fallen favorably into his orbit over the previous year.

“Re-creating the famous Tom Cruise gift cake,” Travolta captioned the video of 23-year-old Ella smoothing rich cream cheese frosting and sprinkling toasted coconut flakes over a white chocolate cake that she apparently baked herself (probably finding a “copycat” recipe online). When Ella cuts a piece of the finished cake for her father, Travolta takes a bite, lets out a couple moans of delight, then says: “Oh my God! Ella, this is delicious.”

John Travolta’s Daughter Ella Bleu Recreates Tom Cruise’s ‘Famous’ Coconut Cake https://t.co/8Qhed97F6e

— People (@people) June 6, 2023

Travolta’s compliment is probably mostly directed at his daughter and her baking prowess — even though she admits her version is “a bit messy.”

But Travolta also is highlighting Cruise and his sweet holiday gift — by the way, an improvement, many would say, over fruitcake or peanut brittle. With his 4.8 million Instagram followers, the former “Grease” star is giving Cruise some positive publicity for a holiday gesture that reflects well on the mega-star’s taste and generosity.

So is Travolta up to? Is the “Grease” star extending an olive branch to Cruise to call a truce in their supposed rivalry and to end his “intense jealously?”

Kevin Tighe, a former security guard with the Church of Scientology told the Daily Mail in 2018: “It’s no secret that Cruise and Travolta despised each other. Travolta wasn’t invited to Cruise’s wedding with Katie Holmes, it told me everything.”

Travolta, who rocketed stardom before Cruise did in the late 1970s, long felt he was Scientology’s favorite celebrity, Tighe said. But at some point, he was eclipsed by Cruise, who didn’t suffer Travolta’s famous career dips and continued to stay at the top of the U.S. box office. In 2008, Cruise received a “Freedom Medal of Valor” award from leader David Miscavige. Travolta thought that he should be getting the medal instead of Cruise and ended up “hating” his rival, Tighe said.

It’s actually hard to imagine Travolta hating anyone, at least judging by the amiable persona he presents on Instagram, where he hangs out with his two children by his late wife Kelly Preston and pokes fun at his now bald head, his famous roles and his unique brand of fame.