A TV doctor who suggested that Tom Cruise's devotion to the Scientology religion could stem from childhood abuse has apologised after the actor threatened him with legal action, saying he "meant no harm".

Cruise reacted angrily when Celebrity Rehab star Dr Drew Pinsky  penned an article for Playboy magazine saying Cruise might be mentally ill for getting involved with the Church of Scientology.

The medical expert also claimed the Top Gun star may have suffered some kind of childhood trauma.

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War of words: Tom Cruise (pictured in his upcoming movie Valkyrie) is furious with TV Doctor Drew Pinsky  (right) after he questioned his mental health

He said: "A lot of people in the public eye who behave strangely have mental illness we can learn from, and much of it is based on childhood trauma, without a doubt. Take a guy like Tom Cruise.

"Why would somebody be drawn into a cultish kind of environment like Scientology? 

"To me, that's a function of a very deep emptiness and suggests serious neglect in childhood - maybe some abuse, but mostly neglect."

But Cruise's lawyer responded to the allegations - and branded Pinsky "unprofessional" and "unqualified".

Bert Fields told the New York Post: "This unqualified television performer who is obviously just looking for notoriety is so grotesquely unprofessional as to pretend to diagnose Tom and others without ever meeting them.

"He seems to be spewing the absurdity that all Scientologists are mentally ill.

"The last time we heard garbage like this was from Joseph Goebbels." 

Ironically Cruise plays Nazi Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg in his upcoming historical thriller Valkyrie.

The film tells the story of how the German and a group of other resistors attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler in 1944.

Pinsky has now issued an apology to the actor:

"Although Mr Fields' intent is clearly to slander and discredit Dr Drew, under no circumstances is Dr Drew making a blanket diagnosis about Scientology nor Mr Cruise whom he does not know," he said through a representative.

"Dr Drew was simply using Mr Cruise as an example of someone who is recognisable to help the public understand."