Readers suspect that a certain novel is actually an incognito memoir from Katie Holmes about her life with Tom Cruise.
Fans of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are very curious about the pair’s story, even though they divorced years ago and don’t seem to be in touch anymore. Tom has been slammed for not maintaining a relationship with their daughter Suri, and there have been rumors of many “rules” for Katie in the years following the divorce.
But years after her apparent no-dating clause expired, and after a few public relationships and subsequent breakups, Katie seems to be doing fine keeping quiet. Sure, fans have been begging for a tell-all book from Katie’s perspective, which most think will never happen. But it turns out there might be one already.
The Book Movie Star By Lizzie Pepper Reads Like Katie-Tom Fan Fiction
It’s clear from the description of the book Movie Star by Lizzie Pepper that it’s “about” Tom and Katie, in the sense that it mirrors many aspects of their relationship.
What isn’t clear is whether the story is pure fan fiction or a work of fiction that took inspiration from Katie herself.
The novel, penned by Hilary Liftin, describes a storyline in which one famous person marries a less-famous person, and eventually, it all falls apart.
The description reads, in part, “Actress Lizzie Pepper was America’s Girl Next Door and her marriage to Hollywood mega-star Rob Mars was tabloid gold—a whirlwind romance and an elaborate celebrity-studded wedding landed them on the cover of every celebrity weekly.”
Reviewers on Amazon mentioned Tom and Katie by name, pointing out very obvious details that link them to the story.
One tongue-in-cheek comment did point out there’s no way the book is actually about Tom and Katie because the character of Rob Mars is described as “tall.” Small details aside, many are convinced that the story took inspiration from Katie’s life.
The question is whether Katie had any input into telling “her” story through Lizzie Pepper.
Did Katie Work With Hilary Liftin On Lizzie Pepper?
Hilary Liftin does seem to have Hollywood connections; NPR points out that she’s written memoirs for some Hollywood personalities previously.
But that doesn’t mean she sat down with Katie Holmes to write Lizzie Pepper. In fact, Hilary might have hinted that she took certain liberties with the story because Katie didn’t want to write a memoir with her.
Liftin noted, “not every celebrity with a good story wants to write it, or sometimes they want to wait longer than I want to wait.”
That roadblock led her to think “that I could actually write my dream celebrity tell-all, the juiciest one imaginable.”
NPR’s interviewer did dive a bit deeper, saying they believed the character of Lizzie Pepper, up until a cult showed up in the story. They pointed out that it’s very similar to Scientology, hinting that the story truly was about Tom and Katie after all.
Liftin’s response, however, was that she made up the cult, so it’s entirely possible that it’s similar to other actual cults because she dreamed it up.
The bottom line? If Hilary Liftin really does know Katie and worked with her on this “novel,” she’s not about to spill the beans. There’s just one more piece of the puzzle that doesn’t quite add up.
Hilary Liftin Mostly Ghostwrites Celebrity Memoirs
Another detail that hints there’s more to Lizzie Pepper’s story? The fact that Hilary’s other published titles are all nonfiction.
She’s written multiple books about Tori Spelling, penned Miley Cyrus’ early-in-life memoir, and has a total of 17 books to her name, at least through Amazon.
As a memoir writer (yes, she’s also written her own), it does seem out of character for Liftin to drop a fiction book and then pretend it isn’t related to a celebrity.
The book was also published in 2015, three years after Katie’s divorce was finalized, but within the rumored “can’t date anyone publicly” phase.
Katie moved to New York shortly after her split from Tom, where paparazzi often snap her and Suri living their daily lives, but has mostly kept a low profile in terms of sharing her relationships or anything beyond work.
She’s had numerous projects since the split, diving back into acting after something of a hiatus in which, many assumed, she was meant to play second fiddle to action film superstar Tom.
Could the novel about “Lizzie Pepper” have been an outlet for Katie to share her story without actually sharing it? It seems unlikely, especially since Hilary Liftin is adamant that she made the whole thing up.
The other remaining question about the novel? Whether Katie Holmes has ever read it, and what she thinks of the story!
