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It’s been a decade since Tom Cruise split from his ex-wife Katie Holmes, who is the mother of his daughter Suri Cruise. Now 15, Suri has been raised by her mom on the East Coast, leaving fans to wonder whether the Top Gun: Maverick star has had any recent contact with her. Does Tom Cruise see Suri? Here’s a look into their complicated relationship.
Suri Cruise Was Born In 2006
After dating for less than a year, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes announced they were expecting their first child together in 2005. The War of the Worlds star, who already had two children from his previous marriage to actress Nicole Kidman, did not hide the fact that he was thrilled about becoming a father again. He was so excited, in fact, that he told Barbara Walters he purchased his own ultrasound machine for Holmes to use at home.
This revelation shocked the medical community and may even have been illegal, as the FDA prohibited the use of ultrasound machines without a medical prescription from a doctor in 2002. We don’t know how often—if at all—Holmes used the machine to generate at-home sonograms, and the couple reportedly donated the machine to a hospital once the Dawson’s Creek star gave birth.
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes leave wedding festivities with their 7-month-old daughter. (Photo provided by Elisabetta Villa/Getty Images)
When Suri was born on April 18, 2006, Tom gushed about the event in interviews with the press. “It was spiritual. It was powerful. It was indescribable,” the Born on the Fourth of July actor told the ABC news show 20/20. “What words can you use? It’s still something that I’m processing and keep reliving.”
Later that year, when Suri was seven months old, Tom and Holmes tied the knot in a lavish Italian wedding ceremony. The couple, who were dubbed “TomKat” by the media, were married for seven years.
Katie Holmes Got Full Custody Of Suri
(Photo provided by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
TomKat’s fairy tale love story came to an end when Holmes filed for divorce in June of 2012. Many people speculated (and Tom later confirmed) that Holmes ended the marriage, at least in part, in an effort to protect Suri from Scientology, the controversial “religion” Tom has been a part of for more than 20 years.
When the split was announced, Tom openly admitted he was upset about the end of his marriage. “Kate has filed for divorce and Tom is deeply saddened and is concentrating on his three children,” the actor said in a statement to People magazine. “Please allow them their privacy.”
At the same time, the former couple made it clear that they planned to do what was necessary to protect the best interests of their daughter. “We are committed to working together as parents to accomplish what is in our daughter Suri’s best interests,” they said in a joint statement. “We want to keep matters affecting our family private and express our respect for each other’s commitment to each of our respective beliefs and support each other’s roles as parents.”
After agreeing to a settlement hammered out by their lawyers, the former couple finalized their divorce in July of 2012. According to reports, Holmes was granted full custody of Suri, and Tom was ordered to pay $400,000 a year in child support until Suri turns 18. The Top Gun actor was also ordered to pay for his daughter’s medical care and education, among other extracurricular costs.
What Is Tom Cruise’s Relationship With Suri Like Today?
While Tom appeared to be an active parent to Suri when he and Holmes were married, it doesn’t appear as though he’s maintained a relationship with his daughter since the split. The Rain Man star hasn’t been photographed with Suri since 2013, and though he has visitation rights, sources speculate that he purposely chooses not to see his daughter because she is not a Scientologist.
(Photo provided by Anthony Harvey/Getty Images)
Tom has rarely mentioned Suri in the 10 years since he and Holmes split. He did make one exception back in 2017 while walking the red carpet in Australia for his movie The Mummy (which also starred Russell Crowe). When asked by the Sydney Morning Herald if he thinks his daughter will follow in the footsteps of his famous parents and become an actress, he replied: “You never know, you never know.”
