Suri and Tom Cruise in 2009. She is now 17. Photo / Getty Images
Suri and Tom Cruise in 2009. She is now 17. Photo / Getty Images
Tom Cruise is one of the biggest stars in the world but, when it comes to his relationships with his three children, very little is known.
Hollywood heavyweight Tom Cruise might be one of the biggest movie stars in the world but, when it comes to his personal life, very little is known about his relationships – especially with his children.
The Golden Globe winner first became a father in 1992 when he and his then-wife Nicole Kidman adopted their daughter Isabella. The former couple’s family grew again in 1995 when they adopted their son, Connor. After the marriage broke down, the Top Gun actor found love again with Katie Holmes and the pair went on to welcome his only biological child, Suri.
While Cruise was photographed frequently with Suri in her early years, sources have claimed he is now estranged from his 17-year-old daughter. As for his older children, mystery has long surrounded their relationships.
Now, after news he has found “love” with Russian socialite Elsina Khayrova, the Herald looks at his family dynamics.
Here is everything we know about Tom’s relationships with his children:
Isabella Cruise
Isabella Kidman Cruise, known as Bella, is now 30. Photo / Instagram
Born on December 22, 1992, Isabella – who calls herself Bella Kidman Cruise – was the first child Kidman and Cruise adopted in their decade-long marriage in the 1990s. Her relationship with her father appears to remain intact.
After agreeing to a joint custody agreement with Kidman in 2001 – financial terms and other settlement terms were kept confidential – Isabella and Connor stayed with their father in LA when Kidman returned to Australia and the children quickly became “completely dedicated Scientologists”, according to People magazine.
Now 30, Isabella rarely posts on social media but Page Six reported in 2019 that she wrote in a Scientology newsletter thanking her father “for everything”.
Kidman has not explicitly shared her opinion about her daughter’s relationship with the church but did briefly mention it in a 2018 interview with Who magazine.
“They are adults,” she said of Isabella and Connor at the time. “They are able to make their own decisions.
“They have made choices to be Scientologists and, as a mother, it’s my job to love them. I know 150 per cent that I would give up my life for my children because it’s what my purpose is.”
Hollywood Life has reported that Bella is now based in London and owns an art company selling phone cases, tote bags and other accessories.
In 2015 she married Max Parker, an IT consultant, in an intimate ceremony that neither Cruise nor Kidman attended, causing widespread speculation that Bella was estranged from them. Butthe Mirror reported that Cruise knew about the wedding and footed the bill.
Bella later spoke to the Daily Mail, claiming: “Of course [we talk], they’re my parents. Anyone who says otherwise is full of sh**.”
While it’s not known exactly how much contact she has with her father, reports suggest they have a good relationship.
She has previously shown support for him on social media by posting the trailer for Top Gun: Maverick and liking a post by Lady Gaga that featured him.
Connor Cruise
Tom Cruise with son Connor in 2013. Photo / Getty Images
Born on January 17, 1995, and adopted the same year, Connor Cruise – much like his sister – appears to enjoy a life away from the spotlight.
Despite seemingly following in his parents’ footsteps earlier in his life when he starred in two films – Seven Pounds in 2008 and the Red Dawn remake in 2012 – Connor later pursued DJing successfully but has since taken a new direction.
Hollywood Life has reported that the 28-year-old spends a lot of time fishing and lives in Clearwater, Florida, which is the main Scientology hub in the US. The Mirror has reported that Connor has become a high-ranking member of the church.
He remains close to his sister and father, though reports suggest he does not have a good relationship with Kidman and did not invite her to his wedding in 2019.
He married Italian-born Silvia Zanchi, a fellow Scientologist who also grew up in the religion, and allegedly “banned” Kidman from the wedding at the request of his father.
Speaking to Radar Online in 2019, a source said, “Tom is behind this and what he wants is as good as law. Tom made the call and Connor followed.”
Adding that Connor “worships the ground his father walks on”, the sources added: “First, Tom would never even consider inviting Nicole to Connor’s wedding because she’s considered a ‘suppressive person’ by the church. And, second, he doesn’t want her there.”
People magazine reported in 2019 that Connor and his father regularly spend time together but public outings are rare. They were spotted the same year flying over London in a helicopter and Cruise showed his son “some aviation basics”.
The trip was a way to promote the Mission Impossible film at the time. However, People reported there was also an annual Scientology gathering that Connor was believed to have attended with his father.
Since then, the two have also been spotted on rare outings together, including at a 2021 basketball game and, most recently, in New York City in July at an event to promote Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning.
Suri Cruise
Suri Cruise and Katie Holmes in 2020. Photo / Getty Images
Earlier this year an insider revealed to Page Six that Cruise was estranged Suri, his daughter with former wife Katie Holmes. However, he still pays child support of US$400,000 (NZ$640,500), which will continue until she is 18.
He is also required to pay for Suri’s expenses, including medical, dental, insurance, education and other extra-curricular costs.
The news doesn’t come as a complete surprise as Cruise revealed in his 2012 defamation case against Bauer Media that his links to Scientology had played a large part in his estrangement from Suri.
When asked if Holmes had left him “in part to protect Suri from Scientology”, he replied, “That was one of the assertions, yes.”
“Listen, when there is a divorce, things change,” he told lawyers in 2013. “It’s not an ideal scene. It’s not an ideal situation.”
After the US$50 million ($80m) lawsuit deposition in 2016, the controversial church was criticised for keeping Cruise and his daughter apart. According to the rules of Scientology, church members are not allowed to associate with non-believers.
Since neither Holmes nor Suri are Scientologists, it has been claimed that Cruise cannot have a relationship with either of them.
“This is his loss, his issue, his problem,” an insider told Page Six at the time. “He must be really brainwashed.”
