As Suri Cruise reaches the milestone age of 18, insiders disclose the persistent strain in her relationship with her superstar father, Tom Cruise.
Born to Hollywood heavyweights Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes in April 2006, Suri faced the upheaval of her parents’ high-profile and acrimonious separation just five years into her life.
The divorce, finalized in 2012, granted full custody to the Dawson’s Creek actress, while Tom Cruise, renowned for his roles in Mission: Impossible and other blockbuster films, committed to an annual child support payment of £321,000 ($400,000) until Suri’s 18th birthday.
Reports suggest, however, that the action film luminary has had minimal contact with his daughter since his split from Katie.
In a 2013 defamation case against Bauer Media, Cruise candidly admitted to not seeing Suri for a span of three months, implying such occurrences are not uncommon in the aftermath of divorces.
“Listen, when there is a divorce… things change,” he reflected, acknowledging, “It’s not an ideal scene. It’s not an ideal situation.”
In the same legal battle, Cruise shockingly revealed that his involvement with the contentious Church of Scientology had contributed to his estrangement from Suri.
Responding to queries from lawyers regarding whether Katie left him partly “to protect Suri from Scientology,” Tom conceded: “That was one of the assertions, yes.”
Katie has been raising Suri in the vibrant metropolis of New York, distanced from the glare of Hollywood, where sightings of the duo enjoying ordinary life are not uncommon.
In a poignant 2017 interview with Town and Country magazine, Katie disclosed her decision to scale back her acting endeavors to prioritize providing Suri with a nurturing environment.
“My child is the most important person to me, and her upbringing is paramount to my work right now.
It’s very important that I’m present and she has a stable, innocent childhood. I feel so blessed to do what I do, but there’s nothing in the world better than watching your child succeed,” she expressed.
While Tom’s professional trajectory continues its upward trajectory, his bond with Suri is reportedly virtually non-existent.
Rumors circulated last year suggesting that the Top Gun star has been absent from Suri’s life for an extended period due to his disengagement.
Allegedly, the Church of Scientology, of which Cruise is a prominent member, imposes restrictions on its adherents from associating with non-members, including Katie and Suri.
