katie holmes tom cruise 2005

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A Complete Timeline Of Tom Cruise And Katie Holmes's Relationship

TomKat happened quickly. In spring 2005, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were about to begin dating one another in a highly publicized romance, surprising fans and the media. But even more surprising was the speed at which their romance progressed. Within weeks of meeting, the two became engaged. Within less than a year, they were expecting a baby. Suri Cruise was born in 2006.

Scandals related to Cruise's erratic behavior plagued the union, and rumors swirled that Scientology was behind the pairing. Many also believed the relationship was a publicity stunt - both Cruise and Holmes had movies coming out during the beginning of their romance, the height of their very public courtship.

Although Cruise was venerated in 2005 for his successful movies , his career has since taken a downhill turn. Exposés about Scientology have discredited the church and its followers, and Cruise's odd behavior makes him an eccentric figure in the minds of many. Cruise and Holmes's whirlwind romance ended in divorce, but it's hard to forget the strange Scientology-laden saga of their relationship.

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October 2004: In An Interview, While Engaged To Chris Klein, Holmes Said She Always Wanted To Marry Tom Cruise

While Katie Holmes was still engaged to actor Chris Klein, she told Seventeen magazine, "I think every little girl dreams about her wedding. I used to think I was going to marry Tom [Cruise]."

Just two months later she broke off her engagement with Klein. The pair had begun dating as teenagers , and they said the split was as amicable as could be.

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April 2005: Cruise Asks To Meet With Holmes

After Holmes told Seventeen magazine she dreamed as a child of marrying Tom Cruise, the actor contacted Holmes's manager and asked to meet with her. The meeting happened under the pretense that the creators of Mission: Impossible  were considering Holmes for a role.

Holmes said of first seeing Cruise, "I knew in an instant that we were going to be together, that we were going to get married."

April 2005: Cruise And Holmes Go On A Series Of Dates

After a four-hour meeting with Cruise, Holmes and Cruise went on a series of dates . A simple dinner date with Cruise was no ordinary event: the pair ate in his private jet. Their next date was on the back of Cruise's motorcycle on a ride to the beach.

Holmes was enamored: "Here I was in Los Angeles [on] my first motorcycle ride to the beach. It was all so amazing and fast. I was in love from the moment I shook his hand for the first time."

April 27, 2005: The Pair Make Their First Public Appearance In Rome

Cruise and Holmes, less than a month after meeting for the first time, made their first appearance as a couple in Rome, Italy.

They attended the David di Donatello film awards together. 

May 2005: Cruise Jumps On Oprah's Couch While Declaring His Love For Holmes

In a now infamous interview, Cruise appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show , where he displayed erratic behavior . He jumped up and down on Winfrey's couch and, with conviction, fell to his knees as he expressed excitement about his relationship with Holmes.

Winfrey later told the press she was confused by Cruise's behavior, and a poll on People found his actions convinced 63% of readers the Cruise-Holmes union was a publicity stunt.

June 2005: Holmes Explores Scientology

After Holmes started dating Cruise, she began making decisions that upset those close to her. For one, she fired her manager and publicist for undisclosed reasons. She also began exploring the Church of Scientology, which Cruise belonged to. The Church of Scientology assigned Holmes a "Scientology assistant" named Jessica Rodriguez, who followed Holmes everywhere she went.

In an interview with W magazine, Rodriguez was present to coach Holmes through her answers. Holmes  said of Scientology, "You know, it's really exciting.. I just started auditing, and I'm taking some courses, and I really like it."

A source told  People  magazine that Holmes never became a "full-fledged member" of the church.

June 2005: They Were Engaged Just Eight Weeks After Meeting

The pair got engaged in June, just eight weeks after their first meeting in April. Cruise proposed at the top of the Eiffel Tower, where the two dined at Le Jules Verne. Shortly after, Cruise called a press conference to announce their engagement.

In a callback to when Cruise leaped off Oprah Winfrey's couch, he said of the wedding, "I’ll be jumping on couches for a very long time."  People reported that Holmes and Cruise didn't touch during the entire press conference.

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Mid-2005: Holmes Turns Down A Role In 'Factory Girl,' Allegedly Due To Scientology's Views On Psychiatry

Holmes was originally slated for a role in Factory Girl , which the Weinstein Company released in 2006. The movie is about actress-model Edie Sedgwick, known for starring in Andy Warhol's films. Holmes dropped out of the project at the last minute, however.

The media speculated Holmes's decision was a reflection of her newfound involvement in Scientology, which doesn't believe in psychiatry. Throughout her life, Sedgwick was in and out of mental institutions and perished from taking too many hard substances.

Cruise also said in an interview that he didn't want Holmes to play victims and preferred she stick to portraying strong women.

October 5, 2005: Holmes And Cruise Announce They're Expecting A Baby

In early October, six months after meeting, Cruise and Holmes announced they were expecting their first child together.

Cruise had already adopted his ex-wife Nicole Kidman's children, and the baby would be Holmes's first.

April 2006: Suri Cruise Is Born During What Might Have Been A 'Silent Birth'

Scientology practices silent births , where the person giving birth is supposed to be completely quiet, "as calm and no-talk as possible." The birth is also supposed to feel relaxing for the mother.

It's possible Holmes went through this process when delivering Suri.

September 2006: Holmes And Cruise Present Suri To The Public

Holmes and Cruise introduced Suri to the public in early September, four months after her birth. Because the pair waited so long to share a photo of the child, people began speculating Suri was ill, or that Cruise and Holmes had made up the pregnancy entirely to garner publicity for their films  War of the Worlds and Batman Begins , respectively.

Holmes and Cruise chose Vanity Fair as the magazine where Suri made her debut .

November 2006: Holmes And Cruise Wed In Italy

Over a year after their engagement, Holmes and Cruise tied the knot at a ceremony in Bracciano, Italy. They had their wedding at Odescalchi Castle and spent $3 million on the ceremony. Giorgio Armani, himself a wedding guest, designed the two dresses Holmes wore that night - Swarovski crystals adorned one of the dresses, which is rumored to have taken 305 hours to make.

Holmes's friends were notably absent from the wedding. Celebrities and Scientology officials were the primary guests in attendance. Stars like John Travolta, Jennifer Lopez, and Will and Jada Pinkett Smith came to the event. But Holmes's Dawson's Creek co-stars were missing.

May 2010: Holmes Performs A Seductive Dance For Cruise At A Charity Event

In May 2010, Holmes and Cruise performed together to raise money for the Motion Picture and Television Fund.

Holmes performed a sultry dance to "Whatever Lola Wants," while Cruise had his own choreography.

March 2011: Holmes Stops Talking About Cruise As Often As She Once Did

Holmes eventually stopped speaking about Cruise like she did in the beginning of their relationship. She no longer gushed over her husband, instead focusing more on talking about her acting roles.

She told  Marie Claire , "I feel ready. For the next chapter in my life. I’m excited to begin a new phase: roles I might have been afraid to play, places I want to travel with my daughter."

June 2012: Cruise Premieres His Film 'Rock of Ages' Without Holmes

In June 2012, Cruise showed up to the premiere of his film Rock of Ages . Holmes was notably absent. Cruise made brief mention of Holmes on the red carpet, calling her "an amazing woman."

He also raved about Holmes in an interview with Playboy :

She is an extraordinary person, and if you spent five minutes with her, you’d see it. Everything she does, she does with this beautiful creativity. She’s funny and charming, and when she walks into the room, I just feel better. I’m a romantic. I like doing things like creating romantic dinners, and she enjoys that.

June 2012: Holmes And Cruise File For Divorce

Holmes is rumored to have thought Cruise might send their daughter Suri to the Sea Org, a Scientologist organization where children are subjected to forced labor at sea. Holmes filed for divorce, and just 10 days later, the pair reached a settlement that gave Holmes custody of Suri .

The settlement allegedly prevents Suri from becoming involved with Scientology. Because Scientologists have to cut off family members who leave the church, Cruise has gone for long periods of time without seeing Suri.

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Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes's Relationship Timeline: A Look Back

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise were married for nearly six years before they called it quits.

Krista Carter is a writer and editor with nearly a decade of experience working in beauty and fashion.

Has anyone ever been more in love than couch-jumping Tom Cruise and  Katie Holmes ? We'll wait. Beginning in 2005, the actress and  fashion icon  (not just anyone can  pull off socks over sweatpants , alright?) engaged in a whirlwind romance with PDA-filled red carpet appearances that solidified their public image as TomKat. Within a year of meeting, they were engaged and welcomed a child together. A few months later, they tied the knot (Holmes's first marriage and Cruise's third). While many believed that the union wouldn't last — and it ultimately didn't — the pair still went on to share nearly six years together as husband and wife.

Since their 2012 divorce, we're remembering the Hollywood couple that once gave every teenager a glimmer of hope that it was possible — although highly unlikely — that maybe, just maybe, the dream of marrying their celebrity crush could become a reality.

Here's a look back at Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise's relationship.

April 2005: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes first meet and are spotted together

As the story goes, after Cruise divorced  Nicole Kidman  and subsequently  split from then-girlfriend Penelope Cruz , the  Mission: Impossible  actor's beloved Church of Scientology set out to find him a worthy (and malleable) wife. After reportedly courting (and ultimately scaring off) famous women like  Sofía Vergara  and  Scarlett Johansson , the task proved more difficult than expected.

Eventually, church officials' prayers were answered through a  Seventeen  article,  per HuffPost . In October 2004, Holmes (then  engaged to Chris Klein ) told the teen magazine, "I used to think that I was going to marry Tom Cruise." 

Six months later, Klein and Holmes announced their breakup, and on April 27, 2005, Cruise and Holmes were first spotted together in Rome. TomKat made their red carpet debut as a couple two days later on April 29 at the David di Donatello Awards. Coincidence? We may never truly know.

"When I met Tom, I was completely in love, and, yes, I admired him growing up — he's Tom Cruise!" she reportedly told  T: The New York Times Style Magazine  ( via  People ).

May 23, 2005: Tom Cruise declares his love for Katie Holmes on The Oprah Winfrey Show

Cruise jolted daytime television when he appeared on  The Oprah Winfrey Show  and ecstatically jumped on her couch while professing love for his new girlfriend (who he subsequently brought out from backstage). The appearance went viral, with many questioning Cruise's sanity, as well as the relationship's authenticity.

June 16, 2005: Tom Cruise announces engagement to Katie Holmes

Gregg DeGuire / WireImage / Getty Images

Shortly after going public with their relationship, Cruise announced at a press conference for  War of the Worlds  that he and Holmes were engaged. According to  The Hollywood Reporter , Cruise, then 43, proposed to Holmes, then 26, with a five-carat yellow diamond ring at a restaurant atop the Eiffel Tower.

"Today is a magnificent day for me; I'm engaged to a magnificent woman," he said, per  People . 

April 18, 2006: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes welcome their first child together

Holmes gave birth to a baby girl, Suri, in Santa Monica, California, in April 2006. Their newborn daughter made her public debut on the October 2006 cover of  Vanity Fair. 

The  Dawson's Creek  alum  told the magazine , " The moment the doctor handed me Suri, I was just ready. The feeling is indescribable. All I can say is the moment I looked in her eyes, I felt like ... Mom." 

Since then, the celeb offspring and fashionista has inspired one of our favorite pop culture artifacts of all time:  Suri's Burn Book . 

November 18, 2006: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes get married

Robert Evans / Handout via Getty Images

In November 2006, the  Batman Begins  actress's schoolgirl fantasy of marrying Cruise came true. Their wedding was marked by an extravagant ceremony and reception at an Italian castle that cost more than $3 million, according to E! Online .

The star-studded guest list included couples  Jennifer Lopez  and Marc Anthony, John Travolta and the late Kelly Preston, and  David Beckham  and  Victoria Beckham , among others. As for the bridal party, Holmes had her sister Nancy Blaylock as maid of honor, while Cruise chose Scientology leader David Miscavige as his best man.

June 2012: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes divorce

John Shearer / WireImage / Getty Images

Interestingly, after Cruise gave a  Playboy  interview in which he praised Holmes, she filed for divorce. Although the  Top Gun  star admitted that he "didn't expect" the divorce —  per CBS News  — the legal proceedings ran smoothly, and a settlement was reached in just 11 days.

Cruise and Holmes have rarely spoken on the record in regard to their split, but it's rumored that Holmes's motivation was to free her daughter from the unique constraints of Scientology. During his deposition against Bauer Media Cruise (whose tabloids claimed he'd abandoned Suri), Cruise was asked if Holmes left him "in part to protect Suri from Scientology." 

Insulted, he said, "There is no need to protect my daughter from my religion." 

However,  according to ABC News , when prodded again, specifically as to whether Holmes had mentioned that she was leaving in an effort to protect Suri from Scientology, Cruise responded, "Did she say that? That was one of the assertions, yes."

Holmes was granted primary custody of Suri in their divorce. Though Cruise was afforded ample visitation, it was widely reported that he rarely saw his daughter. In 2016,  InTouch Weekly  asserted  that the actor hadn't seen or spoken to his youngest child in over 1,000 days (or two-and-a-half years).

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• The Couch Jump That Rocked Hollywood

Tom Cruise’s 2005 appearance on ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ was an iconic episode of television—and a turning point for how we discuss and understand celebrities

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In the spring of 2005, an unknown 20-something in California uploaded a 19-second video of himself to the internet. “Me at the zoo,” the first YouTube video, featured cofounder Jawed Karim rambling about animals. “The cool thing about these guys is that they have really, really, really long trunks,” a man said, gesturing toward an elephant enclosure. It was boring, but it was the beginning of something.

That same spring, Karim’s YouTube quickly found one of its first hits. Its origins were far less obscure than a tech guy on a field trip. At the time, Tom Cruise had a more-than-reasonable claim to the title of biggest celebrity in America. He was the movie star, a leading man with mom-approved handsomeness, a nimble physicality, and a gung-ho intensity that played on the big screen as magnetic instead of disturbed. He counted Top Gun , Jerry Maguire , and two Mission: Impossible movies among the idol-making roles under his small belt. Meanwhile, Oprah Winfrey had already established herself as not only the biggest celebrity on daytime television, but the biggest celebrity in media. She’d made the careers of Drs. Phil and Oz. She’d debuted O, the Oprah Magazine . She’d hollered “You get a car!” to a euphoric crowd. Cruise’s May 2005 interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show seemed destined to be yet another fluffy meeting of monstrously famous minds. Instead, traditional media’s powerhouse duo was about to provide the new video-uploading service with a clip that would demonstrate the format’s growth potential far better than a rinky-dink recording of a random dude musing about zoos.

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Before Cruise came out on stage that day, the crowd at Chicago’s Harpo Studios had already hyped itself into an ecstatic frenzy, whooping and clapping and jumping in overwhelmed pleasure at being in the presence of Winfrey, in her space, living their best lives. By 2005, Oprah had transformed her daytime talk show from a variation on Phil Donahue’s talk theme into something new, something that took the voyeuristic thrills of seeing televised confessions and elevated them with the language of self-help seminars and the polish of Hollywood. “Oprah is sitting in the throne of American pop culture,” said WBEZ anchor Jenn White on the podcast Making Oprah , describing Oprah’s cultural cachet in the early aughts. “She commands a regular worldwide audience of tens of millions. She can turn a book into a bestseller, a product into a trend, and people into stars.” At that point, Christianity Today had identified Oprah as “one of the most influential spiritual leaders in America.” Her audiences resembled gaga congregants.

Cruise was in Chicago to talk about his upcoming movie, Steven Spielberg’s remake of War of the Worlds . Instead of sticking to the promotional script, though, the compact action star gushed about his new girlfriend, actress Katie Holmes. “You’re gone,” Oprah said, searching for words to describe Cruise’s over-the-top infatuation. Within 15 minutes, Cruise had leapt onto Oprah’s couch in a spontaneous outburst of enthusiasm for his personal life. Cruise’s offbeat showboating was memorable in part because of its unusual setting; The Oprah Winfrey Show was where celebrities traipsed to shine up their reputations and get a warm embrace from a sympathetic fellow star. Oprah would polish, not grill. But Oprah, usually so masterful at empathizing with her guests, appeared to be at a loss. “You’re gone,” she repeated. The charismatic preacher had been sidelined by an even more earnest proselytizer.

People hated it. More importantly, they loved to hate it. Most importantly, they loved to talk about hating it. Divorced from its context and remixed into YouTube clips and GIFs, Cruise’s couch outburst looked far more bizarre than it had during the episode, when at least the studio audience had been equally hyped up and Oprah had encouraged him to talk about his personal life. Within the context of the episode, Cruise’s behavior was strange but not outrageous. On the internet, isolated and amplified into a single furniture-leaping moment, it looked like an A-list meltdown . The most popular spoof was called “Tom Cruise Kills Oprah,” where Cruise appeared to kill Oprah with lightning. Family Guy parodied it. Even Sesame Street eventually parodied it. But the couch clip went beyond launching parodies and viral videos. The response to the Cruise episode signaled a changing of the guard in Hollywood media, from a pecking order where publicists and studios could strike deals with access-hungry press toward a more democratic and chaotic media landscape. Even though Cruise had been in a terrific mood during his Oprah appearance, it was appropriate that his tomfoolery was reframed to look far more aggressive than it was. The internet and the media were about to get much sharper.

“Tom’s couch-jumping coincided with the rise of gossip blogs,” Matt James, who runs the celebrity gossip site Pop Culture Died in 2009, told The Ringer . “The entire incident became a testament to the way public opinion could form online in the pre-Twitter era, and how damaging it could be in the long run.”

Longtime Hollywood gossip blog Lainey Gossip also credited Cruise’s leap onto Oprah’s couch with galvanizing the media landscape. “This rise of the gossip blog quickly accelerated,” site creator Elaine Lui wrote in 2015. “Celebrities were not being contained the way they used to be. And the PEOPLE and Entertainment Tonight coverage just wasn’t cutting it anymore. Not when these illusions were so quickly being destroyed. This incident became one of the most critical chapters in the Origin Story of Internet Gossip.” The intense online response to Cruise’s convention-breaking presaged a shift in how celebrity freakouts were covered, as it was one of the first major entertainment-world meltdowns to saturate the blogging world. “There was something so personal, so oversharey, so necessarily engaged with the audience in Cruise’s couch-jumping that it set the tone for the kind of one-person media circus we’d expect and enjoy in the years to come, to varying degrees of sadness (Britney Spears), amazement (Charlie Sheen) and despicableness (Chris Brown),” Gawker ’s Rich Juzwiak wrote in 2012. While the word “meme” hadn’t yet entered the mainstream lexicon, Cruise’s furniture leap went viral. “Culturally, it was, in my mind, one of the first celebrity memes,” Brandon Ogborn, the writer behind The TomKat Project , an excellent play examining Tom Cruise’s reputation, told The Ringer . “That clip was reenacted so many times. It was kind of a watershed moment for internet culture.”

Along with memes came a cascade of internet commentary on Cruise’s behavior, most of it overwhelmingly negative. While Oprah’s studio audience had been pleased with his effusiveness, the story line soured in the digital world. “Now, whenever something happens in the news, we can go online and quickly find the tide in which public opinion is turning. In the early days of the internet, it wasn’t that distinct,” James said. “That changed with Tom. The people who watched Tom’s appearance and felt it was maybe even the slightest bit heartwarming went online to find that the majority opinion was Tom had lost his mind.”

It was an exciting time for bloggers, and terrible timing for Cruise. He had fired his longtime publicist, Pat Kingsley, in March 2004. Kingsley was a powerhouse with a viselike grip on the dicks of traditional outlets. “She was adamant about keeping Cruise out of the tabloids. At press junkets, she demanded that journalists sign contracts swearing not to sell their quotes to the supermarket rags,” film critic Amy Nicholson wrote for LA Weekly in 2014, arguing that internet culture was to blame for Cruise’s fall from grace. “Then Kingsley expanded her reach and insisted that all TV interviewers destroy their tapes after his segment had aired.” Without Kingsley, Cruise didn’t have his usual PR fixer at hand to tell him what not to do, to tell him how to course-correct once the backlash began, or to tell the press to lay off. Instead, Cruise had replaced the flinty Kingsley with his sister, Lee Anne DeVette, a fellow Scientologist. The public reaction to his romance with Holmes was no good even before The Incident. According to a People poll, the majority of respondents saw the relationship as a publicity stunt . “We can’t get enough of the TomKat show because eventually the paint will start to chip and we will hopefully see all the ugliness as openly as we’ve been shoved the lovey-dovey bullshit,” Perez Hilton wrote. Cruise’s past habit of keeping his private life to himself and manicuring his public image had given him an idyllic but distinctly artificial sheen, one that may have counterintuitively exacerbated the response when he finally stepped out of line. “He had never done anything publicly wrong before,” Nicholson told The Ringer . “He’d always been so perfect.” Cruise’s over-the-top display of hyper-public affection, possibly made more intense by his desire to prove that his love was real, backfired. Instead of making people think he was a romantic, Cruise just made people think he was weird.

He quickly got weirder, and darker. Shortly after his couch leap, Cruise started a feud with Brooke Shields by dismissing her experience with postpartum depression. He went on Today to go even further, insisting that psychiatry and psychiatric medicine were dangerous. While Cruise was a longtime Scientologist, he had never openly advocated for the abusive group’s more controversial beliefs so publicly before. “It was a time when he really just let himself go, and let his freak flag fly. And it was also a time when he was really proselytizing for Scientology. I think it was a huge explosion of press that was bad press, because the Tom Cruise machine just stopped,” Ogborn said. “He said, This is who I am, I’m going to jump on that couch, I’m going to tell Matt Lauer he’s glib. ”

In less than a year, Cruise contorted his reputation from a hard-working, eccentric leading man into Hollywood’s premiere guileless kook. “Cruise: I will eat the placenta,” a 2006 Daily Mail headline , is a good example of the sort of news he generated. When California banned the sale of ultrasounds for personal use that year, it was known as the “Tom Cruise law” because Cruise had publicly purchased an ultrasound machine to view his daughter in the womb. South Park went for the jugular, as expected, but ridicule came from all over. Noah Baumbach wrote a New Yorker piece where the joke was that his dog was stupid and enthusiastic … just like Tom Cruise. Even Lauren Bacall dissed him to reporters. People still showed up for Cruise movies. War of the Worlds had a huge opening , but studios feared that Cruise’s bankability was tainted after Mission: Impossible III made nearly $150 million less worldwide than its predecessor. Cruise’s reputation was undeniably threatened. His Q rating, used to measure celebrity appeal, dropped 40 percent. “From that point on, we all accepted Tom Cruise was crazy,” James said. “It was a done deal.”

Cruise’s uninhibited media blunder bender cost him a lucrative, long-term production deal with Paramount. His behavior was blamed for the deal’s destruction. “His recent conduct has not been acceptable to Paramount,” Viacom chairman Sumner M. Redstone told The Wall Street Journal . The Oprah Winfrey Show , meanwhile, continued on as an unstoppable cultural force. From all accounts, as much as the couch-jumping episode yoked Oprah and Cruise together for eternity as a punch line, it also ruffled feathers at Harpo. “She was not invited to his wedding, and he was not invited for a very long time to come interview with her,” Ogborn pointed out, noting that Harpo employees would frequently come talk to him after the Chicago run of The TomKat Project to discuss that period of time. “They said she was fucking pissed when it happened.”

Regardless of Oprah’s personal opinion of Cruise’s behavior, the interview didn’t hurt her professionally. A mock set from the show is now on display in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture as part of an exhibit on Winfrey. There was no lasting damage to her legacy. (Curators declined to comment on the role of the interview in her cultural history.) If anything, the couch-jumping episode only provided a bolstering example of Oprah presiding over must-watch TV. The show’s guiding ethos focused on going big and doing the best, resulting in ever-more-elaborate gift giveaways and surprises for the audience. While Cruise’s antics might have thrown off the dynamic between guest and host that Oprah preferred, his interview ultimately fit the bill for the gripping, unexpected, and wholly memorable. “Tom’s televised freakout was just another notch in her belt,” James said. Talk-show hosts now manufacture segments specifically to do well on YouTube and other online platforms, but it was Oprah who generated the first viral talk-show clip.

The incident certainly did not kill Cruise’s career, either. In 2008, his comic turn in Tropic Thunder helped undercut his reputation for unrelenting self-seriousness. (The same year, Cruise reunited with Oprah for a much calmer interview.) Cruise maintained his career throughout his reputational turmoil by sticking with Mission: Impossible and thematically similar films. “He’s always done such great work with this franchise, but he’s almost clinging to it nervously, like he’s afraid to let go and take a real risk,” Nicholson said. “He’ll take risks inside the film with stunts, but he’s not taking risks inside his own career, like doing the dramatic work that marked a lot of what he did in the ’80s, or by chasing an Oscar, which is something he gave up on.” Although he never quite regained his status as a Hollywood golden boy, he has mellowed into an aging statesman of action flicks—and anyway, his divorce from Katie Holmes and continued association with Scientology have left a longer-lasting stink on his name than his exuberant talk-show appearance. In 2015, GQ heralded “Cool Tom Cruise.” This summer, he is starring in the sixth Mission: Impossible movie. The critical response to both the film and Cruise’s performance has been overwhelmingly positive. “What’s always been so ironic to me about the Tom Cruise quote-unquote backlash is that it seemed to me that audiences still really loved him, even if newspapers were telling them that they didn’t,” Nicholson said. “I feel like he’s proving something that never needed to be proven.”

The real legacy of the couch-jumping incident has almost nothing to do with Cruise or Oprah specifically and everything to do with how people reacted online to the moment. Tom and Oprah’s strange conversation, and the reaction it provoked, is now preserved as thousands of digital artifacts, emblematic of how information traveled in the early aughts. Rewatching the episode and the viral videos it spawned feels quaint now. The bloggy media cycle that produced Cruise memes has been replaced by a cesspool of broken newsfeeds smushing conspiracy theories and branded content against real news and irrational presidential tweets with such velocity that it seems deeply unlikely that Cruise’s hop onto a loveseat would provoke much at all in 2018. However, it’s even less likely that Cruise would’ve been able to make it so far into his career without finding his kooky personality exposed as he did in 2005.

Up-and-comers have learned to respond to a different and less controllable form of media attention. There is a whole brand of celebrity in which the famous are expected to engage with fans on social media. Celebrity PR disasters don’t often happen in such glossy settings anymore; instead, they are frequently facilitated by social media and accelerated by fans and detractors who dig up old tweets . The last time a daytime talk-show guest created a media supernova after their appearance, it was Danielle Bregoli, a.k.a. Bhad Bhabie, a.k.a. “Cash Me Ousside” Girl, who parlayed a viral moment shit-talking on Dr. Phil into a viable rap career . I doubt Bregoli knows about Tom Cruise’s Oprah appearance, but her own twist on the daytime meme underscores how much has changed since Cruise took his happy hop. Performative, contrived freakiness in front of a live studio audience can be an asset now. The big leap is figuring out how to navigate internet criticism without spinning out—a frequently impossible mission.

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Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise were together for almost a decade — here's a timeline of their relationship

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise were once one of Hollywood's most iconic couples. The pair's relationship was a bit of whirlwind, from a quick engagement to a seemingly shocking divorce. 

Here's a timeline of Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise's relationship. 

2001: Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman got divorced.

After almost a decade, the couple divorced . The pair had previously adopted two children, Connor and Isabella, who later joined the church of Scientology . 

Read More: Nicole Kidman opens up about loving her adopted children with ex-husband Tom Cruise despite them not talking to her

July 2004: Katie Holmes told a Seventeen reporter about her crush on Tom Cruise.

"I used to think that I was going to marry Tom Cruise," Holmes told a reporter for Seventeen magazine, who later wrote about the interview  and its possible significance in a Huffington Post op-ed. 

During this time, Katie Holmes was engaged to actor Chris Klein. 

March 2005: Holmes and Klein split.

According to People, Holmes and her then-fiancé Chris Klein ended their five-year relationship in 2005. 

April 2005: Holmes and Cruise stepped out as a couple for the first time.

A month after Holmes and Klein split, Holmes and Cruise make their first public appearance as a couple.

The two were photographed together in Rome where Cruise was receiving a David di Donatello Award for lifetime achievement. A source told People the pair had "been dating a couple of weeks." 

May 23, 2005: Cruise declared his love for Holmes during an appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

About a month after the two started dating, Cruise filmed one of his most well-known interviews ever. While on "Oprah,"  he jumped on the set's couch  to gush about Holmes.

Cruise said, "I'm in love. I'm in love and it's one of those things where you want to be cool, like, ‘Yeah I like her' … that's not how I feel." He added, "I wanted to meet this person and I met her and she's extraordinary."

June 13, 2005: Holmes said she's converting to Scientology.

At the "Batman Begins" premiere, Holmes told reporters that she was going to convert to Scientology .

In a separate interview with "W," she spoke a bit  about the process , saying, "You know, it's really exciting. I just started auditing and I'm taking some courses and I really like it. I feel like it's really helping."

June 16, 2005: Holmes and Cruise announced their engagement.

A few months after they began dating, the two got engaged . Cruise said he proposed with a teardrop-shaped ring at the Eiffel Tower in Paris. He announced their engagement the next day at a press conference for "War of the Worlds."

At the conference, a fairly quiet Holmes said the two planned to have children. 

October 6, 2005: The couple announced they were expecting.

A spokesperson for Cruise told People that Holmes was pregnant with the couple's first child together and the couple was "very excited."

April 18, 2006: Holmes gave birth to a baby girl.

Cruise's spokesperson announced that Holmes had given birth to a baby girl named Suri who was seven pounds and 20 inches long.

October 2006: Suri made her public debut.

Cruise and Holmes showed Suri off to the world on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine. The couple also shared details about their daughter's name. 

"We had the name before we found out [the gender of the baby] because we both thought the baby would be a girl," Cruise told Vanity Fair. He  said their daughter's name meant "red rose."

November 18, 2006: The couple got married in Italy.

Holmes and Cruise sealed the deal with a very lavish wedding in the 15th-century Odescalchi Castle in Bracciano, Italy. Holmes wore a Giorgio Armani gown and the two had a "double ring" Scientology wedding , as per People's report. 

January 2008: Cruise's Scientology indoctrination video went viral.

According to Gawker, a  Scientology indoctrination video featuring Cruise had leaked and spread across media outlets. The outlet described the video as "scary." 

He said, among other things, "When you're a Scientologist, and you drive by an accident, you know you have to do something about it, because you know you're the only one who can really help … We are the way to happiness. We can bring peace and unite cultures."

May 2010: Holmes put on a show for Cruise at a Hollywood benefit.

During the benefit, Holmes performed a seductive dance to the song "Whatever Lola Wants" from the musical "Damn Yankees." She danced around her husband while he did some of his own moves.

September 2010: Holmes gushed about Cruise in an interview and talked about future children.

In an interview with Marie Claire, Holmes described being married to Cruise as "really fun," saying, "It's an amazing life, but we always remind ourselves of how incredibly lucky we are."

When asked about the possibility of having more kids, she said "maybe in a couple of years," adding that she really just wanted to focus on Suri at the moment.

May 2012: Cruise raved about Holmes in an interview with Playboy.

In a "Playboy" interview, Cruise called Holmes "an extraordinary person," saying "if you spent five minutes with her, you'd see it." He added, "I'm just happy, and I have been since the moment I met her. What we have is very special."

June 2012: Cruise promoted "Rock of Ages" without Holmes by his side.

Many noticed when Holmes didn't appear next to her husband on the red carpet while he promoted his new film.

June 29, 2012: Holmes filed for divorce from Cruise.

In June, Holmes' team made a statement to People about how she was divorcing Cruise , who said he wasn't expecting it at all.

Holmes' attorney said, "This is a personal and private matter for Katie and her family. Katie's primary concern remains, as it always has been, her daughter's best interest."

Cruise's rep said, "Kate has filed for divorce and Tom is deeply saddened and is concentrating on his three children. Please allow them their privacy."

Holmes reportedly made calls about the divorce on a disposable cellphone and hired three law firms in three states, according to the Los Angeles Times. 

July 11, 2012: Lawyers for Cruise and Holmes announced they had reached a settlement on custody of Suri.

According to People, lawyers reached a very quick settlement only 11 days after the divorce was filed.  Holmes received primary custody of 6-year-old Suri and Cruise was granted visitation rights.

April 2013: Cruise admitted he had never expected the divorce.

During an interview with German TV network ProSieben, Cruise said he didn't expect Holmes to divorce him .

He described that time of his life as a "tragicomedy," and said, "To be 50 and to have experiences and to think you have a grip on everything ... and then it hits you: This is it, what life can do to you."

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Tom cruise and katie holmes: a timeline.

THR revisits the major milestones for the divorcing couple, dubbed "TomKat" by the media.

By Seth Abramovitch

Seth Abramovitch

Senior Writer

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Tom Cruise Katie Holmes 2009 - H 2012

From a childhood crush to hyperspeed courtship, parenthood and a storybook wedding, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes ‘ Hollywood romance seemed to defy all odds. But the fairytale ended today, with news that Holmes has filed for divorce from Cruise, short of their sixth anniversary. Here now is a chronology of major events in their high-profile, and ultimately doomed, relationship.

1980s According to later interviews, as a young girl growing up in Toledo, Ohio, Holmes always had a crush on Tom, her movie star idol.

October 2004 A year after she’d left her defining role as Joey Potter on Dawson’s Creek , Holmes gives an interview to Seventeen magazine, in which she says, “I think every little girl dreams about (her wedding). I used to think I was going to marry Tom Cruise.”

April 2005 Katie meets Tom for the first time, ostensibly regarding a role in Mission: Impossible 3 .

STORY: Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes Divorcing 

April 27, 2005 The couple makes their new love public by appearing together in Rome, where Cruise had traveled to receive a David di Donatello Award for lifetime achievement. Both had major films ( War of the Worlds and Batman Begins ) coming out around the time, leading many to speculate the romance was a publicity stunt.

May 23, 2005 Cruise appears on The Oprah Winfrey Show and declares his love for Holmes, prompting him to punch the floor, grab Winfrey’s hands and, most memorably, jump on her couch with joy. He also pulls Holmes out from backstage. The appearance instantly becomes infamous, known as Cruise’s “couch jumping” episode.

June 13, 2005 Holmes converts from Catholicism to the Church of Scientology.

June 16, 2005 The couple announce their engagement, just shy of eight weeks from having first met. Cruise proposed to Holmes in Paris at the Eiffel Tower at a restaurant on the Tower’s second floor. He does not get on one knee, but he presents her with a ring reportedly containing a five-carat yellow diamond. She says yes. No date is announced.

June 24, 2005 Cruise and Matt Lauer face off for a heated argument on The Today Show over comments Cruise made criticizing Brooke Shields for using the anti-depressant drug Paxil to battle postpartum depression. Cruise calls Lauer “glib” in his defense of psychiatry as a real branch of medicine.

October 6, 2005 The couple, dubbed TomKat by the media, announce they are expecting a child.

December 1, 2005 Cruise purchases a sonogram machine to track his baby’s development, eliciting a warning from The Food and Drug Administration saying private use of a sonogram violates the law.

April 18, 2006 At Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., Holmes gives birth to a baby girl weighing 7 pounds, 7 ounces. They name her Suri . A statement from the couple on the significance of the name says Suri “is a word with origins in both Hebrew and Persian. In Hebrew, it means ‘princess’ and in Persian, ‘red rose.’”

VIDEO: Tom Cruise on Becoming Stacee Jaxx in ‘Rock of Ages’ 

November 18, 2006 At a lavish affair at the 15th-century Odescalchi Castle in Bracciano, Italy, the couple wed. Holmes wore a Giorgio Armani gown featuring an ivory skil train adorned with lace and Swarovski beaded crystals. Cruise wore a navy-blue tuxedo, also by Armani. Celebrities in attendance include Will and Jada Pinkett Smith , Jim Carrey , Jenna Elfman , Victoria and David Beckham , Jennifer Lopez and then-husband Marc Anthony , Jerry Bruckheimer and JJ Abrams .

August 22, 2006 Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone announces that Paramount Pictures is ending its 14-year relationship with Cruise, citing the damage done by his various public controversies to his box office viability.

January 15, 2008 An internal Scientology video featuring Cruise discussing what the Church means to him is leaked onto Gawker.com, and instantly goes viral. The video inspires scores of parodies.

August 14, 2008 Tropic Thunder opens, in which Cruise wears heavy makeup and a fat suit to play Les Grossman, an obnoxious, hip-hop-loving studio executive. His performance earns positive reviews, and is seen as a step towards improving Cruise’s public image.

September 21, 2009 Suri is photographed by paparazzi wearing high heels.

June 15, 2012 Cruise plays against type again, starring as Stacee Jaxx, a hair-metal rock star in New Line’s Rock of Ages . The film underperforms, taking in $14.4 million at the box office in its opening weekend, giving it a third-place finish. Still, Cruise receives positive notices for his portrayal.

June 29, 2012 Holmes files for divorce from Cruise, making it the third divorce for him and her first. In a statement to the media, Cruise’s attorney calls it “a private matter” and that her primary concern is “her daughter’s best interest.” Cruise’s rep offers that the actor is “deeply saddened” about the news and is “concentrating on his three children.”

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A look back at tom cruise & katie holmes’ marriage & divorce in photos.

by Delilah Gray

Delilah Gray

Trending News Editor

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When people think of the 2000s, obviously, a lot comes to mind. Looking past the questionable fashion choices and our obsession with everything pink, everyone was really obsessed with the “It” couples of the decade: Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck , Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling, and, perhaps most of all, Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise (AKA TomKat), who married 16 years ago on November 18, 2006.

Let’s face it; whether you loved them or hated them, everyone was paying attention. Their whirlwind romance started in 2005, and within two months, they were ready to tie the knot . Then came love, marriage, and a baby carriage — just not in that order. Soon after they announced their engagement, they also announced they were expecting their daughter Suri Cruise .

They seemed like a simple, happy family, from their Italian fairytale wedding to their many smiling red-carpet appearances. But some people got a weird vibe, especially after Cruise’s Scientology activities went viral, and some worried Holmes was trapped in the marriage.

Then, after nearly six years of marriage, Holmes filed for divorce in 2012 — and everyone had so many questions. What was 2000s royalty became another celebrity divorce that broke our hearts.

Learn more about their turbulent relationship and divorce timeline, and see some photos of the pair together below.

A version of this article was originally published on Nov 2021. 

Love in Italy

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes got together in 2005 and made their love public while they were touring Italy. 

Wedding Bells

When Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes revealed their relationship, everyone thought it was a fairytale. When Holmes first got into the Hollywood scene in the early 2000s, she told Seventeen magazine in a now-deleted interview whom she saw herself marrying. Per Vogue , “I think every little girl dreams about (her wedding). I used to think I was going to marry Tom Cruise.” 

Packing On The PDA

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise weren’t afraid to pack on the PDA, wherever they were. 

Engagement Ring

Katie Holmes was proudly showing off the $1.5 million engagement ring Tom Cruise gave her after less than two months together. 

The War of the Worlds

Newly engaged couple Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were all smiles at the premiere of  The War of the Worlds  in 2005. 

Baby on Board

Tom Cruise was over-the-top with his love and excitement for every milestone he had with Katie Holmes. The media lost it when they announced they were expecting a baby. 

Sports Fanatics

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were very in love throughout their marriage, and one of their go-to activities together was to go to sports games. 

Perfect Day

On Nov 18, 2006, Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise had a star-studded wedding in a castle in Italy. 

The Big Day

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise wore Giorgio Armani ensembles, and everyone was obsessed with the iconic wedding. 

Suri’s Origin

The happy family frequently went to sports games, even when Suri Cruise was an infant. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes named their baby girl “Suri” because it means both “princess” and “red rose.” 

Mother-Daughter Duo From Day One

Suri Cruise has always been a momma’s girl and you couldn’t find a photo of Katie Holmes not holding onto Suri. 

Scientology Family

Soon after getting together, Katie Holmes converted to Scientology for Tom Cruise. 

NYC Marathon

Back in 2007, Katie Holmes finished the NYC Marathon. Tom and Suri Cruise were right there to show their support. 

Red Carpet Wonders

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes always brought their A-game with red carpet fashion. 

Baby No. 2?

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise were open to having more children in the future, according to Marie Claire. 

Happy Family

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes brought their daughter Suri wherever they went.

Word Travelers

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise went everywhere around the world together, frequently going to places like Japan, Germany, and Italy. 

Helping Hand

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes always showed up to a friend’s important day. In 2009, they showed their support for friend and former co-star Cameron Diaz, who was getting a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 

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Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, enter the Cort Theater to view the ‘Fences’ performance on Broadway out and about for CELEBRITY CANDIDS – TUESDAY, , New York, NY June 22, 2010. Photo By: Ray Tamarra/Everett Collection

Despite both being in multiple projects in 2010, Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise frequently set aside time for one another. 

Joined At The Hip

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise were always side-by-side during film premieres. 

“Very Special” Relationship

Tom Cruise raved about Katie Holmes whenever he could, even close to the end of their marriage. In a 2012 interview with Playboy , he said, “I’m just happy, and I have been since the moment I met her. What we have is very special.”  

Happy Red Carpet Couple

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise seemed happy as can be at the 2011 Golden Globes, even though they split only a year later.  

Smiling at the Oscars

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes went to the 2012 Vanity Fair Oscar party, which was one of their last appearances together before Holmes filed for divorce. Holmes filed due to fear of Tom Cruise abducting their child into the Church of Scientology. 

Tom & Suri

After filing for divorce, Katie Holmes won the custody battle for Suri against Tom Cruise. 

Katie & Suri Forever

Since their divorce in 2012, Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise have been one of the cutest mother-daughter duos we’ve ever seen 

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Inside Tom Cruise's Relationship With Katie Holmes

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were Hollywood's golden couple in the '00s. Though the pair, who share and daughter, had a star-studded wedding in Italy, their inevitable separation is one of the most speculated about celebrity relationship splits in Tinseltown. And while they've not been married for nearly a decade, their relationship came with much drama and eye-catching headlines.

In fact,  Vanity Fair notes that when many people talk about Cruise and Holmes' relationship now, Scientology is often brought into the conversation in some capacity. Nine years after their divorce, the Daily Star writes that fans are still asking questions about what went wrong, what role the Church of Scientology played in their relationship, and what kind of relationship do Cruise and Holmes really have now amid co-parenting Suri.

In an April 2020 interview, Holmes told InStyle, "You can get consumed by what people think, but suddenly you just decide to do things on your own terms. I feel like I'm finally figuring that out. I'm getting the projects I want made and just relaxing a little. I've been around for a long time, and I'm still here! I can't believe it."

Insider outlines that following their split, a lot of focus went into how the couple could separate while also looking after their daughter and taking her needs into account. While they were only married for six years, Holmes and Cruise's relationship has gone down in celebrity history.

Tom and Katie's union was a whirlwind romance

When you were growing up you had stars that you spent hours daydreaming you'd one day marry, right? Well, for Katie Holmes, that star was Tom Cruise, who is 17 years her senior. Reportedly, during a 2004 interview with Seventeen magazine, Holmes gushed, "I used to think that I was going to marry Tom Cruise."

The Daily Star reports that Cruise and Holmes didn't start dating until April 2005 following the end of his 11-year marriage to Nicole Kidman. However, after they started dating things started to move pretty quickly. Insider reports that just a couple of months after they'd started dating, Cruise gave an interview with Oprah Winfrey which has gone down in pop culture history as he jumped on the sofa and declared his love. Holmes also told W Magazine that she was converting to Scientology.

By June 2005, the couple announced their engagement, per The Hollywood Reporter . It's reported that he proposed at the Eiffel Tower in Paris. In October of the same year, they announced they were expecting their first child. In April 2006, Suri was born. In November of that year, the proud parents tied the knot in a star-studded ceremony in the 15th century Odescalchi Castle in Bracciano, Italy. People reported the event included the 20-minute "double ring" Scientology ceremony and the traditional Scientology wedding pledge.

Tom never expected to get divorced

During their six-year marriage, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes shared a lot of their lives in the press. In a 2010 interview with Marie Clare , Holmes spoke openly about her marriage. "It's an amazing life," the actress said, "but we always remind ourselves of how incredibly lucky we are." Holmes also revealed that the couple may have more children in the future.

So, when it was announced that Holmes had filed for divorce in 2012, it came as a shock to some fans. Cruise's publicist Amanda Lundberg told E! News, "Kate has filed for divorce and Tom is deeply saddened and is concentrating on his three children. Please allow them their privacy." As many know, Tom shares two children with ex-wife Nicole Kidman. 

Around that time,  Vanity Fair  conducted an investigation into the involvement of the Church of Scientology in Cruise's love life. The outlet reported that there was almost an audition process for people to become Cruise's partner before he was with Holmes. After she filed for divorce, Goalcast writes that the Church of Scientology wanted to keep proceedings internal but that isn't what Holmes opted for.

According to the LA Times, Holmes hired three law firms in three states and made calls about the divorce on a disposable cellphone. Fans followed proceedings closely and People reported that the divorce was settled in just 11 days with Holmes getting primary custody of Suri.

What's Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' relationship like now?

Following their separation, Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise have kept their private lives just that – to themselves. According to  InStyle , there were rumors that part of the couple's divorce settlement included Holmes not dating publicly for five years following their separation, however, there are no reports to substantiate this claim.

Harper's Bazaar reports that Holmes dated Jamie Foxx for six years before they split in May 2019. In September 2020 the Daily Mail reports that she'd moved on with chef Emilio Vitolo Jr.

By December of that year, the Sun speculated that Cruise had started to date his "Mission Impossible" co-star Hayley Atwell after they were pictured together holding hands. This is one of the first times that the press has speculated about Cruise's love life since his separation from Holmes.

While Holmes and Cruise have rarely spoken about their separation since their divorce, Holmes told InStyle, "People say you don't really know yourself until you're 40. I'm 41. I have seen things. I have experienced things. I know what I'm talking about, and I know that my feelings and my insights are worthy. I'm going to listen to myself instead of deferring to someone else. That's a big step as a human. It takes time."

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Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes: A Look Back at the Whirlwind Romance, High-Profile Marriage and, Of Course, Couch-Jumping

Wow. Would you think me naive for being shocked at the news of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes divorcing? (I can hear you yelling YES.) The thing is, they always seemed so gritted-teeth determined to PROVE they were in LOVE, I just kind of went along with it.

In any case, the five-year marriage--Katie's first, Tom's third--is kaput . (As of now, reports are alleging that Katie is seeking full custody of Suri.)

And if this divorce seems more world-rocking than other celeb splits, it's probably because their romance started off so oddly and so unbelievably high-profile. Let's take a look back--it's even more stunning now than it was then, how fast all of this happened.

2005: Weeks after Katie breaks off her engagement with longtime beau Chris Klein , Tom calls her out of nowhere and asks her out. Hmm.

Los Angeles, 12-08-04<br />

Here's one of the first shots of them in public:

Tom Cruise and his new fianc?e Katie Holmes arrived in Rome early in the morning on a private airplane from the U.S.A. The couple is staying in a suite in the Hassler Hotel, the same Hotel he visited during last vacation to Rome with Penelope Cruz before their split. Tom requested an enormous bunch of red roses and a ring for Katie. The couple only left the hotel for supper at the Piperno restaurant, another place that he frequented with Penelope Cruz.

Shortly afterwards, the couch-bounce seen round the world happens.

Then, in June, Tom proposes to Katie at the Eiffel Tower. (This is them the same month.)

April 2006: Suri is born...

Katie Holmes has given birth to a baby girl named Suri. Tom Cruise's fiancé gave birth on Tuesday morning, according to Cruise’s publicist Paul Bloch. Despite speculation the actress would have her child at home in Cruise's heavily-guarded Beverly Hills mansion, the star was admitted to hospital to give birth under the supervision of a team of doctors. According to Paul Bloch: “Both mother and baby are doing well.” The 27-year-old Batman Begins star became pregnant in June, just six months after meeting Cruise, 43. They announced their engagement in France after Tom popped the question on the top of the Eiffel tower. In the days leading up to the birth, a hugely-pregnant looking Holmes has been making almost daily shopping trips to expensive boutiques in Beverly Hills, picking up designer shoes, handbags and last minute baby items. She was last seen in public three days ago, on April 15, when she was driven to Maxfield's in West Hollywood. FILE PIC-Superstar Tom Cruise and his very pregnant fiancee actress Katie Holmes are all smiles as they arrive at Beverly Hills High School to see Tom's daughter Isabella play in her championship basketball match today. Isabella is part of the Duke's Blue Devils girls basketball side who were playing a finals match. After the game, Isabella was presented with a trophy for her part in getting the team to the finals. Isabella's adopted brother Conor was also present to cheer his sister to victory and is photographed wearing a skull cap similar to the one his father was wearing.

Pictured: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes

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And not seen in public until October, when she makes her debut with her parents on the cover of Vanity Fair .

Source: sudarikova.com via Anya on Pinterest

November 2006: The couple marries in Bracciano, Italy.

Source: google.com via Sandra on Pinterest

2007: Really, this haircut was practically a third member of the relationship. Attention must be paid.

Katie Holmes shows off new hairstyle in Duesseldorf. She appeared with Tom Cruise at the Bambi Awards.

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Picture by: Schroewig / Splash News

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2008: The whole family in New York.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes and daughter Suri out and about in NYC.

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Picture by: Jackson Lee/Andrew Rocke/Splash

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2009: At the Berlin premiere of Valkyrie .

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes attend the German premiere "Valkyrie" in Berlin, Germany on January 20, 2009.<br />

2010: Tom, Cruise and Suri on a trip to Prague.

Actor Tom Cruise and wife actress Katie Holmes headed out for a lovely Italian meal in Prague, Czech Republic on September 21, 2010 with their four-year-old daughter Suri and her buggy. Tom has brough his family along for the location scout that he has taken upon himself to find the best locations for the fourth Mission Impossible film for which Tom is not only the lead actor but also apart of the writer and production team on the film. Little Suri decided she was tired of pushing her cart around and had Dad give her a lift while mom took on the toys. RESTRICTIONS APPLY: USA ONLY

March 2011: Katie files a $50 million lawsuit against Star magazine, which had claimed that she was a drug addict and couldn't leave Tom because of her addiction. Her suit states that "[Katie] has no intention of leaving her husband, and is not prevented from doing so by any drug addiction." [ via TMZ ]

February 2012: Tom and Katie at the Vanity Fair Oscar party--their last red carpet appearance together, as far as I can tell from the photo wires.

February 26, 2012: Katie Holmes, Tom Cruise attending 2012 Vanity Fair Oscar Party at Sunset Towers in Los Angeles, California. Mandatory Credit: INFphoto.com Ref: infukyo-01|sp|NO UK, NO GERMANY.

June 2012: Katie and Suri have been bopping around New York for the last week without Tom.

Suri Cruise shows a wide range of expressions as she walks with Katie Holmes in NYC.

Pictured: Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise

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Picture by: Jackson Lee / Splash News

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A Timeline of All of Katie Holmes's Relationships

The Dawson's Creek star has a full roster of famous exes.

Katie Holmes has stolen the hearts of not only her fans, but also many men over the years. Recently, the Dawson's Creek star went public with her current boyfriend, Bobby Wooten III , the Grammy-nominated composer she's been happily dating since early April. But before their romance, the actress had a string of famous partners, engagements, and breakups. Here, we've rounded up Holmes's most notable partners, including ex-husband Tom Cruise, New York chef Emilio Vitolo Jr., and actor Chris Klein.

Joshua Jackson

The actress first found love on the set of her hit TV series, Dawson's Creek, with costar Joshua Jackson. Back in 1998, Holmes told Rolling Stone , "I met somebody last year. I fell in love, and it was something so incredible and indescribable that I will treasure it always … and that I feel so fortunate because he's now one of my best friends."

The two called it quits in 1999, after the first season of their show aired, but stayed close friends.

Chris Klein

The Batman Begins star met American Pie actor Chris Klein in the early 2000s. Both running in the same red-carpet circle, the two hit it off and began dating in 2003. About a year later, the couple announced their engagement.

While the two were engaged, Holmes said in an interview with Seventeen , "I used to think that I was going to marry Tom Cruise." Holmes and Klein called things off in early 2005—and the Top Gun heartthrob noticed.

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise became hot and heavy quickly, and were extremely public at the beginning of their relationship in the spring of 2005. After just eight weeks together, the couple got engaged, and later that year, they announced that they were expecting a child together. The two tied the knot seven months after the birth of their daughter, Suri Cruise —now 16—in November of 2006.

Cruise gushed over Holmes in an interview with Playboy in May of 2012, saying, "She is an extraordinary person … when she walks into the room, I just feel better." That same summer, after six years of marriage, Holmes filed for divorce.

Following her divorce in 2012, Holmes became very reserved about her love life and had a private six-year relationship with actor Jamie Foxx. In October of 2013, Foxx told Entertainment Tonight that the rumors were "one hundred percent not true," but two years later, in 2015, they were spotted holding hands.

Their next public appearance was in 2017, and they made more outings together after that, as seen photographed here at the 2019 Met Gala. However, the two split just weeks after the event, in May of 2019.

Emilio Vitolo Jr.

In September of 2020, the actress was seen in Manhattan with chef Emilio Vitolo Jr. Their relationship was much more public than her previous romance, with multiple instances of the couple's PDA on display while out and about. On one occasion, Holmes was spotted sitting on the chef's lap while they kissed at a restaurant in New York.

The romance, however, didn't last. The two had a drama-free breakup just eight months later, in May of 2021.

Bobby Wooten III

Finally, we have made it to Katie Holmes's current beau, musician Bobby Wooten III . The two were first seen together this past April and have made several public appearances together since then, including at the Tribeca Film Festival in June and The Moth's Anniversary Gala in May. Wooten was also seen meeting Holmes's mother, Kathy Holmes, this spring in New York City.

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I Love You With All My Hype

By Mireya Navarro

• May 22, 2005

LOS ANGELES - THEY smooch and hug as cameras snap. Friends enthusiastically report: "It's true! They're smitten!" Their publicists confirm it is the real deal. But when celebrity magazines asked the public to weigh in on the latest high-octane Hollywood pairing -- Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, the former star of "Dawson's Creek" -- the cynics crushed the dewy-eyed. "Publicity stunt," said 62 percent of respondents to a People magazine's poll. "P.R.," echoed 65 of 100 people questioned at random by Us Weekly at Rockefeller Center.

Mr. Cruise and Ms. Holmes may very well be head over heels, but they should not be surprised that even the most star-struck fan seems to be having trouble embracing their romance, say chroniclers of Hollywood and others who cover or work in the entertainment industry. Through all the changes that have swept Hollywood over the years, one thing still endures: strategic love.

The coupling of stars to create ballyhoo for a movie, burnish an actor's image, create a name or distract attention from other relationships may not be as common as when the movie studios tightly controlled stars' careers through the 1950's, some publicists and film industry experts assert. But it is still the easiest way to grab flattering publicity.

And when it comes to celebrity news, it hardly gets any bigger than a love connection involving a superstar like Mr. Cruise. After appearing together in public for the first time late last month, cuddling and smooching at a film awards ceremony in Italy, the instant couple -- they had met only weeks earlier -- made the covers of the Big Three: Us Weekly, Star and People. The articles mentioned that each had a film coming out shortly: "The War of the Worlds" for Mr. Cruise and "Batman Begins" for Ms. Holmes.

That coincidence, along with the flood of details about the liaison that emerged in the celebrity magazines -- Mr. Cruise, 42, had phoned Ms. Holmes, 26, out of the blue; on their first date he served her sushi in his private jet cruising over Los Angeles -- has fanned the skepticism of an audience schooled to expect secretiveness from trysting stars, not to mention celebrities who stage reality television shows to hype themselves.

"Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise is sudden and strange," said Janice Min, the editor in chief of US Weekly. "But I do think it is real, and I've had people in the office laugh at me."

Even if today's savvier fan may smell a rat, the temptation of being in the know is hard to resist. In the cases of outright romantic convenience, said Stephen M. Silverman, a biographer of film directors who is the news editor of People.com, the Web site of People magazine, "the basis for doing it remains the same, to get publicity. But today you have the extra added attraction that the public is celebrity crazy, whether it's with cynicism or adoration."

Romance, Mr. Silverman said, usually trumps almost any other private endeavor as news. "Angelina Jolie is doing serious humanitarian work." he said, "but the Brad Pitt connection gets more coverage. I go to dinner parties with very sophisticated people and they say, 'So, what's going on with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt?"'

Chris Doherty, the president of INF, a photo agency in New York that handles paparazzi and celebrity event photographers, said that with the high number of outlets vying for images, stars seeking publicity no longer need to appear at official events ; a couple can just walk down a street holding hands. "If they want it to happen," he said, "it's not that difficult."

Whether the coupling is real or fake, Mr. Doherty said, is difficult to judge. Publications often ask "the circumstances under which the pictures were taken," he said. "Did it look like they were acting? They'll ask us if they saw the photographer. If they didn't see the photographer, you can pretty much read into that that the pictures were candid."

But, he said, in the case of hot couples like Mr. Pitt and Ms. Jolie, any questioning is almost irrelevant. "Everybody wanted a picture after his breakup with Jennifer Aniston," Mr. Doherty said.

Phony pairings, film historians say, used to be concocted by studios to promote a movie. In the days of the studio system for example. the publicity machine often helped convince fans that stars appearing on screen together were an item. The movie "Singin' in the Rain" spoofed this, by having the actress believe the publicity even though her ardent on screen partner loathed her. In other cases, phony pairings were arranged to mask a secret, perhaps adulterous, affair, and, in cases like that of Rock Hudson, to hide homosexuality. Tab Hunter, a heartthrob in the 1950's, said he was a frequent companion of Natalie Wood at the request of Warner Brothers, which had both stars under contract. They would attend parties to promote films like "The Burning Hills" even though he was gay -- not publicly at the time -- and she was still in her teens, he said.

"Once the machine got rolling, it was quite powerful, and the press carries it one step beyond," he said in an interview last week. "They reported it every way: 'Natalie is in love,' 'Natalie has lots of boyfriends, and Tab is No.1.' All that nonsense. She really loved R.J. Wagner."

Mr. Hunter, who at 73 plans to release an autobiography this fall, "Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star," in which he talks about his homosexuality and romance with Anthony Perkins, said he went along with the stunts because he considered it part of his job.

Today celebrities are responsible for marketing themselves and some go further than others in using their personal life as headline fodder.

"You have a lot of people," said one Hollywood publicist, who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect the privacy of his clients, "who think it's a good thing to be on the cover of these magazines, and the healthiest way to do that is romance. You don't want to be on the cover for a criminal act or a divorce."

But other publicists insisted they would never seek to draw attention to a client's personal life. Once you open that door, one publicist said, "you can't get that privacy back."

Exposure does not come without risks. With more news media competition, there is less control over coverage or ability to protect the stars as the studios once did, some film experts say.

Take Ms. Holmes. Three weeks ago pictures showed her radiant and beautifully styled with Mr. Cruise in Rome. Last week the tabloids and glossies showed her in unflattering close-ups with a skin rash around her mouth. ("Katie's Lip Malfunction," read the US Weekly headline.)

Celebrities these days also risk reaching a point of saturation with the public just as fast as the romance. "There are very few secrets anymore," said A. Scott Berg, who has written books about Katharine Hepburn and the studio mogul Samuel Goldwyn.

In the old days "the audience never got tired of the star," he said. Or at least it took a lot longer. "Clark Gable seemed fascinating all his life because there wasn't so much information about him," said Mr. Berg, who has won the Pulitzer Prize for biography. "Today you're on television all the time."

Movie studios are not crazy about overexposed, off-screen couplings, said Peter Sealey, a former president for marketing and distribution for Columbia Pictures, who is an adjunct professor at the University of California, Berkeley. He said love relationships do not significantly affect ticket sales and can interfere with the suspension of disbelief that is still the goal for most movies.

"If you co-mingle external reality and fantasy, fantasy loses," he said, citing the relentless stories about Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck preceding the release of their movie "Gigli," which flopped.

Mr. Sealey said that while stars may personally benefit from the higher profile a new love may bring -- staged or otherwise -- movies live or die on word of mouth, and "you want the focus on the movie."

"You got to see it," he said, should be the response of the audiences, and not, "'They seem to be happy together."'

A lot of stars do fall in love on the set, making for such legendary pairings as Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, and Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. "You have beautiful people who have libidos and are off on location for months at a time," Mr. Sealey said. "What do you think its going to happen?"

And some improbable relationships -- Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore -- seem to pan out as well. But Mr. Cruise and Ms. Holmes seem to have raised a number of red flags. In addition to their age difference and seeming to have little in common -- one report noted she had first been smitten when she saw "Risky Business" as a child -- they seem to be chasing the paparazzi, instead of seeking privacy.

"Isn't romance a kind of exclusive focus on one person to the exclusion of the outside world?" asked Leo Braudy, the author of "The Frenzy of Renown: Fame and Its History" and a professor of film history at the University of Southern California. "If you are carrying out your romance in public, there'll be some cynicism about your motives."

Publicists for the couple did not return calls, but in an interview with "Access Hollywood" scheduled to be broadcast tomorrow (with excerpts available on the show's Web site) Mr. Cruise, the former husband of Nicole Kidman, explained why he has been less inhibited than usual. "I'm not going to hide it," he said. "I am so happy, and I am not going to pretend or hide it or be shy. This woman is magnificent."

People may snicker, some noted, but they will still watch. "It doesn't mean that they don't want to see the pictures of them kissing," said Mr. Doherty, the photo agency executive. "It's all part of the show."

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Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’s Relationship Timeline: The Way They Were

Out of the spotlight. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' marriage — and subsequent split — has been a major topic of conversation over the years. The couple first sparked dating speculation after they were seen on a trip to Europe together in 2005. Following a whirlwind romance, Cruise and Holmes got engaged later that year before welcoming their daughter in 2006. During their courtship, the Abandon star confirmed that she was going to convert to Scientology. "You know, it's really exciting," Holmes told W Magazine in 2005 about the controversial religion. "I just started auditing and I'm taking some courses and I really like it. I feel like it's really helping." The Dawson's Creek alum exchanged vows with the Top Gun: Maverick star in 2006, shortly after they expanded their family. Cruise and Holmes shocked fans when they announced their separation in June 2012 after five years of marriage. At the time, a source exclusively told Us Weekly that the Batman Begins actress was "very happy" that she could "move on and finally live her life." Less than one year later, the Oscar nominee noted in an interview that that he "didn't expect" his ex to file for divorce in 2012. Holmes, for her part, opened up about making plans to return to her acting career. "Even early on, when I was a young actor and all of a sudden people knew who I was, my dad told me, 'Don't let that change how you live your life.' I've always sort of approached it that way," she detailed to DuJour magazine in 2014. "You have to continue to do the things you want to do and not let outside forces dictate." The New York native continued: "I think I've gotten more comfortable with acting over time. Early on, I could never get out of my head. I'd be thinking, 'I have to get the job.' And even when I had the job, I was afraid that I was going to get fired, or I just had the mentality of, 'I need to be good enough.'" Holmes said she was looked forward to getting to explore her passion again, saying, "But the more projects you do, the older you get, the more life experience you get, you start to understand storytelling better. So you're a little bit more confident going in. You're not afraid of getting fired: You just want to contribute." The Miss Meadows star clarified that she didn't blame her marriage for her career hiatus. "It's the life of an actor. We don't really have a lot of choice in the matter. You have dry spells, and then you have times when there is a lot of opportunity," she concluded. Nearly a decade after ending her marriage, Holmes opened up about the challenges of being a single mother. "That time was intense," she recalled to InStyle in April 2020. "It was a lot of attention, and I had a little child on top of it. [We] had some funny moments out and about in public. ... I feel like I can be more creative and have more time, have my voice." Holmes dated Jamie Foxx from 2013 to 2019. She was later linked to chef Emilio Vitolo and Bobby Wooten III. Cruise, for his part, previously sparked romance rumors with Hayley Atwell but has remained tight-lipped about his personal life.Sign up for Us Weekly's free, daily newsletter and never miss breaking news or exclusive stories about your favorite celebrities, TV shows and more! Scroll down to relive Cruise and Holmes' relationship:

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The Real Truth About Tom Cruise And Katie Holmes' Break-Up

There's no end to news about Tom Cruise. Some of it's great, like the fact that "Top Gun: Maverick" was his first movie to gross over $100 million on its opening weekend . Nicely done. And some of the news is a little more exciting and sometimes bizarre. Some of the more disturbing things about Cruise's life have to do with his involvement in the Church of Scientology. He's also not a bit shy to take on studio executives if he feels he has a better way of doing things. For example, when Paramount proposed a release plan for "Maverick" that would bring it to a streaming platform after only 45 days in theaters, Cruise allegedly showed up with a lawyer and insisted on a three-month theater showing.

On a more badass level, Cruise can freak out his family and friends with his insistence on doing his own stunts , some of which are outright dangerous. In 2021, when Cruise was filming "Mission: Impossible 8," fans got footage of him strapped to a 1941 Boeing B75N1 Stearman biplane, The Sun reports, and the plane flipped and nosedived while Cruise was on the wing. Clearly, there are no stuntmen required for these projects!

But perhaps most exciting of all is Cruise's relationship history and, as far as we know, no stuntmen were hired for these gigs either. He's certainly made an impression because all of his exes had things to say about time spent dating him. But of all of these exes, Katie Holmes might have the most to say.

The strange selection process for Tom Cruise's girlfriends

Before Katie Holmes came onto the scene, Tom Cruise had an unusual way of finding love. As Maureen Orth reported for Vanity Fair in 2012, the Church of Scientology had a way of vetting women to fill the role of Cruise's girlfriend. Apparently, Cruise's adherence to the church was a source of tension in two of his previous relationships with Mimi Rogers and Nicole Kidman. "There were allegations and counter-allegations about fidelity, but the central problem was Nicole did not want to deal with Scientology," a source told Vanity Fair.

Allegedly, A-listers like Sofia Vergara had been scouted but turned down the offer. Brendan Tighe, a former Scientologist, said on " Megyn Kelly Today " that Scarlet Johansson had apparently tried out for the role, a comment that garnered a response from the actor herself.

"The very idea of any person auditioning to be in a relationship is so demeaning," Johansson said in a statement, per a later publication by Vanity Fair . "I refuse for anyone to spread the idea that I lack the integrity to choose my own relationships. Only a man, a.k.a. Brendan Tighe, would come up with a crazy story like that." Orth reported on the experience of actor and activist Nazanin Boniadi as she was scouted and molded by Scientology, which included the encumbrances of being constantly accompanied by handlers. Boniadi was also never allowed to criticize the church. It didn't last, but it sure gave a heads up for what Katie Holmes was in for.

How an article for Seventeen changed everything

Of all things, it was an interview that set things in motion between Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise. In 2004, Holmes was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, after playing Joey Potter on "Dawson's Creek" and engaged to actor Chris Klein, per HuffPost . She was interviewed by Deb Baer for "Seventeen" magazine and was, naturally, being asked about upcoming wedding plans. Holmes quite innocently said, "I think every little girl dreams about (her wedding). I used to think I was going to marry Tom Cruise," (via The Hollywood Reporter ).

The behind-the-scenes workings of the Church of Scientology are unknown, but sure enough, six months after the article hit the press, Holmes and Klein broke off their engagement. Shortly after, Homes was introduced to Cruise on the pretext that there might be a part for her in "Mission: Impossible 3." However it happened, Holmes' admission of her childhood crush on that fateful day set the wheels in motion.

Baer later lamented her interview with Holmes in an op-ed for HuffPost, where she admitted that Holmes struck her as overly trusting and far too idealistic to see a relationship with Cruise for what it really was. "She was ridiculously easy prey," Baer wrote, noting that Holmes was young enough that she was still easily "starstruck" and lonely. "Once Katie was firmly in Tom's clutches, sometimes I'd lay awake at night, tossing and turning realizing that the quote I'd gotten from her at the first interview probably ruined the poor girl's life," Baer ominously wrote.

The couch-jumping episode

It's not every relationship that gets a defining moment that involves Oprah Winfrey. Maybe Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are one of the few other couples who can compete with such an illustrious milestone. For Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise, it came via the infamous couch episode. It was in 2005 and Cruise was wild in the interview, throwing around power poses, fit pumps, and athletic arm swings. "Something happened to you, something happened to you," Winfrey repeated. "I'm in love," Cruise told the audience with a radiant smile, followed by the actor taking a knee and giving another low fist pump.

"We've never seen you behave this way before," Winfrey said. It was after this comment that Cruise jumped on the couch. Hey, we've always known he's done his own stunts. It was as erratic and enthusiastic as anyone could imagine but Winfrey, being the pro she is, took it in stride. Cruise then ran backstage to get Holmes, who was 26 at the time, and brought her out in front of the audience. She continued to hug Cruise and looked charmingly shy.

Cruise was supposed to be promoting his 2005 film "War of the Worlds," directed by Stephen Spielberg and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Needless to say, the production company wasn't overly pleased,  The New York Times noted, when any talk of the upcoming film was completely derailed by Cruise's antics. No one remembered a movie after that.

Suri Cruise was born in silence

Tom Cruise didn't get down on one knee when he proposed to Katie Holmes in Paris in June 2005. The two dined at one of the restaurants in the Eiffel Tower, The Hollywood Reporter notes, and it was here that Cruise asked her. While Holmes didn't get a traditional, kneeling proposal, she did get a five-carat yellow diamond ring by famed jeweler Fred Leighton.

In October 2005, the couple broke the news that they were expecting a baby. In an interview with Barbara Walters for her special "The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2005," he admitted that he made a big, baby-related purchase. "I bought a sonogram machine," Cruise said, (via People). "I am gonna donate it to a hospital when we are done," he added, admitting that he was going to perform the sonograms himself. The news was worrying to many doctors, a later article by NBC News noted, stating that such procedures should be performed by a trained professional.

Thankfully, everything went off without a hitch and daughter Suri was born on April 18, 2006 in Santa Monica, California. But there was one unusual detail. Holmes had to deliver Suri in silence. The unusual requirement hailed from Cruise's belief in Scientology, where founder L. Ron Hubbard stated that words and sounds created by pain were harmful to both the mother and the baby, Today notes. We wonder what Holmes thought of this belief.

Katie's parents were upset about the relationship

While Tom Cruise was jumping on Oprah Winfrey's couch, Katie Holmes' parents were allegedly a lot more skeptical about the budding relationship. When it came to Holmes and Cruise's 2006 wedding at the Odescalchi Castle in Italy, the Mirror notes, it was rumored that her parents were going to skip the wedding because they were so disappointed in the pending nuptials. They may have been worried about Cruise himself but they were also upset about Holmes' religious shift. She had been Catholic but dipped into the waters of Scientology, since it was a must in becoming Cruise's leading lady. As Catholics, they felt they could not attend a Scientology wedding.

Her father, lawyer Marty Holmes, wasn't one to have his leadership contested. "Marty is very rigid — it's his way or the highway," an insider told People . However, whatever differences her parents felt, they put it aside, at least for her rehearsal dinner. "It didn't take much time before I realized this Tom guy was a special guy — that he loved Katie, that he cared for her and supported her," Holmes' father said in a speech, per People. "Tom expressed his love many different ways — I like that. I respect men who are not afraid to show their feelings. I respect Tom for the commitment he has made to provide happiness and love to Katie." While they might not have loved her choice in partner, they at least stood by their daughter for part of the ostentatious events.

Why there were red flags at their wedding

Despite the fact that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes had a $3.5 million dollar wedding at the Odescalchi Castle in Lazio, Italy, there were some unusual moments about their big day. With all of the guests assembled and Cruise waiting at the front, Holmes kept everyone waiting for an uncomfortably long time. Leah Rimini, a Scientologist at the time, later wrote in her book "Troublemaker," that Cruise stood there smiling "for the next twenty minutes (but what seemed like an eternity)." Rimini also wrote that Holmes and Cruise asked her to invite Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony to the wedding, since Rimini was friends with them, per Vulture .

The wedding was, unsurprisingly, a ceremony of Scientology and, as the Mirror reports, some of the vows were a little unusual. "Girls need clothes and food, tender happiness and frills, a pan, a comb, a cat," Cruise allegedly said to Holmes as part of his vows in a way of promising to provide for her during their marriage.

Besides some of the more unusual moments, the wedding was also lavish and magical. Giorgio Armani designed both of Holmes' dresses for the day, as well as Suri's dress, per People . When asked who was responsible for the whimsy of the evening, a guest said, "It was all Katie. It was the wedding every little girl dreams of." It definitely sounds like it was unreal. "It was so beyond what your mind could compute," Remini said.

People noticed that Katie started acting robotic

While Katie Holmes looked blissed out at her wedding, people started to notice a change in her during her marriage to Tom Cruise. No doubt, the stringent requirements of a life in Scientology meant that Holmes was constantly monitored. As Maureen Orth reported for Vanity Fair , Cruise and Holmes were always surrounded by handlers, even in their own home. On top of that, Holmes had to re-start her own life so it would fit in Cruise's world. "Holmes disappeared for a couple weeks after she and Cruise met, and she distanced herself from old friends," Orth wrote. Orth also noted that in 2010, she sat with Holmes and Cruise at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, where the couple was bombarded by fans throughout the entire meal. "My goodness," Orth addressed Holmes, "if this is what you go through here, what must it be like when you go outside?" Holmes replied, "Oh, we don't go outside very much."

Deb Baer, who interviewed Holmes for that famous "Seventeen" article that started it all later wrote of what she observed in Holmes throughout her marriage to Cruise. "I'd see her on Letterman or Leno, robotically calling Tom amazing for the 400th time and think, that is NOT the down-to-earth girl I met," Baer wrote for the HuffPost .

Jenna Miscavige Hill, daughter to Scientology powerhouse David Miscavige, later wrote in support of Holmes by sharing her own experience, per The Hollywood Reporter . "My experience in growing up in Scientology is that it is both mentally and at times physically abusive," she wrote.

If you or someone you know is dealing with spiritual abuse , you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website .

Tom Cruise didn't see their divorce coming

On June 29, 2012, Katie Holmes filed for divorce from Tom Cruise after five years of marriage, a move that allegedly blindsided Cruise, according to The Hollywood Reporter . "I didn't expect it," Cruise admitted to the German network ProSieben (via CBS News ). "Life is a tragicomedy. You need to have a sense of humor," he added. News of the divorce landed right before Cruise's 50th birthday. "To be 50 and to have experiences and to think, you have a grip on everything, and then it hits you: This is it, what life can do to you," Cruise added.

Despite Cruise's brave attitude, TMZ reported that both Cruise and Holmes were seen wearing their wedding rings after the divorce filing. Allegedly, Cruise's two children, whom he adopted with ex-wife Nicole Kidman, Connor Cruise and Isabella Cruise, stayed close by his side during the experience. "Kate has filed for divorce and Tom is deeply saddened and is concentrating on his three children. Please allow them their privacy to work this out," a rep for Cruise stated.

Meanwhile, Holmes' attorney, Jonathan Wolfe, released a statement as well, according to People . "This is a personal and private matter for Katie and her family," Wolfe said. "Katie's primary concern remains, as it always has been, her daughter's best interest." Despite the big changes to come to both of their lives, reports aired that Holmes was photographed in New York looking happy and relieved.

Why Scientology factored into their split

After the news broke about Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise's divorce, Cruise admitted that a major reason for their divorce was Scientology. Radar  got access to Cruise's deposition, which was eye opening when it came to the actor's religion and the impact it had. Lawyers asked Cruise if Holmes left in order to protect their daughter, Suri, from Scientology. "Listen, I find that question offensive," Cruise heatedly responded. "I find it, those statements offensive. Like with any relationship, there are many different levels to it. You know, I, I find it very offensive. There is no need to protect my daughter from my religion."

Cruise relinquished a little during the deposition. A lawyer asked him, "And Ms. Holmes has never indicated in any way that was one of the reasons she left you? ...To protect Suri from Scientology?" Cruise replied, "Did she say that? That was one of the assertions, yes." When asked if Suri was currently practicing Scientology, Cruise said that she wasn't.

Jenna Miscavige Hill, a former Scientologist, told The Hollywood Reporter that she understood Holmes' decision to protect Suri. "As a mother myself, I offer my support to Katie and wish for her all the strength she will need to do what is best for her and her daughter," Miscavige Hill said in a statement. Holmes asked for sole custody of their daughter, so clearly she wanted to make sure that she was in charge of parenting.

Finances after their divorce

It was very advantageous for Katie Holmes that her father, Marty Holmes, was a lawyer and one who really went to bat for his daughter when she divorced Tom Cruise. Marty, of course, wasn't the only lawyer on Holmes' side, but he was a key one. In fact, he had brought his legal talent to his daughter's aid even before her wedding. He had negotiated her prenup with Cruise, a document that "reportedly filled five bankers' boxes," Vanity Fair notes. It was shrewd planning on his part. "Because of it, when Katie Holmes made her bombshell announcement late last June that she was divorcing Tom Cruise, the case was able to be resolved in a mere 11 days," the outlet noted.

Interestingly though, Holmes didn't make out with as much money as one might have expected, considering Cruise's net worth of $600 million, per Celebrity Net Worth . Cruise only gave Homes $400,000 a year for child support, which will end when Suri turns 18, according to TMZ , totaling $4.8 million. Cruise was also made responsible for any other expenses, including medical costs, related to Suri.

There was considerable speculation as to why Holmes settled for so little. As CafeMom hypothesized, Holmes was able to maintain more autonomy in how she chose to raise Suri, including schools, because it would give Cruise less control over. Had Holmes gotten more money from Cruise, he would have had more say, which might have included an education in Scientology for Suri.

How Katie started to thrive after her divorce

There was something remarkable about watching Katie Holmes after her divorce from Tom Cruise. She moved to New York City with her daughter, Suri, and friends told InStyle that Holmes was a resurrected woman, up for all that the city had to offer and eager for new adventures. "I feel like I can be more creative and have more time, have my voice," Holmes told InStyle. "It's sort of, like, just put your stuff out there and be yourself. It takes a while to be comfortable, though." Holmes admitted that she's never felt so creative and so peaceful at the same time. "You can get consumed by what people think, but suddenly you just decide to do things on your own terms," Holmes added. "I feel like I'm finally figuring that out. I'm getting the projects I want made and just relaxing a little."

Holmes found love again too with actor Jamie Foxx. The only problem was that Holmes had, as Radar  reported, signed an agreement in her divorce settlement that she wouldn't date anyone publicly for five years after her split from Cruise. On top of that, Holmes was forbidden to introduce any new love interests to Suri. Foxx and Holmes began dating in 2013 but ended up splitting after six years, People notes. However, the relationship was an emotional breakthrough for Holmes. "I don't have any fear now, I don't have a lot of rules for myself, and I don't take myself that seriously," she told People in 2014.

Tom Cruise's relationship with his children today

Tom Cruise shares two children with ex Nicole Kidman. The couple adopted Connor and Isabella Cruise, whom he remains connected to still. Isabella, who goes by Bella, is an artist and social media shy, though she does have an Instagram account where she showcases her art. Bella is still a member of Scientology and married Max Parker in London, according to the Daily Mail . Neither Cruise nor Kidman attended her wedding, which naturally led to speculation that her relationship had frayed with her parents. But she later cleared the air. "Of course [we talk], they're my parents," Bella told the Daily Mail. "Anyone who says otherwise is full of s**t."

Conner, who was born in 1995, has a few film credits under his belt and works as a DJ but, like his sister, he's media shy and rarely posts photos with his parents. However, in 2019, Conner and Cruise were photographed together in London, according to People , where they bonded over a private helicopter. Cruise learned how to fly choppers for "Mission: Impossible" because... of course he did.

As far as Cruise's relationship goes with daughter Suri, whom he shares with Katie Holmes, there's less evidence of a bond. In fact, as Hollywood Life notes, Cruise and Suri haven't been photographed together since 2012. "As challenging as things have become for him and his daughter, he still loves her," a source told the outlet in 2019 and added that Cruise hopes to rekindle the relationship.

Who else they've dated since their divorce

Tom Cruise started dating British actor Hayley Atwell in 2020 when they met on the set of "Mission: Impossible 7," where they filmed together in London and Rome. An insider on production told The Sun that they were a great pair. "Tom and Hayley hit it off from day one," the source said. "They've been meeting up after hours, and she's been to his London pad. They get on brilliantly, and both seem very happy." Atwell was even at the premiere for Cruise's next film, "Top Gun: Maverick."

However, things got rocky between the two and they split once, reconciled, got back together, and split again. In June 2022, they had called it quits, a later publication by The Sun reports. There was no evidence that Scientology was a factor in their breakup.

Meanwhile, Katie Holmes found love after Jamie Foxx with chef Emilio Vitolo but after eight months, they split in May 2021, per Us Weekly . Holmes then began dating musician Bobby Wooten III, who is ten years her junior, Page Six notes. They seem to have quite the New York romance and have been photographed smooching in Central Park and walked the red carpet at the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2022 for Holme's film "Alone Together." Their relationship continues to be a delightful hit and Holmes looks happy. She's come a long way since that Seventeen article.

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20 Timeless Facts About Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ Love Story

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1. tom and katie’s love story began in april 2005 when they first met.

2. In May 2005, Tom Cruise famously professed his love for Katie Holmes on “ The Oprah Winfrey Show “

3. tom and katie tied the knot on november 18, 2006, in a grand scientology ceremony in italy.

Kathryn Decker-Krauth , CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

4. Suri Cruise, the couple’s only child, was born on April 18, 2006

5. tom cruise’s affiliation with scientology has been a consistent aspect of his life.

Kevin Ballard , CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

6. The couple was under constant media scrutiny, with paparazzi documenting every outing and family event

7. tom and katie frequently graced the red carpet together, showcasing their affection for each other.

Angela George , CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

8. Both Cruise and Holmes managed to balance their thriving careers while navigating the challenges of parenthood

9. tom cruise, known for his roles in iconic films like “ top gun ” and the “ mission: impossible ” series.

Gage Skidmore , CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

10. Before Katie Holmes, Tom Cruise was married to Mimi Rogers and Nicole Kidman

11. katie holmes rose to fame with her role as joey potter on the television series “ dawson’s creek ”.

MC1 Chad J. McNeeley, U.S. Navy , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

12. Tom Cruise’s public criticism of Brooke Shields for using antidepressants during postpartum depression stirred controversy

13. despite the fairy-tale beginning, tomkat’s marriage lasted for only six years.

14. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes settled their divorce out of court, reaching an agreement to co-parent Suri

15. speculation surrounded katie holmes’ reported use of disposable phones and her secretive planning leading up to the divorce filing.

16. Despite the divorce, both Cruise and Holmes have been committed to co-parenting Suri

17. following the divorce, both tom cruise and katie holmes continued their careers in the entertainment industry.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/drlovell , CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

18. Reports suggested that Scientology played a role in the couple’s divorce

19. katie holmes’ post-divorce life showcased her newfound independence.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/aphrodite-in-nyc , CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

20. Both Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have been relatively private about their subsequent relationships

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Benji Musili is a Kenyan wordsmith, culinary enthusiast, avid traveler, and outdoor adventurer. His pen weaves tales fuelled by a passion for unravelling diverse cultures. Benji's unique blends of hobbies are cooking, traveling, and outdoor escapades that infuse his writing with flavour, inviting readers on a journey. Writing, for Benji, is a quest to explore cultural and culinary delights, a passport to different realms. With a background as a Chef, Benji guides you through the realms of food and travel.

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Surprise new couple: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes

Surprise new couple: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes -- The pair go public in Rome after a few weeks of dating

Who saw this coming? Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes? Mr. Top Gun and Ms. Dawson’s Creek? Jerry Maguire and Joey Potter? But it’s true; reps for both performers confirmed to various news outlets Wednesday that the couple have been dating for a few weeks. They were photographed in public for the first time together on Wednesday as paparazzi snapped them holding hands in Rome, where Cruise is picking up a lifetime achievement prize on Friday at the David di Donatello awards, the Italian equivalent of the Oscars. As it happens, both Cruise, 42, and Holmes, 26, have likely blockbusters coming out in a few weeks, with Holmes’ Batman Begins opening June 15, while Cruise’s War of the Worlds opens June 29.

It’s not clear how the couple met or when they began seeing each other. Cruise’s last two long-term relationships — his 10-year marriage to Nicole Kidman, and his three-year relationship with Penélope Cruz — were costars first, but Cruise and Holmes have never worked together. Holmes announced in early March that she and her fiancé, American Pie ‘s Chris Klein, had split up. Since then, gossips had reportedly spotted her on the town with Josh Hartnett. Cruise hadn’t dated anyone seriously since he and Cruz split a year ago; though he was spotted with Colombian model-actress Sofia Vergara a couple months ago, both insisted they were just friends.

For those keeping score, the age difference between Cruise and Holmes is 16 years, about a year greater than the Demi Moore-Ashton Kutcher age gap. Cruise has been known to favor older women as well; from 1987 to 1990, he was married to Mimi Rogers, six years his senior.

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Katie Holmes (I)

IMDbPro Starmeter Top 5,000 62

• Contact info
• 6 wins & 16 nominations

• Rachel Dawes

• Rachel Wagner

• Joey Potter
• 1998–2003 • 128 eps
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• Diana Van der Laar

• Miranda Wells

• Helen Morrison

• Katie Holmes (uncredited)

• Dee Dee (voice)

• Bobbie Jo Chapman

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• 11 episodes
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Personal details

• 5′ 9″ (1.75 m)
• December 18 , 1978
• Toledo, Ohio, USA
• Tom Cruise November 18, 2006 - August 20, 2012 (divorced, 1 child)
• Suri Cruise
• Parents Kate Noelle Holmes
• Relatives Tamera Jean Holmes (Sibling)
• Other works Music video: Appeared in Sixpence None the Richer video "Kiss Me" for the soundtrack of Dawson's Creek (1998) .
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Did you know

• Trivia Had a girlhood crush on Tom Cruise , her future husband, saying once in a magazine interview, "I think every little girl dreams of her wedding. I used to think I was going to marry Tom Cruise".
• Quotes It's kind of fun being the cute, little one. In fact, I'm finding it hard to grow out of that.
• Salaries Batman Begins ( 2005 ) $1,000,000

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Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’s Relationship Timeline: The Way They Were

Out of the spotlight. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes ‘ marriage — and subsequent split — has been a major topic of conversation over the years.

The couple first sparked dating speculation after they were seen on a trip to Europe together in 2005. Following a whirlwind romance, Cruise and Holmes got engaged later that year before welcoming their daughter in 2006.

During their courtship, the Abandon star confirmed that she was going to convert to Scientology . “You know, it’s really exciting,” Holmes told W Magazine in 2005 about the controversial religion. “I just started auditing and I’m taking some courses and I really like it. I feel like it’s really helping.”

The Dawson’s Creek alum exchanged vows with the Top Gun: Maverick star in 2006, shortly after they expanded their family. Cruise and Holmes shocked fans when they announced their separation in June 2012 after five years of marriage.

At the time, a source exclusively told Us Weekly that the Batman Begins actress was “very happy” that she could “move on and finally live her life.” Less than one year later, the Oscar nominee noted in an interview that that he “didn’t expect” his ex to file for divorce in 2012.

Holmes, for her part, opened up about making plans to return to her acting career . “Even early on, when I was a young actor and all of a sudden people knew who I was, my dad told me, ‘Don’t let that change how you live your life.’ I’ve always sort of approached it that way,” she detailed to DuJour magazine in 2014. “You have to continue to do the things you want to do and not let outside forces dictate.”

The New York native continued: “I think I’ve gotten more comfortable with acting over time. Early on, I could never get out of my head. I’d be thinking, ‘I have to get the job.’ And even when I had the job, I was afraid that I was going to get fired, or I just had the mentality of, ‘I need to be good enough.'”

Holmes said she was looked forward to getting to explore her passion again, saying, “But the more projects you do, the older you get, the more life experience you get, you start to understand storytelling better. So you’re a little bit more confident going in. You’re not afraid of getting fired: You just want to contribute.”

The Miss Meadows star clarified that she didn’t blame her marriage for her career hiatus . “It’s the life of an actor. We don’t really have a lot of choice in the matter. You have dry spells, and then you have times when there is a lot of opportunity,” she concluded.

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Nearly a decade after ending her marriage, Holmes opened up about the challenges of being a single mother. “That time was intense,” she recalled to InStyle in April 2020. “It was a lot of attention, and I had a little child on top of it. [We] had some funny moments out and about in public. … I feel like I can be more creative and have more time, have my voice.”

Holmes dated Jamie Foxx from 2013 to 2019. She was later linked to chef Emilio Vitolo and Bobby Wooten III . Cruise, for his part, previously sparked romance rumors with Hayley Atwell but has remained tight-lipped about his personal life .

Scroll down to relive Cruise and Holmes’ relationship:

Credit: E Charbonneau/Bei/Shutterstock

Out of the spotlight. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes ' marriage — and subsequent split — has been a major topic of conversation over the years. The couple first sparked dating speculation after they were seen on a trip to Europe together in 2005. Following a whirlwind romance, Cruise and Holmes got engaged later that year before welcoming their daughter in 2006. During their courtship, the Abandon star confirmed that she was going to convert to Scientology . "You know, it's really exciting," Holmes told W Magazine in 2005 about the controversial religion. "I just started auditing and I'm taking some courses and I really like it. I feel like it's really helping." The Dawson's Creek alum exchanged vows with the Top Gun: Maverick star in 2006, shortly after they expanded their family. Cruise and Holmes shocked fans when they announced their separation in June 2012 after five years of marriage. At the time, a source exclusively told Us Weekly that the Batman Begins actress was "very happy" that she could "move on and finally live her life." Less than one year later, the Oscar nominee noted in an interview that that he "didn't expect" his ex to file for divorce in 2012. Holmes, for her part, opened up about making plans to return to her acting career . "Even early on, when I was a young actor and all of a sudden people knew who I was, my dad told me, 'Don't let that change how you live your life.' I've always sort of approached it that way," she detailed to DuJour magazine in 2014. "You have to continue to do the things you want to do and not let outside forces dictate." [sendtonews type="float" key="jnXfFeqAzp-2839666-14453"] The New York native continued: "I think I've gotten more comfortable with acting over time. Early on, I could never get out of my head. I'd be thinking, 'I have to get the job.' And even when I had the job, I was afraid that I was going to get fired, or I just had the mentality of, 'I need to be good enough.'" Holmes said she was looked forward to getting to explore her passion again, saying, "But the more projects you do, the older you get, the more life experience you get, you start to understand storytelling better. So you're a little bit more confident going in. You're not afraid of getting fired: You just want to contribute." The Miss Meadows star clarified that she didn't blame her marriage for her career hiatus . "It's the life of an actor. We don't really have a lot of choice in the matter. You have dry spells, and then you have times when there is a lot of opportunity," she concluded. Nearly a decade after ending her marriage, Holmes opened up about the challenges of being a single mother. "That time was intense," she recalled to InStyle in April 2020. "It was a lot of attention, and I had a little child on top of it. [We] had some funny moments out and about in public. ... I feel like I can be more creative and have more time, have my voice." Holmes dated Jamie Foxx from 2013 to 2019. She was later linked to chef Emilio Vitolo and Bobby Wooten III . Cruise, for his part, previously sparked romance rumors with Hayley Atwell but has remained tight-lipped about his personal life . Scroll down to relive Cruise and Holmes' relationship:

Credit: G Giglia - D Schiavella/EPA/Shutterstock

Holmes, who was engaged to Chris Klein from 2003 to 2005, told Seventeen Magazine that she thought she was "going to marry" Cruise when she was younger.

Credit: Hahn Lionel/ABACA/Shutterstock

One month after her split from Klein, Holmes was spotted on a romantic getaway with Cruise.

Credit: Jim Smeal/BEI/Shutterstock

During a live interview, the Top Gun actor jumped up and down while discussing his relationship with Holmes. "I'm in love. I'm in love and it's one of those things where you want to be cool, like, ‘Yeah I like her,'" he shared at the time. "That's not how I feel. I wanted to meet this person and I met her and she's extraordinary."

Credit: A Berliner/BEI/Shutterstock

The pair got engaged after several months of dating.

Credit: Jens Kalaene/EPA/Shutterstock

Cruise and Holmes welcomed their first child together. The Golden Globe winner also shares daughter Isabella and son Connor with ex-wife Nicole Kidman .

Credit: Shutterstock

The twosome tied the knot in a lavish wedding at the Odescalchi Castle in Italy.

Credit: Rune Hellestad/UPI/Shutterstock

During an interview, the Alone Together star said marriage was "really fun," telling Marie Claire, "It's an amazing life, but we always remind ourselves of how incredibly lucky we are."

Holmes noted that she wasn't in a rush to have more kids. "Maybe in a couple of years," she added at the time. 

The Jerry Maguire star called Holmes "an extraordinary person" during an interview with Playboy . "If you spent five minutes with her, you'd see it," he gushed. "I'm just happy, and I have been since the moment I met her. What we have is very special."

Credit: Marion Curtis/Starpix/Shutterstock

After six years of marriage, Cruise and Holmes announced their decision to part ways in separate statements . "This is a personal and private matter for Katie and her family. Katie's primary concern remains, as it always has been, her daughter's best interest," the actress' attorney said at the time.

Meanwhile, Cruise's rep also issued a statement, which read, "Kate has filed for divorce and Tom is deeply saddened and is concentrating on his three children. Please allow them their privacy."

Credit: Joanne Davidson/Shutterstock

Following their split, the Edge of Tomorrow star admitted he didn't expect Holmes to call it quits. "To be 50 and to have experiences and to think you have a grip on everything, and then it hits you — this is it, what life can do to you," he told a German TV network. "Life is a tragicomedy. You need to have a sense of humor."

Credit: Stewart Cook/Shutterstock

"I never really look back. I just approach life [taking] it one day at a time," the All We Had star said on Today about her divorce. "I'm really excited about where I am right now. I've had some really wonderful creative experiences. I'm just really grateful."

Credit: Andrew H. Walker/Shutterstock; David Fisher/BAFTA/Shutterstock; Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock

After Thandie Newton claimed she felt "so scared" of Cruise while filming Mission: Impossible 2 , his ex-wife seemingly showed her support by following the actress on social media.

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Katie Holmes: The Actress Enters a Weird World Called TomKat

She’s landed the role of a lifetime—beautiful bride of the world’s biggest movie star. What’s so weird about that?

The statistics on arranged marriage are surprising. In every country where it is still common practice, including Afghanistan, India, Iraq, Iran and, to a lesser extent, Japan, an arranged marriage has a higher success rate than a so-called “love marriage.”

It’s impossible to say what this augurs for Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise . Of course, theirs isn’t an arranged marriage—though it was certainly arranged quickly. The awesomely public couple had all of six weeks, during much of which Holmes was on the Batman Begins junket, to decide that they loved each other, that they wanted to spend their lives together and that they would buck Hollywood convention, to say nothing of common sense, and sing their joy from the mountaintops (or from flashbulb-blitzed press conferences, red carpets and vastly popular TV talk shows). Arranged marriages are measured, often solemn affairs; the fist-pumping pomp of the Cruise-Holmes union is another story. And the more times Holmes tells it, the stranger it sounds.

“I’ve found the man of my dreams,” says the 26-year-old actress, sitting in a bathrobe as a manicurist paints her nails the color of kryptonite and a stylist teases her hair into wavelets in preparation for her W photo shoot. It’s 8 a.m., and Holmes looks astonishingly fresh for a woman who taped several television shows the previous day before heading back to Cruise’s New York apartment, putting on her sweatpants and UGG slippers, and settling in for a late movie with her sweetheart. “From the moment I met him,” she continues, “it just felt like I’d known him forever. I was blown away. He’s the most incredible man. He’s so generous and kind, and he helps so many people, and, um, he makes me laugh like I’ve never laughed, and he’s a great friend.…”

This is how the conversation begins; this is also how it continues, and how it ends. No question can do much to change its course.

Do you worry that this might be a rebound romance for either of you?

“I’ve never met anyone like Tom,” Holmes replies, her beautiful green eyes focused on nothing in particular.

Do you ever wonder whether this is just a honeymoon phase?

“Tom and I will always be in our honeymoon phase.”

Did you learn anything in your previous relationship (five years with actor Chris Klein, which came to an end when they called off their engagement this past winter) that has been a benefit to this one?

“Chris and I care about each other and we’re still friends. Tom is the most incredible man in the world.”

Do you feel that, with more relationship experience, you get better at resolving conflicts?

“Meeting Tom—I’m just exhilarated. He makes me laugh, we have fun, we understand each other, everything is so aligned. I feel so lucky and so—like I’ve been given such a gift, such a gift, you know?” She pauses. “And it’s just really amazing.”

If Holmes were actually answering the questions posed—rather than simply reciting the same mantralike love letter—she’d be making a somewhat provocative point: Her relationship is not like other relationships, with their conflicts, compromises and complications; there will be no apology flowers, nights spent on the couch or couples therapy for these two (as a practicing Scientologist, Cruise strongly disapproves of psychiatry).

Is there anything you guys don’t have in common?

“You know, we appreciate each other.”

Has it been a challenge to make his kids feel comfortable?

“They’re just exceptional people.”

Isn’t it an adjustment to move in with someone—and after only a month? (In late May, Holmes packed up her apartment in Hollywood’s El Royale complex and moved into Cruise’s Beverly Hills manse.)

“He’s the man of my dreams.”

Does he leave his dirty socks on the bedroom floor? Something? Anything?

The lady doth protest not nearly enough. It’s impossible, even for a moment, to slip under the halo of cartoon hearts dancing around Holmes’s head—which partly explains why the media has so relished the project of puncturing her happiness ever since it was first broadcast, from the David di Donatello awards in Rome, on April 29. (Even People magazine, a typically unwavering Hollywood celebrant, has published polls indicating that the majority of its readers believe “TomKat” is a hoax.) Though Holmes’s star has surely risen, its motion is more akin to the teacup ride at the fairground: a spin that brings queasiness, not thrills.

Anyone who has seen photos from the couple’s June tour of European capitals in support of their summer movies will recognize the tall, cold-eyed Jessica Rodriguez, a third wheel at all of Holmes’s recent public appearances. Rodriguez, 29, was described to me as Holmes’s “Scientologist chaperone,” and it was clear that she would be on hand during our interview despite my protests. Polite and restrained but alert to troublesome questions, Rodriguez chimes in only to offer an amen following one of Holmes’s rhapsodies. (“You adore him,” Rodriguez says after the actress explains that she can’t keep her hands off Cruise.) But she rises from her chair when Holmes is asked how she feels about the widespread disbelief in her new union.

“The truth is, we don’t read that stuff because it’s just rude,” Rodriguez says—referring to rumors that Cruise made a financial arrangement with Holmes (after auditioning a field of other young starlets, including Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Alba and Kate Bosworth). When I suggest that the televised hyperbolizing of their happiness may have undercut its credibility, Rodriguez asks, “Have you ever been in love? You just want to share it with the world.” I suggest that many couples prefer to cherish the feeling privately, especially in the delicate first months. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, whatever the nature of their relationship, come to mind.

“But why can’t they go public, you know what I mean?” Rodriguez continues. “Like, Brad and Angelina—that’s just a shame for them. Right, Katie?”

“Yeah. I mean, I’m just so happy,” Holmes says in reply as a makeup artist begins to powder her cheeks. (Holmes’s skin, in contrast to the evidence of a recent barrage of embarrassing tabloid photos, is perfect.) “And I love celebrating our happiness. I can’t keep it in.”

Meanwhile, the tabloids report that friends back in Toledo, Ohio, where Holmes grew up, are worried about her. (“People who say that aren’t my friends,” she says.) They wonder whether Cruise is sabotaging her career by steering her away from roles that deal with subject matter that Scientology disapproves of—in particular, the role of the drug-addled Edie Sedgwick in George Hickenlooper’s upcoming Factory Girl , which Holmes pulled out of. “Tom’s so supportive and he’s such an inspiration,” she protests. “I just felt that the role wasn’t right for me, and in light of my Batman Begins schedule and everything, it was just not the right time. When I pick roles, I ask, first, Is this a story that I want to tell? Can I help move this story along, and will I be an asset to it? I’m excited to keep expanding and finding different roles to play.” What about a film with Cruise? “That would be such an honor. Such an honor.”

Cruise may not be imposing his will on Holmes’s career, but, with Rodriguez’s help, he appears to have made a strong bid for her soul. After the interview, when I ask Rodriguez how long she’s worked with Holmes—reports call her a longtime employee of the Church of Scientology—she waves her hand and says, “Oh, no, we’re just best friends….Well, Katie has a lot of friends.” And how long have you been friends? “Oh, a while,” Rodriguez answers. “I don’t know.”

It turns out the two women were introduced only six weeks earlier—right around the time when Holmes met Cruise. (Holmes prefers to keep the details of the couple’s first date to herself, but Cruise is said to have invited her to a sushi dinner on his plane.) Rodriguez comes from a family of wealthy Bay area Scientologists; she attended a boarding school in Oregon linked to Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, then went to work for the church, reportedly attaining membership in the Sea Org—Scientology’s elite religious order, whose members commit to the church for one billion years—in 1998. No one close to Holmes will venture to say exactly what Rodriguez’s role in the actress’s life is these days.

On the day we meet, Holmes tells me she’s not a Scientologist. (Three days later, in Europe, she will announce that she has converted.) “You know, it’s really exciting,” the actress says of the religion. “I just started auditing”—Scientology’s word for receiving spiritual counseling—“and I’m taking some courses, and I really like it. I feel it’s really helping. What I like about it is that, you know, I was raised Catholic, and you can be a Catholic and a Scientologist, Jewish and a Scientologist.” Holmes went to Notre Dame Academy, a Catholic high school in Toledo, and was accepted at Columbia University before she landed the role of the lovelorn tomboy Joey Potter on Dawson’s Creek . Her parents, devout Catholics, are said to be a weekly fixture at Christ the King church in Toledo. “I’m learning,” Holmes says, as the makeup artist applies eye shadow, “to celebrate my own spirit, my own being.”

No pressure from Cruise, she swears: “That’s really ludicrous because, I mean, you have to know Tom. He is the most loving, generous man who… first of all, he wants to help people. He doesn’t put pressure on people. He is the kindest, smartest, most adoring man. It’s a pleasure and a privilege to be with him.”

As if that weren’t already perfectly clear, just then a security guard lumbers into the dressing room and presents Holmes with a giant silver box tied in a thick purple ribbon. A small crowd gathers to watch her gleefully tear open the package and pluck out a Chanel diamond necklace—a gift, naturally, from Cruise. “He’s my man! He’s my man!” she screams, then jumps up on her chair to do an impression of her fiancé’s now-famous sofa shtick from Oprah .

People begin to cheer. “This is your moment!” cries the manicurist.

“I can do splits too,” Holmes says, jumping down and splaying herself across the floor. On that note, I suggest, we should probably get the photo shoot started.

“On that note,” she replies, “I love him.”

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Katie Holmes

Katie Holmes wears Comme des Garçons’ inkjet-printed silk gown with silk velvet bow and headpiece, by Rei Kawakubo, at Comme des Garçons, New York. Tom Binns earrings.

Marc Jacobs’s silk moiré and velvet dress with rose detail, at Marc Jacobs, New York, Boston and San Francisco, marcjacobs.com .

Marc Jacobs’s silk moire and velvet dress with rose detail at Marc Jacobs, New York, Boston and San Francisco, marcjacobs.com . Tom Binns bracelet.