Tom Cruise & Daughter Suri Cruise: Their Relationship Explained

Learn more about Tom Cruise’s relationship with his daughter, Suri, with this comprehensive timeline.

Fans have always been interested in Tom Cruise‘s personal life. The actor has had a number of high-profile relationships, and one of his most famous marriages was with beloved actress Katie Holmes. Before the former couple got married in 2006, Katie and Tom welcomed their precious baby girl, Suri. Tom and Katie divorced in 2012, leaving many to wonder what the actor’s relationship with his only biological child is like all of these years later. Take a look at the comprehensive timeline below to learn more about the current status of Tom and Suri’s father-daughter relationship.

Tom Cruise’s Relationship With Suri Today

These days, Tom and Suri’s relationship is rather estranged. The pair have rarely been spotted out and about together, as the 14-year-old currently resides with her mom in New York City, where she attends school, hangs out with her friends, and even runs errands with her mom. Sadly, this means that Tom has rarely been seen in public with his daughter since her parents’ divorce in 2012.

In April 2019, however, HollywoodLife learned EXCLUSIVELY that Tom was doing everything he could to maintain a close bond with Suri. “As challenging as things have become for him and his daughter, he still loves her,” the insider shared. “[He] thinks about her all the time and will recognize that she is becoming a teenager and a young woman on her [13th birthday]. Tom never intended to be estranged from his daughter when he decided to have a family with Katie and looks forward to repairing the relationship one day.” Over the course of the last few years, Tom and Suri have both been quite busy. Tom’s film career is taking on new heights with the upcoming sequel to Top Gun, while Suri has been living it up as a teenager in the Big Apple.

Tom Cruise & Suri’s Relationship Before The Divorce

Prior to Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ highly publicized divorce, Tom was incredibly involved in Suri’s life and appeared to wholly enjoy fatherhood. The trio even appeared on a gorgeous cover of Vanity Fair in 2006, just a few months after Suri was born on April 18, 2006. The Cruise-Holmes family often took trips around the globe, whether for filming one of Tom or Katie’s projects or for a fun trip. Even when they were in New York City, Suri and her dad spent an awful lot of time together cheering Katie on during a marathon, running errands, or taking a trip to the park.

During his marriage to Katie, Tom absolutely gushed about baby Suri. “My whole life I always wanted to be a father,” the actor shared in the family’s 2006 VF profile. Tom also has two adopted children from his previous marriage to Nicole Kidman — a son named Connor, 26, and daughter named Isabella, 28. Although Tom shared in 2006 that he looked forward to Connor, Isabella, and Suri growing close, his divorce from Katie led to those relationships seemingly fraying.

“I always said to myself that my children would be able to depend on me and I would always be there for them and love them—that I’d never make a promise to my kids that I couldn’t keep. I’m not one of those people who believe you can spoil a child with too much love. You can never give a child too much love. There’s just no way.” The actor also recounted celebrating all of the “joy” in his life at the time, which he attributed to his newborn daughter. “We’ll never forget the bad times, you know, but you have to celebrate the joy. And that’s what Suri is: the joy.”

A collection of snapshots from Suri’s life as a little girl even showcased just how affectionate the two were. Whenever Tom would carry Suri around the big city, she sometimes would wrap her arms around his neck. The two would even hold hands when they were out and about. Tom even carried some of her belongings.

Katie Holmes’ Custody Of Suri

Tom and Katie’s divorce proceedings were incredibly tense. Katie filed for divorce in June 2012, allegedly using a disposable phone to make arrangements and hiring three different law firms from three different states, per the Los Angeles Times. By July of that year, lawyers reached a custody settlement giving Katie primary custody of then-six-year-old Suri while Tom was granted visitation rights, according to People.

Years later, Katie and Suri have really proven that their relationship has been flourishing and the two are closer than ever. Some of the few Hollywood events the pair have attended together have actually been geared toward Suri. In December 2017, the pair got to introduce Taylor Swift at Jingle Ball in New York City! It’s rare, beyond a few outings and some public events, that Katie offers details about Suri’s life to the public. She did share in a 2019 interview with Elle UK, however, that she loved “growing up” with her daughter. “I was happy to become a mom in my 20s,” she shared with the outlet.

“It’s been nice that our ages fit. How do I put this? Every age that my child has been and my age at that time has been a good match. We kind of grew up together.” Of course, like any mother, Katie does worry about her only daughter as she becomes a young adult in the public eye. “There is so much bad news and hate and things that don’t make sense. The atmosphere around the world is…terrifying,” she expressed. “Doesn’t every parent [worry about that]?”

Fortunately, the two are incredibly close. They’ve been spotted getting frozen yogurt, shopping, and going for walks around the city from time to time. Katie’s love life is also heating up, as she explores a newfound romance with restauranteur Emilio Vitolo.

Suri Cruise In 2020

These days, Suri Cruise is a thriving teen in NYC. She’s often seen out and about with her mom, or hanging out with her friends. In 2020, the youngster celebrated her 14th birthday in the Big Apple. But Katie has assured fans over time that her mini-me daughter is growing up in a very “cozy” environment despite living in the concrete jungle. “I like vintage art from flea markets. Because we’re in New York, I want our apartment to be very cozy and soft — the city around us is so intense and hard. So that’s our style. And a lot of colors,” Katie told Elle UK in 2019.

In November 2020, Katie gushed about how her daughter has matured and become her own person. “My biggest goal has always been to nurture her into her individuality. To make sure she is 100 percent herself and strong, confident, and able. And to know it,” Katie told Elle UK. “She came out very strong — she’s always been a strong personality. She’ll pick an activity and work her butt off until she’s really good at it. Then she’s like, ‘OK, I’m going to try the next thing.’ She’s very focused and a hard worker.”