Suri Cruise was just six years old when her mum Katie Homes mysteriously walked out on Tom Cruise and upped sticks to New York, taking their daughter with her.
Despite the distance, the tot and her Top Gun star dad remained close, and were pictured enjoying daddy and daughter time at Disneyland in 2012. It is not known how much they currently see or speak to each other.
Suri is now 16, and in April 2019 it was claimed that Tom still very much wants to be a part of his daughter's life.
“As challenging as things have become for him and his daughter, he still loves her,” a source told Hollywood Life.
“[He] thinks about her all the time.”
Get the news you want straight to your inbox. Sign up for a Mirror newsletter here .
It has been widely reported that Scientology played a role in Tom and Katie's split, and the church has been accused of forbidding relationships between remaining Scientologists and family members who have left the fold. However, there is nothing to suggest that this applied Tom and Suri.
In fact, the organisation has vehemently denied those claims, previously telling Us Weekly: "Scientologists respect the faith of others, associate with and befriend members of every religion. Scientologists do not cut ties with non-Scientologist friends or family members because they have chosen another religion."
Former Scientologist, actress Leah Remini - who turns 52 today - claims Katie has been labelled an 'suppressive person', but says Tom will have a plan to work around it.
“Scientology considers Katie a suppressive person which is an enemy and therefore Tom believes, like all Scientologists, that he can’t be connected to Suri,” Leah previously told The New York Post.
“I’m sure his master plan is to wait until Suri gets older so that he can lure her into Scientology.”
Mirror Online has contacted Tom's rep for comment, but no reply had been received at the time of publication.
Katie, 43, reportedly blindsided Tom by filing for divorce in 2012. During the swift negotiations over the couple’s £275million estate, Tom reportedly agreed to pay Katie £330,000 in child support each year until Suri turns 18.
The settlement also gave Katie sole custody and reportedly contained “ironclad” rulings that Suri would not be exposed to anything Scientology related.
And that's something Leah - who left Scientology a year after Katie in 2013 - believes.
“I knew Katie when she was in [Scientology]... but as time went on, and I understood why she did what she did to protect her daughter... I’m only assuming that there’s some type of agreement to protect her daughter.”
Since splitting from Tom, former Dawson's Creek star Katie has lived a low-key life with her daughter in New York, with the inseparable pair often spotted strolling side-by-side.
With only each other to apparently lean on, it's no surprise that the duo are incredibly close, with some going as far as to say they 'saved' each other.
"You’d struggle to find a mom-daughter duo who are more in sync with each other. They’re a real team - their connection is a beautiful thing to witness," a source told Us Magazine.
“If Katie’s feeling stressed or down, Suri’s very compassionate and loving. Katie feels like her daughter really is her little angel… It’s no exaggeration to say that Suri and Katie have saved each other. They really are wonderful together.”
Katie rarely speaks about her daughter, but in November 2020 she was brimming over with pride as she shared a rare update about her only child.
"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.”
Do you have a story to share? Email webfeatures@trinitymirror.com
