Tom Cruise may be one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, but when it comes to his family life, the picture is far more complicated.
The Mission: Impossible actor, who turned 64 this month, has three children from two marriages.
While he has maintained a close relationship with his adopted children, Isabella ‘Bella’ Cruise and Connor Cruise, his bond with his youngest daughter, Suri, has appeared to fracture completely over the past decade.
The divide has once again come under the spotlight after reports that Suri has legally dropped the Cruise surname, choosing instead to go by Suri Noelle – adopting her mother Katie Holmes’ middle name.
Public voter registration records in Pennsylvania, where the 20-year-old attends Carnegie Mellon University, indicate she is now legally registered under the new name.
The move is the latest chapter in what has become one of Hollywood’s most closely watched family estrangements.
How many children does Tom Cruise have?
Cruise has three children in total: Bella, Connor, and Suri. He became a father for the first time during his marriage to Nicole Kidman.
After experiencing fertility struggles, the couple adopted daughter Bella in 1992 before welcoming son Connor three years later. Although Cruise has always kept his children largely out of the public eye, rare appearances over the years have suggested he remains close to both.
In December 2024, the trio made an unusual public appearance together when former NFL player Derrick Brooks shared a photograph on Instagram showing Cruise posing alongside Bella and Connor.
Earlier, Cruise had also been photographed attending a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game with Connor, one of the few occasions the pair have been seen together publicly.
Unlike their younger sister, both Bella and Connor are practising Scientologists and have remained involved with the Church, frequently fuelling speculation that they continue to share a strong relationship with their father.
Are Tom Cruise and daughter Suri estranged?
Cruise welcomed his third child, Suri, with then-wife Katie Holmes in April 2006.
At the time, the couple were among Hollywood’s most photographed pairings, with baby Suri becoming one of the world’s most famous celebrity children almost overnight.
But everything changed six years later.
In 2012, Holmes filed for divorce before relocating to New York with Suri, where she has largely raised her away from the glare of Hollywood.
Cruise and Suri have not been publicly photographed together since that year, and their relationship has long been the subject of widespread speculation. Neither Cruise nor Holmes has publicly discussed the nature of their current relationship.
Much of the speculation surrounding the reported estrangement has centred on Cruise’s long-standing involvement with the Church of Scientology.
For years, reports have suggested that Holmes’ decision to leave the Church after their divorce created an irreparable divide, as Scientology has historically practised ‘disconnection’, whereby members may be encouraged to cut ties with certain individuals outside the Church.
Neither Cruise nor Scientology has publicly confirmed that this is the reason for his distant relationship with Suri.
What has Tom Cruise said about being a father?
That silence became particularly noticeable last year.
While promoting Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Cruise was asked by E! News what his ideal Father’s Day looked like.
After pausing, he replied: ‘You know… Just having fun, man. Making movies, big adventures, having a great time.’
He didn’t mention any of his children during the exchange, prompting widespread discussion online given his famously private family life.
What is Suri Noelle doing now?
While Cruise has remained largely silent about his relationships with his children, Suri has quietly begun building a life of her own.
Now studying musical theatre at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania, she has increasingly stepped out from beneath the shadow of her famous surname.
She first appeared publicly as ‘Suri Noelle’ during her New York high school graduation in 2024 before reports emerged that she had legally adopted the name as she registered to vote in Pennsylvania.
According to previous reports, she wanted ‘her own identity’ as she prepared to start university, with ‘Noelle’ serving as a tribute to her mother.
Katie has occasionally spoken about watching her daughter grow up, admitting last year that she was emotional as Suri left home for college.
‘I’m proud of my daughter,’ she told Town & Country. ‘Of course, I will miss the close proximity, but I’m really proud of her and I’m happy.
‘I remember being this age, this time of beginnings. It’s exciting to learn about yourself.’
Holmes has also spoken about her determination to protect Suri after growing up under extraordinary public scrutiny.
Today, Cruise’s family life appears divided into two very different stories.
His relationship with Bella and Connor, who have remained closely connected to Scientology, continues to surface occasionally through rare public outings and photographs.
Meanwhile, Suri has spent most of her life in New York with Holmes, rarely speaking publicly and now seemingly embracing a new surname as she begins adulthood.