When Tom Cruise parted ways from his ex-wife Katie Holmes over a decade ago, their separation also catalyzed his reported estrangement from their daughter, Suri Cruise. In fact, the father-daughter duo has barely been seen together since then, if at all.
Meanwhile, the Top Gun star seems to be a goldmine of sweetness when it comes to Dakota Fanning, who played Cruise’s daughter in the sci-fi action feature, War of the Worlds.
Whether Cruise is channeling his fatherly affections or not, the endearing birthday ritual he seems to have upheld with Fanning will certainly melt your heart into a puddle.
Tom Cruise’s Sweet Birthday Tradition For Dakota Fanning
Dakota Fanning celebrated her 11th birthday with her co-stars on the set of Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds. And what was her gift? A Motorola Razr, one that The Equalizer 3 star had been itching to get at the time. Thanks to Tom Cruise, Fanning’s long-standing wish came true (via The Kelly Clarkson Show | Entertainment Weekly).
That’s not all, though. Fanning, now 30, also once disclosed how the Mission: Impossible star has been diligently sending her a birthday present every year for almost two decades. As if the gesture wasn’t heartfelt enough in itself, Cruise made it a point to pick a gift close to the Coraline star’s heart – a good pair of shoes.
“He always sends me the same thing every year. I loved shoes when I was little, and I started to be able to fit into really small adult shoes when I was on the War of the Worlds press tour, so I was really excited about them. So from that birthday on, he always sends me shoes.”
Isn’t that the sweetest thing ever?
On a more dampening note, however, the Hollywood icon appears to be as alienated from his only biological child as he was 12 years ago.
Tom Cruise’s Relationship With His Children
Back in 2012, when Cruise and his then-wife Katie Holmes treaded through a very public divorce, the Batman Begins star was granted sole custody of their daughter, Suri. Ever since then, the Oscar-nominated actor has reportedly not been in touch with the teenager who turned 18 this April (via Page Six).
Not only does Cruise seem to have missed all of Suri’s major milestones since she was six, but the little role he apparently played in the latter’s life – courtesy of their financial disposition – reportedly culminated with Suir’s 18th birthday (via Heatworld). A source divulged to the magazine that “Katie’s very clear that Suri doesn’t need Tom’s money to be happy or afford the life they’re accustomed to.”
But while the 61-year-old actor and producer is at odds with one of his children, he has been maintaining a fatherly bond with Connor and Isabella Cruise. The Last Samurai star adopted the two children with his then-wife Nicole Kidman in the 90s and appears to be well in touch with both of them.
Connor, 29, is known for his unflinching loyalty towards his father. The Red Dawn star has often been spotted by Cruise’s side and even moved to Florida to stay closer to him following the latter’s high-profile divorce from Kidman in 2001 (via Hello! Magazine).
Cruise, however, has continued to keep his private and familial lives as far away from the prying lens of media as possible.
