Tom Cruise Plays One Key Role In Estranged Daughter Suri's College Plans

It seems like Tom Cruise can do just about anything he sets his mind to. From flying planes to skydiving, the man seems unstoppable. However, there's one thing the "Top Gun: Maverick" actor struggles with, and that's keeping up a relationship with his daughter, Suri Cruise.

Suri is one of Tom's three children and is the only child from his marriage with actor Katie Holmes. In 2006, Holmes and Tom welcomed a young Suri into what seemed like a perfect little family as they shot the cover of Vanity Fair. Before their divorce, the father-daughter duo had a solid relationship and he even shared with Oprah that Suri would offer him fashion advice, per People. However, when Holmes and Cruise divorced in 2012, things took a turn.

Since the divorce, Tom has rarely been seen with Suri, as their last public appearance was back in 2012. Even as the years have passed, it seems that the duo still struggles to have any sort of relationship. In 2019, a source told HollywoodLife, "As challenging as things have become for him and his daughter, he still loves her. Tom never intended to be estranged from his daughter when he decided to have a family with Katie, and he looks forward to repairing their relationship one day." That day still seems far away because even as Suri is nearing a momentous time in her life, Tom is only playing one key role in it.

It's almost time for Suri Cruise to leave the nest and begin her college journey. According to the Daily Mail, the 16-year-old has already started applying to different colleges. Her love for fashion never stopped since giving Tom Cruise style advice, because the young teen is considering fashion school. While they were close back then, the father-daughter duo is anything but now. A source shared, "Suri does not know her father anymore and she has not spent time with him in a decade. She does not go to see his movies, and he has no part in her life." Because of their estranged relationship, Tom reportedly has hardly any input in his daughter's college education. On the other hand, his ex-wife, Katie Holmes is heavily involved in the process, per The Daily Mail. A source shared, "Suri is applying to schools all over the place. [Katie] really does want her to stay in New York so they can be close to each other."

Despite his lack of involvement in Suri's college adventure, there's one thing Tom is said to play a key role in — finances. Per the Daily Mail, Tom and Holmes' divorce agreement requires the actor to pay for his daughter's college expenses. Although he hasn't been present in her life, the source shared that he has "always maintained his responsibilities" for his daughter's finances. So, Suri will definitely have no problem paying for whatever school she attends.

The predominant rumor as to why Katie Holmes has retained almost full custody of Suri Cruise is due to her distrust of Tom Cruise's Scientology practice. During his divorce trial, Tom admitted that he suspected Holmes had left him and did her best to keep Suri from him because the religion made her uncomfortable. However, things are slightly more layered than that, as a rumored tenant of Scientology is that members are forbidden from associating with non-members. Tom is one of the highest-ranking members and would be under pressure to follow such rules. "This is his loss, his issue, his problem," a source told Page Six. "He must be really brainwashed."

Holmes reportedly did her best to keep Tom away from Suri, going as far as to file for divorce in New York rather than California as she thought that would give her a better chance of gaining full custody and getting Suri out of her Scientology-backed school in Los Angeles. Holmes allegedly developed a deep distrust of the church during her marriage to Tom, who is said to have become controlling and off-putting since converting. "To him, any partner is an extension of him — and his brand — so he's known to be very micromanaging," a source close to Tom told Radar.

Scientology may have stood in the way of his relationship with Holmes, and his daughter, Suri, but Tom has managed to remain extremely close to his older children.

Just like his relationship with Katie Holmes, Tom Cruise's marriage to his second wife, Nicole Kidman, left him in the early 2000s due to his ties to Scientology. It was widely reported at the time that Tom left Kidman after she allegedly refused to convert to Scientology for him. Kidman was labeled a "suppressive person" by the church, who reportedly urged Tom and the two children they share to cut her off.

As part of their divorce, Tom and Kidman agreed to share custody of their children, Isabella and Connor, but according to insiders, it was in name only, as the kids were devoted to Tom and his religion. As recently as 2022, they hyped his film "Top Gun: Maverick" on their social media. "Connor and Isabella grew up in the church of Scientology; they've been members since they were kids," a source told People in 2019. "Connor has been able to remain close with Tom because of Scientology." As for Isabella, she moved to London and has reportedly decided not to take any financial handouts from either of her parents — though she insists she is still close to them.

Kidman, on the other hand, insists she hasn't spoken to either Connor or Bella in years, though she still loves them from afar. "They are adults," Kidman told Who Magazine (via Daily Mail). "They have made choices to be Scientologists and as a mother, it's my job to love them."