Katie Holmes' divorce from Tom Cruise in 2012 rocked the world, but even the mother-of-one had no idea it would be the end of her daughter's connection with her father.
Unfortunately, there would be little communication between their only child, Suri, and Tom after 2012, amid accusations Katie had been labeled a "suppressive person" by Tom's church, Scientology, as a result of their departure.
According to insiders, the 61-year-old "Mission: Impossible" actor is terrified that his 12-year absence from Suri's life may come back to haunt him. After Suri turned 18 last week, multiple media outlets are reportedly vying for her debut interview.
"Suri would have been too young to sign any agreement, but she will now be free to talk if she wants to. And it's going to be really interesting if she has something to say,” Scientology reporter Tony Ortega stated.
Friends say Tom's public relations staff is already "preparing for the worst," knowing that just one sentence from Suri will capture the world's attention.
"It's true. Suri could drop one line to a pap about her dad and it would be front page news all across the globe the next day. And they are pestering her for a comment," the insider told Woman’s Day Australia.
"She's not stupid though, and she isn't going to throw away the only leverage she has on some random pap. Nor is she going to start slamming her dad or his religion for a onetime cheque from 60 Minutes,” it went on.
Suri has observed how the breakup has affected her mother's career, and sources say that few people in Hollywood are ready to cross Tom.
"The only Hollywood person not afraid of him was Jamie [Foxx], but not many are willing to burn bridges with Tom Cruise. Her mum went from A-list to barely working, and Suri's not going to let that happen to her too. She may or may not realize it, but what Suri does next can have a real impact on Tom—one interview could cause shockwaves,” the informant shared.
Katie, 45, has told pals that Suri was quite brave when Tom started distancing himself from a paparazzi interview about her father, which became front-page news all over the world the next day. And they're pressing her for a response, one insider stated.
"This was a very public paternal rejection for anyone. It's a miracle, and a credit to the Holmes family that Suri's not suffering from abandonment issues,” a friend stated.
Suri, who was five years old at the time of the breakup, was devastated by her father's absence, according to insiders.
"It was hard for her to go from princess rooms with catwalks to a two-bed apartment, but worse was having her mum so distracted. It was a traumatic time for her. Every birthday, Christmas, even Thanksgiving, she'd hope to spend some quality time with him, but by her 10th or 11th birthday she had learned to stop worrying about it,” a source close to the situation furthered.
Business Times has reached out to Tom Cuise and Katie Holmes for comments.
