Tom Cruise's daughter Suri still estranged from him ahead of her 18th birthday, Internet says 'better off without him'

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: As Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' daughter Suri Cruise gets ready for her 18th birthday on Thursday, April 18, she is reportedly still estranged from her famous father.

An industry insider revealed to Page Six that the 'Mission: Impossible' actor is not close to his daughter and has not seen Suri since 2012.

After Katie and Tom got divorced, Suri's mother kept their daughter largely out of the spotlight, while her father gladly spent time with her in the spotlight.

Suri Cruise has remained estranged from father Tom Cruise since 2012

The last time Suri and Tom were spotted together was in July 2012, when they visited Disney World in Florida.

In June 2012, Katie filed for divorce from Tom while he was filming 'Oblivion in Iceland,' allegedly partially because she wished "to protect Suri from Scientology."

Suri was raised by Katie in New York City, far from the limelight, her father, and the Church of Scientology.

"Katie has safeguarded Suri and she's a devoted mom," the source told Page Six. "This is a girl who is a private citizen. She hasn't lived her life in public."

"What has been really important for me with my daughter, because she was so visible at a young age, is I really like to protect her," Katie stated in an interview with Glamour magazine in 2023.

"I'm very grateful to be a parent, to be her parent. She's an incredible person. She's my heart."

 

The young woman with dark hair has spent her childhood in Manhattan mostly veiled from the public eye by her devoted and fiercely protective 45-year-old mother, who lives a long way from her 60-year-old father's Church of Scientology.

As previously reported by Page Six, Suri and her famous father are not in contact with each other and were last seen together at Disney World in the summer of 2012.

Suri Cruise was once one of the most famous babies in America

The world went crazy when Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' daughter arrived on April 18, 2006, hoping to catch a peek of the A-list baby.

However, she didn't make her public debut until five months after her birth. Celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz captured her on the glossy cover of Vanity Fair, where she was cradled in the arms of her parents.

Tom and Katie reached a divorce deal whereby Tom agreed to pay Katie $400,000 annually for child support until Suri turned 18 in addition to "medical, dental, insurance, education, college, and other extracurricular costs."

During a deposition in his $50 million legal battle with two tabloid publications, court records from November 2013 revealed that the 'Top Gun' actor confirmed that Katie had filed for divorce "to protect Suri from Scientology."

Actress Leah Remini—who has been outspoken in her criticism of Scientology since quitting the group in 2013—stated to the New York Post in 2020 that she thinks Tom is holding off on indoctrinating Suri until she turns 18 years old.

"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," Remini stated at the time.

"I'm sure his master plan is to wait until Suri gets older so that he can lure her into Scientology and away from her mother."

Internet claimed Suri is 'much better off without' her dad Tom

Social media users took to Facebook to express their opinions on how Suri has remained estranged from her dad with several slamming the 'Top Gun' actor and others asserting how Suri is better without her Scientologist father.

One user wrote, "She's much better off without him around and I agree with Leah Remini, he'll wait until she’s 18 and then involve himself. At 18 she'll have more freedom, especially if she goes away to college and Katie won't be able to protect her all the time. He's biding his time until Suri "leaves the nest."

"He should be ashamed abandoning his daughter due to Scientology she is beautiful young lady I use to like Tom not anymore he is so rude," slammed a second one.

A third one chimed in, "Shame on him for ignoring his daughter. That is no religion that requires you to abandon your family. It’s a cult"

"She's better off. He'd make her become a Scientologist," claimed another one.

One more exclaimed, "And everyone thinks Tom is so great....he's POS..Shame on him.. I refuse to watch any of his movies..."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.