Tom Cruise Marriage, Divorce, Divorce Settlement & Child Custody With Katie Holmes Reported

Tom Cruise’s relationship with Katie Holmes started with a bang in 2005 and continued being relevant in the media for the next several years. Their romance was no less than a fairy tale, but even their supposedly perfect relationship came with flaws.

The couple eventually ended their marriage in 2012 and some even blamed the Church of Scientology for the divorce.

Though the church’s part in the separation has been disputed, critics have never hesitated to label the institution as the root of any failure or craziness in Tom Cruise’s life.

So, was the Church of Scientology guilty of breaking the adorable TomKat? Let’s make an in-depth analysis of Cruise’s marriage to Katie Holmes and their eventual separation. Here's what we know about their marriage and subsequent separation.  

Did The Church of Scientology Pair Tom Cruise With Katie Holmes?

Many ex-members of the Church of Scientology such as Marc Hedley have claimed that the church set up Tom Cruise with Katie Holmes.

Hedley revealed to Dateline that a team of members at the Church of Scientology were supposedly tasked with finding the next wife for Tom Cruise—who had not been in a public relationship since his divorce with second wife Nicole Kidman in 2001. The task of finding a potential bride for the Jerry Maguire actor was called “The Tom Cruise Project.”

He claimed in the interview that several actresses affiliated with the Church of Scientology were interviewed before Katie Holmes was finalized after a church member found her 2004 interview with the Seventeen magazine.

However, the Church of Scientology has denied taking any part in initiating the relationship between Katie and Tom.

Tom Cruise with Scientology head David Miscavige in 2013 (Photo: KAT/Splash News)

During the 2004 interview with Seventeen magazine's contributor Deb Baer, Katie, who was engaged to American actor Chris Klein, had opened up about her fantasy to marry the Hollywood heartthrob.

“I used to think that I was going to marry Tom Cruise.”

Tom Cruise And Katie Homes Dating Life 

In April 2005, People magazine cited a friend of Tom Cruise who according to the magazine disclosed that the pair "have been  dating a couple of weeks."

The magazine reports that Tom's representative confirmed the news after Tom and Holmes attended an award function in Rome to receive Cruise’s David di Donatello Award. The pair were photographed hand in hand and very much in love during the award ceremony. 

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes officially came out as lovers in 2005 (Photo: Kevin WInter/Getty Images)

Later, in March 2005, the Tropic Thunder actor professed his love for Holmes while at The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes eventually publicized their engagement on June 16, 2005, three days after Holmes had revealed her intention to join Scientology.

Birth Of Daughter Suri Cruise And Wedding

On October 6, 2005, a representative for the couple told People exclusively that Holmes was pregnant with the duo’s first child.

The Dawson’s Creek actress gave birth to a baby girl named Suri Cruise on April 18, 2006. Not long after, on November 18, 2006, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes tied their wedding knot in a historic castle in Bracciano, Italy, named the Odescalchi Castle.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' wedding in Italy on November 18, 2006 (Photo: Robert Evans/Getty Images)

At the Scientology-themed wedding ceremony, several of Cruise’s colleagues and close friends were present - including Mission: Impossible III director J.J. Abrams, Jerry Maguire director Cameron Crowe, Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder, and more.

Also, many members of the Church of Scientology, including Scientology leader David Miscavige, attended the marriage.

Divorce In 2012; What Went Wrong? 

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes looked deeply in love as husband and wife for the next few years. However, doubts were raised regarding their relationship when Tom Cruise attended a promotional event for his 2012 movie Rock of Ages without his wife.

Within a month, Holmes filed for divorce, to which Tom Cruise expressed shock. The reason for the divorce remains a mystery to this date, but some claim that the actress did so to keep her daughter from joining the Church of Scientology.

Fortunately, the divorce procedure didn’t get ugly and Holmes received the custody of Suri while visitation rights were granted to Cruise. 

Tom Cruise with ex-wife Katie Holmes and daughter Suri Cruise before his divorce with Holmes (Photo: Getty Image)

The divorce settlement was reached by July 11, 2012. Though Katie Holmes didn’t receive any spousal support from Cruise, the court decided that she would receive $400,000 every year as child support until Suri Cruise reaches 18.  

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