Suri Cruise—the only child of exes Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes—was a tabloid staple when she was born in 2006. But ever since Cruise and Holmes split up in 2012, Suri has led a much more private life. She's grown up in New York City, mostly outside of the spotlight, so the news that she just turned 15 may come as a bit of a shock. But to celebrate her daughter's birthday, Holmes just shared some rare, private photos of Suri from her childhood. To see the personal shots, read on, and for an update on another of Cruise's brood, here's Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman's Son Shares Rare Glimpse Into His New Life.
Holmes opened up the vault for Suri's 15th birthday.
katieholmes/InstagramHolmes values her family's privacy, so her daughter hasn't made many appearances on her Instagram. But on Apr. 19, Holmes shared a gallery of photos on the occasion of Suri's birthday, including this one with some unidentified friends.
"Happy 15th Birthday Sweetheart! I love you!!!!!!!! ❤️?? " Holmes captioned the post. "I can’t believe you are already 15!"
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Suri was born in the midst of a media storm.
katieholmes/InstagramSuri's actual birthday is Apr. 18, 2006, born only a year after Cruise and Holmes made their public debut as a couple. They became engaged in June 2005 and welcomed Suri about seven months before their extravagant Italian wedding in the fall of 2006.
After her birth, Cruise, who adopted two children during his previous marriage to Nicole Kidman, told ABC News about the experience. "It was everything that we wanted it to be," he said. "It was spiritual. It was powerful. It was indescribable. What words can you use? It's still something that I'm processing and keep reliving."
And for more celebrity kids who have grown up right before our eyes, See Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick's Son All Grown Up.
Her current relationship with her dad is pretty mysterious.
katieholmes/InstagramAfter Holmes filed for divorce in 2012, she was granted primary custody of Suri, who was then six, with Cruise getting "generous visitation rights," per People. Since their split, Holmes and Cruise don't seem to have much of a relationship, at least out in the open. He doesn't appear in any of the photos that Holmes shared for their daughter's 15th birthday.
As Us Weekly reports, Cruise and his daughter were last seen spending time together in public in 2013, the year after the divorce. While that doesn't mean that they don't see each other, of course, it's raised some questions for fans. A former Scientologist suggested to Us Weekly that Cruise was forbidden to see Suri by his church, where he's the most famous member. Many former members claim that Scientology has a policy of disconnection, i.e. breaking with family and friends who are critical of or who have rejected the belief system. (While it's unclear whether Holmes was ever a practicing Scientologist when they were together, she's not connected to the organization now.) A Scientology spokesperson told the magazine that the source's claim was "fiction," and they vehemently deny the existence of a disconnection policy on their website.
For more on the controversial group, here are The Biggest Celebrities Who've Left Scientology.
Holmes raised Suri to be "strong, confident, and able."
Francis Specker/Alamy Stock PhotoSpeaking to InStyle in 2020, Holmes opened up about her daughter and what impresses her the most about Suri. "I love her so much," she said. "My biggest goal has always been to nurture her into her individuality. To make sure she is 100 percent herself and strong, confident, and able. And to know it. She came out very strong—she's always been a strong personality. She'll pick an activity and work her butt off until she's really good at it. Then she's like, 'OK, I'm going to try the next thing.' She's very focused and a hard worker."
Holmes went on to describe how invasive the paparazzi were when Suri was a baby. "I just wanted her outside, so I would walk her around to find parks at, like, six in the morning when nobody would see us," Holmes said. "But there's one video where I'm holding her—she was 2 at the time—and she starts waving at the cameras. She's pretty special."
For more famous offspring who take after their parents, here are 25 Celebrity Kids Who Look Just Like Their Parents.
