Inside Tom Cruise's relationship with Suri and complex family struggles

Tom Cruise is expected to perform an epic stunt by rappelling down from the top of Stade de France during tonight's Olympic Games 2024 closing ceremony.

His eldest children will likely be among the fans watching their father's impressive feat. However, his youngest child may not share the same enthusiasm.

The Top Gun star reportedly shares a close bond with his son Connor, who resides in a Scientology community in Clearwater, Florida, and often accompanies his father on promotional tours worldwide. This is quite different from his strained relationship with his daughter Suri , who was seen enjoying the New York sunshine earlier today.

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Reports suggest that the Hollywood actor hasn't seen her since his contentious split and custody battle with actress Katie Holmes in 2012. It's believed that Tom's religious beliefs led to the dissolution of their marriage as Katie had concerns about raising Suri within the Church of Scientology.

As a result, the father and daughter are reportedly estranged, reports the Mirror . However, Tom's other adopted children, who are often overlooked, continue to hold high positions within the Church of Scientology.

Unlike Suri, the elder two distanced themselves from their mother Nicole Kidman but maintain a close relationship with their father. Isabella and Connor Cruise were adopted by Tom and Nicole in 1992 and 1995 respectively.

When the Hollywood power couple divorced in 2001, they shared joint custody. However, when their mother moved back to Australia, the children chose to stay in LA with their father.

Tom Cruise raised his children, Bella and Connor, within the Church of Scientology, and they have risen to become prominent figures within the controversial religion. "Connor and Isabella grew up in the church of Scientology, they've been members since they were kids," an insider disclosed to PEOPLE in 2019, noting that like their father Tom, they are "completely dedicated Scientologists just like Tom."

Nicole Kidman has experienced a distant relationship with her children due to her supposed status as an "SP" [Suppressive Person], which has led to them keeping their distance from her. In a 2007 GMTV interview, Nicole lamented that her children "don't even call me 'Mom'" and expressed her dislike for being referred to by her first name.

In a heartfelt admission to WHO magazine in 2018, Nicole said: "They have made the choice to be Scientologists and as a mother, it's my job to love them. And I am an example of that tolerance and that's what I believe - that no matter what your child does, the child has love and the child has to know there is available love and I'm open here."

She emphasized the importance of unconditional love for a child, stating: "I think that's so important because if that is taken away from a child, to sever that in any child, in any relationship, in any family - I believe it's wrong. So that's our job as a parent, to always offer unconditional love."

Despite her efforts, Nicole's relationship with Bella and Connor has been fraught; she was notably absent from both of their weddings. Reports suggest that Nicole was not aware of Bella's marriage to British IT consultant Max Parker in 2015 until after the fact.

While Tom Cruise also did not receive an invitation to Bella's wedding, he was informed about the event and reportedly paid for it. Bella continues to live in a three-bedroom house in Croydon, south London, even turning down Tom's generous offer to reside in his $428,000 penthouse when she first moved to the UK full-time in 2017. This luxurious apartment is situated near 10 Downing Street and features an indoor swimming pool.

In other news, Connor tied the knot with an Italian woman named Silvia Zanchi, a fellow Scientologist who was also raised in the religion. Nicole was reportedly 'banned' from their wedding by Tom.

"Tom is behind this and what he wants is as good as law," a source revealed to Radar Online in 2019, "Tom made the call and Connor followed."

The insider further added that Connor "worships the ground his father walks on" and said: "First, Tom would never even consider inviting Nicole to Connor's wedding because she's considered a 'suppressive person' by the church - and, second, he doesn't want her there."

Despite everything, Nicole never gave up on her "lost babies" and began reconnecting with them since the lockdowns started in 2021 during the coronavirus pandemic. Bella has now achieved 'auditor' status in the UK branch of the church, which means she can now interrogate other Scientology followers using an e-meter - a type of lie detector.

In a rare promotional email sent to Scientologists in London, obtained by the Sun, Bella wrote: "Thank you to my Dad for everything. I would have drowned in my own problems if you hadn't been there to sup me or get me through the preliminaries."

Bella Cruise has dived into the creative realm, launching her own fashion line. Meanwhile, Connor Cruise keeps a low profile as a notable figure in the Church of Scientology based at its headquarters in Clearwater, Florida.

Katie Holmes was determined to have full custody to distance her daughter Suri from the influence of Scientology, amidst worries about her education in a Scientology-imbued environment in California.

Tom Cruise conceded in a 2013 deposition that Scientology played a critical part in the discord with Suri. When pressed by lawyers if Holmes divorced him partly to shield Suri from Scientology, Cruise confirmed, "That was one of the assertions, yes."

In reports surfacing in 2016, it came to light that Cruise may not have seen Suri for three years, allegedly due to Scientology doctrines disallowing contact with 'nonbelievers'. Despite this, insiders explained to Page Six that he had the opportunity to visit Suri, citing that "celebrities get to break all the rules".

Reports suggest that Tom Cruise is a stranger to his 18-year-old daughter, who is reportedly about to move into her dorm at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As part of their divorce agreement, Tom agreed to pay Katie Holmes $400,000 per month until their daughter turns 18, and also cover "medical, dental, insurance, education, college and other extracurricular costs."

An insider revealed to the Daily Mail: "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."

Following her recent high school graduation, it was reported by several outlets that Suri had changed her last name from Cruise to Noelle - a nod to her 45-year-old mother, whose middle name is Noelle. Page Six posted a picture of the supposed graduation program, highlighting the name 'Suri Noelle', as credited to celebrity news agency Backgrid.

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