Even though Katie Holmes reportedly walked away from her 2012 divorce from Tom Cruise with a healthy divorce settlement, it’s probably still a relief to her that he’s footing the $84,000 a year it costs in tuition and living expenses for their daughter Suri to go to Carnegie Mellon University.
Katie Holmes recently helped Suri move into her dorm at the esteemed university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with classes set to begin this week, the Daily Mail and other outlets reported. Holmes also is expected to fly back to Pittsburg to attend the university’s family weekend on Sept. 27 and 28, the Daily Mail also reported.
But don’t expect Cruise to be there, as he’s long been estranged from his daughter, according to multiple news outlets. In June, The Sun reported that Cruise had not seen his daughter in 11 years — around the time that he filed a defamation lawsuit against a publication that reported that he had “abandoned” his daughter because Holmes wouldn’t raise her in the Church of Scientology.
In a September 2013 deposition for the case, the Hollywood mega-star vehemently objected to a report by In Touch that said he had cut ties with then-7-year-old Suri after Holmes divorced him. He took issue with the publication claiming that he, a top celebrity member of Scientology, had chosen the church over his daughter “for good.”
“‘Abandoned by Daddy,’” Cruise said angrily in the deposition, referring to the headline of the story. “I mean, come on, that is absolutely disgusting. That is absolutely disgusting.”
But as much as Cruise denied an estrangement in 2013, he hasn’t been seen with his daughter since that year, according to the Daily Mail. He also was notably absent from a major milestone in her life in June. He publicly missed her graduation from the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City.
Moreover, there were headlines about the 18-year-old dropping her father’s surname for the ceremony. She instead used the name “Suri Noelle,” with Noelle being her mother’s middle name.
It soon emerged that Cruise had other plans that weekend. He was photographed attending one of Taylor Swift’s sold-out Eras Tour performances at Wembley Stadium in London.
In July, Cruise was a leading celebrity presence at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and he had a starring role in the closing ceremony to celebrate Los Angeles hosting the games in 2028.
The “Mission: Impossible” star jumped from the top of Stade de France in Paris and landed on the stadium field where he picked up the Olympic flag from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and gold medalist Simone Biles.
The stunt continued as the “Top Gun” star rode off on a motorcycle. A video, no doubt pre-recorded, showed him riding through the streets of Paris to an airport, where he boarded a plane to Los Angeles. He then parachuted into the Hollywood hills, where he handed off the flag to a passing bicyclist, while he rearranged the famed Hollywood sign to incorporate the logo for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
About a week ago, Suri was photographed rolling a suitcase into a dorm at Carnegie Mellon, accompanied by Holmes. The “Dawson’s Creek” actor has essentially raised Suri as a single mother in Manhattan since her 2012 divorce, according to the Daily Mail.
Cruise admitted that he “didn’t expect” Holmes to file for divorce, after about six years of marriage. It’s been reported that Holmes filed for divorce when Suri turned six, around the age that children become indoctrinated in the teachings of Scientology, according to journalist Tony Ortega, who covers the cult-like organization.
The divorce proceeded quickly with the ex-spouses reaching a settlement within 11 days. The Sun reported that Holmes was granted sole custody of Suri. But under the terms of the settlement, Cruise was required to pay more than $400,000 a year in child support to help with her upbringing.
It’s likely that the child support ended when Suri turned 18, but the Daily Mail reported this week that Cruise has paid for all of Suri’s expenses, including medical and dental insurance, education, college tuition and fees for extracurricular activities.
“Tom is indeed paying for Suri’s tuition, he has always paid for her schooling and would never stop as he is a stand-up guy,” a friend of Cruise’s told the Daily Mail. “He has never hesitated paying his daughter’s child support and expenses. He does not go back on his word. He is fulfilling his obligation.”
For her part, Suri is reportedly excited to be at Carnegie Mellon, which has a pretty well known theater arts program. That is, if she decides to follow her parents into acting.
“Suri wants the full college experience so she is giving the dorm rooms a try and she will have a roommate,” an insider told the Daily Mail. “She is excited for a new chapter in her life.”