The Biggest Rumors About Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise had already starred in several feature films, including the teen sex comedy "Risky Business" and sports drama "All the Right Moves," before he got his career defining role in "Top Gun." It was inarguably his role as Lt. Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell in the 1986 action drama that solidified his career. Cruise enjoyed career success for decades to follow, with roles in "Mission: Impossible," "Jack Reacher" helping to line his pockets to the tune of $600 million.
Cruise also returned to play Maverick, now a Captain, in a "Top Gun" sequel in 2022, alongside Val Kilmer, Miles Teller, and Jennifer Connelly. The film grossed almost $1.5 billion worldwide, yet again proving Cruise is one of the most bankable actors in Hollywood. He took home $100 million in salary and back end deals for his effort. "Most actors aren't worth what you pay them, but Cruise and maybe Dwayne Johnson justify their salaries," one Paramount Studios exec told Variety.
However, while Cruise's career has been flying high for years, his personal life has been a little more turbulent. He's been through three marriages to fellow actors Mimi Rogers, Nicole Kidman, and Katie Holmes. The "Knight and Day" actor shares two children with Kidman, and a daughter with Holmes. As such a high-profile actor, it's not surprising that there are always rumors floating around about Crusie. While some proved to be true — like his relationship with Cher — there are some which are harder to believe. From Shakira to Scientology, these are the biggest rumors about Tom Cruise.
Tom Cruise and Shakira dating rumors
One of the biggest Tom Cruise dating rumors to hit the stands in 2023 is the actor's rumored relationship with "Whenever, Wherever" singer Shakira. The pair were spotted out at a Formula 1 Grand Prix in Miami, Florida, together, sparking rumors of a potential romance between them. A source close to the pair told Page Six that Cruise had a deep affection for the singer and was keen to develop a relationship. He reportedly even sent her flowers to seal the deal. "Tom was giddy when he met Shakira, and it wasn't all that dissimilar to how he acted when he first got with Katie Holmes," an insider told Heat World.
However, it appears rumors of a relationship between the pair have no legs to stand on as just days later Shakira was spotted getting closer to Formula 1 world champ Lewis Hamilton. Though that relationship also remains in rumor territory as of this writing, Cruise was reportedly devastated by Hamilton swooping in when he had made his feelings clear. "It was a huge dent to Tom's ego. It stung all the more because he considers Lewis a buddy," a source alleged to Radar Online (via Yahoo!).
Since neither Cruise nor Shakira commented on their supposed relationship, it's hard to know how much of these rumors to believe. Especially after Cruise's last bout of relationship rumors with his "Mission: Impossible 7" co-star Hayley Atwell also turned out to be a flop. Atwell firmly shut down the speculation about her romantic life, telling Country & Townhouse, "What I feel is the truly extraordinary power of platonic love."
Were Tom Cruise and Elizabeth Moss engaged?
Rumors about Tom Cruise's love life are par for the course. It certainly comes with the territory of being such a high-profile actor. However, some are juicier than others, and a real doozy made headlines in 2017 when Cruise was rumored to be engaged for the fourth time.
The "Rock of Ages" star was pictured with a mystery blonde, who was allegedly confirmed to be fellow actor Elizabeth Moss. This pairing could make sense since they are connected by Scientology. However, with no confirmation or denial from Cruise or Moss, this rumor took on a life of its own, and culminated in news of an engagement. Years later, Moss weighed in on the story, admitting she was confused about how it came about. "I saw it on one of the covers of one of the gossip magazine, and I was like, 'I have never had that haircut!' It was supposed to be a picture of the two of us, but I was like 'I've never styled my hair like that,'" she explained during an episode of "Watch What Happens Live! With Andy Cohen."
The photo in question was actually a still from "Mission: Impossible – Fallout." And the mystery woman was Cruise's co-star Vanessa Kirby, who claims the pair also did not date. She admitted to finding the whole rumor quite embarrassing and, although she never discussed it with Cruise, she speculated he felt the same way.
Plastic surgery rumors
There's no denying Tom Cruise is one handsome man. But how does he maintain his good looks? Well, rumor has it, it's through plastic surgery. Fans and media outlets have enjoyed speculating on the topic for years, and in 2016, Cruise tried to dispel the rumors about having had cosmetic surgery. "I haven't, and I never would," he told Fox News. However, that didn't seem to stop much, and he was yet again slammed with rumors, questions, and speculation when his face appeared disproportionately swollen at a San Francisco game in 2021. Many believed it was Botox gone badly, but they never got their answer.
It wasn't until Cruise was interviewed during Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022, that the topic of plastic surgery cropped up again. The "Mission: Impossible" actor was looking better than ever at the event, with very few visible wrinkles to speak of. Additionally, after his interview, a medical practitioner also speculated to The Sun that Cruise might have had work done on the top of his head. "At almost 60, Tom's hairline has remained relatively the same, although slightly thinning, which does suggest he may have had hair transplants," they said.
While still only rumors, having a little cosmetic work done is not outside the realm of possibility for Cruise, who has altered his appearance in the past. In the 80s, he had his teeth straightened.
Rumors speculating his sexuality
This one might be a little hard to believe since Tom Cruise is always photographed with beautiful women on his arm, and he has never come out as gay or bisexual. But yet, there are plenty of rumors circling the actor which speculate about what his sexuality really is.
In 2006, a sex worker named Chad Slater claimed that he had an affair with Cruise, which led to the breakdown of his marriage with Nicole Kidman. At the time, there were even suggestions that the couple were both gay and married to cover it up. However, Cruise managed to prove this allegation false after he sued Slater for $10 million. His suits stated that while Cruise "believes in the right of others to follow their own sexual preference, vast numbers of the public throughout the world do not share that view and, believing that he had a homosexual affair and did so during his marriage, they will be less inclined to patronize Cruise's films, particularly since he tends to play parts calling for heterosexual romance and action adventure" (via ABC News).
Cruise won the claim after Slater admitted the story was false. However, outlets became abuzz with rumors of the same nature following Cruise's split with Katie Holmes. It's a story he seemingly can't get out from under.
Did Scientology cause Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman's split?
So, if it wasn't a gay affair which caused Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman to split up, was it Scientology? Some persistent rumors would certainly suggest that's the case. The couple's split came as a shock to a lot of people, including Kidman who was blindsided when Cruise filed for divorce in February 2001. At the time, their rep cited their busy careers as the main factor for their amicable split.
However, not every moment of their divorce proceedings seemed amicable, and Cruise later alluded to something more going on behind the scenes while speaking to Vanity Fair. "She knows why, and I know why ... there's a point at which you just sometimes have to face the brutal reality," he said.
Many onlookers believe that Scientology may have actually played a part in that brutal reality. Cruise has been devoted to the church since 1990, after his then-wife Mimi Rogers welcomed him to the religion. It's alleged that Kidman wanted Cruise to leave the church and the "Vanilla Sky" actor was close to doing so. So, instead, the church stepped in to end the marriage and protect their relationship with Cruise. Although Kidman did take Scientology classes while married to Cruise, she has never publicly commented on her relationship with the religion and the part it may or may not have played in ending her marriage. This is one rumor that may yet prove to be true.
Tom Cruise reportedly auditioned women to be his girlfriend
Over the years, the Church of Scientology has weathered many scandals and been dogged by countless rumors. One of which even involves their outspoken advocate Tom Cruise. According to the tell-all book "Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison Belief" written by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Lawrence Wright, the church has been auditioning its members and women outside the church to be Tom Cruise's girlfriend. Vanity Fair also reported this story in 2012. These alleged auditions reportedly took place in 2004, the year before Cruise met his third wife Katie Holmes.
Former Scientologist Brendan Tighe also claimed that Scarlett Johansson was one of the women that auditioned for Cruise. However, the Marvel star was quick to refute the claims. "The very idea of any person auditioning to be in a relationship is so demeaning. I refuse for anyone to spread the idea that I lack the integrity to choose my own relationships," she told The Hollywood Reporter. Additionally, the Church of Scientology denied Tighe's allegations, claiming that he lied about his position within the Church.
Did Tom Cruise stop seeing Suri because of Scientology?
On 18 April, 2006, Katie Holmes gave birth to her first child with then-fianceé Katie Holmes. Afterward, Cruise gushed: "It was everything that we wanted it to be ... It was spiritual. It was powerful. It was indescribable" (via ABC News). Cruise and Holmes tied the knot later that year and enjoyed a happy family life for several years with their daughter Suri, and her older siblings Isabella and Connor, who Cruise had full custody of after his divorce from Nicole Kidman.
Cruise was raising Isabella and Connor as Scientologists, but Holmes reportedly wasn't on board with the relationship. And, when the pair ultimately split in 2012, religion was allegedly a big reason. Rumors began circulating that Holmes had to leave because she wanted to protect Suri from Scientology. Cruise appeared to agree that was the biggest reason Holmes left him, but Holmes has never commented on the reason for their split.
However, the rumors may be true because following their split, Cruise reportedly lost contact with Suri. In fact, In Touch claimed that Cruise hasn't seen his youngest child since she was seven years old. "Tom eats, breathes and sleeps Scientology," a source told the outlet. "He's disconnected from Katie, and then de facto from Suri, because of her connection to Katie," they told the outlet. So, is Scientology keeping the father and daughter apart?
Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz sparked dating rumors
Tom Cruise can't be spared a single moment from the rumor mill. After talk about his divorce and estrangement from their daughter Suri was exhausted, news outlets jumped to the next hot topic; his alleged relationship with Cameron Diaz. The actors knew each other well after starring in the 2010 action film "Knight and Day." But, no romance ever brewed on set, it wasn't until after Cruise's divorce that the celebrity pairing were supposedly turning heads.
However, Diaz clarified their state of relationship on "The Graham Norton Show." According to the "Charlie's Angels" star, it's a classic case of the media getting hold of the wrong end of the stick. While staying in a hotel ahead of filming "The Counselor," Diaz ran into Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem in the restaurant. "Tom and Conor, his son, were having dinner with the two of them. They all invited me to sit next to them," she explained. Diaz noted that it was the day before her 40th birthday and at midnight they took a picture to celebrate the occasion.
Rumors of Diaz's birthday date with Cruise seem to have been greatly exaggerated, though. In fact, the occasion was so apparently so unmemorable that Cruise said in his 2012 Bauer Media trial that he didn't recall going to any kind of birthday celebration at all.
He allegedly thought about becoming a monk
Okay, so we've heard it all now! Tom Cruise's first wife Mimi Rogers claims the reason she and her hubby split is not because of their six-year age gap or because Cruise was secretly gay, but because he wanted to become a monk.
Cruise and Rogers were married for three years, from 1987 to 1990. During their whirlwind romance, the pair weathered many rumors. Rogers also introduced Cruise to the Church of Scientology, which would become a huge part of his life (and relationships) going forward. Cruise had a deep affinity for religion, according to his ex Rogers, who told Playboy in 1993, "Tom was seriously thinking of becoming a monk" (via E!).
"At least for that period of time, it looked as though marriage wouldn't fit into his overall spiritual need. And he thought he had to be celibate to maintain the purity of his instrument," she continued, before adding: "My instrument needed tuning." We'll leave it up to you to interpret what she meant there.
Was Tom Cruise close to playing Iron Man?
As far as romance rumors go, Tom Cruise has had them nonstop. But, the actor has also had to weather plenty of speculation about all aspects of his career. One of the biggest acting-related rumors that's followed him for years is the speculation that he is on the hook to play Iron Man in a Marvel movie.
Cruise has allegedly been tipped to play the armored avenger since before Robert Downey Jr. donned that red and gold suit. However, Cruise denied being in the running for the 2008 "Iron Man" feature. He added while speaking to "Phase Zero," "I love Robert Downey Jr., and I can't imagine anyone else doing that role, and I think it's perfect for him" (via CBR).
Once Downey Jr.'s iteration of Tony Stark had taken his last flight, Cruise was reported to once again be in line to play the billionaire playboy-turned-superhero. In 2022, BGR reported that Marvel fans could see Cruise taking on the role in "Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness" as an alternate variant of Iron Man from another reality. Although the movie came and went without a Tom Cruise cameo, the actor shouldn't expect the Iron Man rumors to die down anytime soon.
Tom Cruise allegedly died in 2023
Celebrity death hoaxes are really nothing new. Everyone from Taylor Swift, to Nick Jonas, to Drake have been reported dead, even by reputable news sources, when they were very much still alive and kicking.
Now Tom Cruise has joined that list, with rumors circulating in March 2023 that the actor had died. According to The Sun, it started when a Facebook page titled "RIP Tom Cruise" posted an announcement about the actor's passing. It read: "Tom Cruise was born on July 3, 1962 in Syracuse. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page."
Some fans were devastated by the fake news, and tributes to that actor were pouring in. However, his representatives quickly put the rumors to rest. "He joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. He's still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the internet," they said in a statement. Thank goodness!
Rumors are circulating about him leaving the Mission: Impossible franchise
Bar his 36-year gap between the "Top Gun" movies, "Mission: Impossible" is Tom Cruise's longest running movie franchise. He went on his first impossible mission in 1996, and is set to return for his hardest mission yet in the seventh and eighth installments of the series, "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning" parts 1 and 2. With a two-part film never having been done before, and almost two decades between these new films and the beginning of the franchise, rumors have been circulating about Ethan Hunt's fate. Could Cruise be stepping away from the iconic role?
Well, yes, according to Variety, who reported the seventh and eighth films will see out Cruise's character. However, a few months later, "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning" director Christopher McQuarrie did a 180 and tried to dispel the rumors. He claimed that the story was completely fabricated. "Let me tell you, I've been working with Tom Cruise for 15 years and I cannot tell you the number of times I've been standing next to the man, witnessed an event, and then read about it in the trades the next day and none of what they describe is true," he told the "Light the Fuse" podcast. McQuarrie's statement seems to have calmed the waters for now, but Ethan Hunt's fate hangs in the balance.