Inside Tom Cruise's Daughter Suri's Life at 16 after Claims That He Did Not See Her for 6 Years

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise were the "It couple" when they were married years ago. The couple welcomed their daughter, Suri, and the "Mission Impossible" actor was a present father before things changed.

The press accused him of abandoning his daughter, and he sued a couple of them for making false claims. Tom Cruise's little girl is now a teenager, and they have rarely been spotted together, as she resides with her mom in New York City.

Despite the claims of the strained relationship between father and daughter, Suri, who recently turned 16, has a flourishing relationship with her mother.

Holmes and Tom got married on November 18, 2006, but they met in 2005 and went public with their relationship when they toured Italy together.

Like every other girl, she had dreams of marrying Tom, and her dreams came to pass. Two months after they started dating, they were ready to settle down and announced their engagement.

They followed their engagement with the news that they had a baby on the way. Tom and Holmes often talked about their daughter, Suri Cruise, who turned 16 in April 2022. Here are more details about their relationship and Suri's life now.

TOM CRUISE AND HIS DAUGHTER'S RELATIONSHIP BEFORE HIS DIVORCE FROM KATIE HOLMES

In 2012, Holmes and Tom divorced, and some fans were surprised. Before their divorce, Tom was highly involved in Suri's life. He said:

"My whole life, I always wanted to be a father."

He was never the type of father who believed that one could spoil a child with too much love. The actor acknowledged that giving a child too much love was impossible.

Tom wanted his adopted children from his relationship with Nicole Kidman and Suri to have a close relationship. The actor said:

"I always said to myself that my children would be able to depend on me, and I would always be there for them and love them—that I'd never make a promise to my kids that I couldn't keep."

He relished his relationship with his daughter, and she was happy to tag along with her dad as they shared an affectionate bond. In an interview, Tom called Suri a joy worth celebrating, despite the bad times.

INSIDE THE ACTOR'S RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS DAUGHTER SURI TODAY

During the custody battle between Holmes and Tom, the actor confirmed in court that he only saw Suri for ten days between June 18, 2012, and Thanksgiving in 2012, meaning he did not see her for more than 100 days. An insider said:

"Tom never intended to be estranged from his daughter when he decided to have a family with Katie and looks forward to repairing the relationship one day."

Three years after their divorce, the actor sued two US magazines that claimed he "abandoned" his daughter Suri and didn't see her for 801 days.

The times were challenging for Tom and Suri. However, an insider shared that he always loved and thought about her even as she became a teenager. Samantha Domingo, a former Scientologist follower, said:

"Members of the Church are big believers in reincarnation, she says, so their viewpoint is that "Suri's not really his daughter — she's just a spiritual being in his daughter's body."

Domingo claimed the "Top Gun" star did not see his daughter for six years because his religion forbade it as Suri is not a devoted member.

The former member also claimed that he probably did it for a photo op to avoid criticism when the press sighted Tom with Suri. However, a spokeswoman for the church vehemently denied all of Domingo's allegations.

During the custody battle, Tom said there was no need to protect his daughter from his religion, and despite not seeing her, they spoke regularly over the phone.

KATIE HOLMES' RELATIONSHIP WITH HER DAUGHTER IS THRIVING

One month after Holmes filed for divorce, she won primary custody of Suri, and years later, their relationship has flourished, with both of them closer than ever. Holmes said:

"I love her so much. 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."

Holmes and Suri are almost always together and have attended several Hollywood events in each other's company. However, Holmes rarely offers details about her daughter's life to the public.

Nonetheless, in an interview in 2019, Holmes revealed that she loved growing up with Suri. She said:

"I was happy to become a mum in my twenties... It's been nice that our ages fit…"

As they grew older, she said their age difference had always been a good match. The mother and daughter duo have enjoyed things like shopping and going for walks together as they are incredibly close.

However, when Suri was younger, Holmes avoided going out because of the press, and she 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."

Holmes, who tries to be a fitness role model to her daughter, is also excited to set excellent examples for Suri without becoming too obsessed with trends.

SURI CRUISE'S LIFE AT 16

On April 18, 2022, Suri turned 16, but her mom did not celebrate her birthday on her social media even though she celebrated Suri's 15th birthday on her Instagram. However, Holmes is proud of her daughter. She said:

"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."

The excited mom loves how her daughter has matured and has her unique personality. Holmes and Suri share the same style, especially regarding their apartment.

Holmes revealed that she loves vintage art from flea markets and because they both wanted a cozy and soft apartment, they opted for a lot of colors to soften the intensity and hardness of the city around them.

A close source revealed that Holmes and Suri are more in sync as they get older and are a real team because their connection is beautiful.

Suri grew up to be an accomplished teenager. She started taking ballet lessons as a child and briefly studied guitar. Another source revealed that she is a talented athlete well-liked by her close friends. The source said:

"Suri is very naturally athletic and excels at physical activities like gymnastics and dance."

Suri, who is almost as tall as Holmes, attended an elite private school in Manhattan and even adopted a puppy in early 2022. She loves shopping and Broadway shows and has all the access to her favorite Broadway shows.