Tom Cruise Bought Sonogram Machine to See Daughter Suri in Katie's Belly Yet Missed Her 1st Day of School

From buying an ultrasound machine to see his little girl in Katie Holmes' belly to going months without seeing the child after divorce, Tom Cruise's relationship with his daughter, Suri, seems to have changed a lot.

There was a time when Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were madly in love. Despite how things went south for the former couple, their love story remains one of a kind.

Cruise and Holmes may have only dated for two months before tying the knot, but Holmes was smitten with the "Top Gun" actor long before they met.

A "Dawson's Creek" co-star once recalled Holmes gushing about Cruise, admitting that she had posters of Cruise across her bedroom walls as a teenager. In another interview in 2004, Holmes said:

"I think every little girl dreams about (her wedding). I used to think I was going to marry Tom Cruise."

And as fate would have it, in less than six months after the interview, Holmes and Cruise met on the "Mission: Impossible 3" set and soon fell head-over-heels in love.

And just over a month later, in June 2005, Cruise confessed his love for Holmes on television. In an episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show," it looked like he could barely contain his joy over Holmes.

The action star punched the floor and repeatedly jumped on the couch with childlike excitement. This episode went down in history as Cruise's "couch-jumping episode."

The heartthrobs got engaged after a dreamy proposal in this continuing daze of newfound love. Cruise is said to have popped the question at a restaurant at the Eiffel Tower in Paris with a five-carat yellow diamond ring.

The couple hit another significant milestone less than four months after their engagement. The actors happily announced that they were expecting a baby.

Cruise was so thrilled about the pregnancy that he purchased an ultrasound machine to see and hear his baby every day. He added that he would eventually donate the device to a hospital.

The actor's unconventional decision was met with criticism, especially by the medical community. Dr. Copel of Yale University said:

"If Mr. Cruise and Ms. Holmes want their child to be a film star, they should wait until he or she is born."

Even though Cruise wanted to see his unborn child frequently, he maintained that he would not disclose the child's gender to the media.

HOW TOM CRUISE'S FAMILY LIFE WENT FROM PERFECT TO BROKEN

The baby, for whom Cruise's excitement knew no bounds, arrived on April 18, 2006. Cruise and Holmes were blessed with a daughter, whom they named Suri.

In Cruise's eyes, the birth of his little girl was nothing short of extraordinary. Cruise expressed that Suri's birth was a "20/20" experience, sharing:

"It was spiritual. It was powerful. It was indescribable."

Later that year, Cruise and Holmes tied the knot in an extravagant ceremony in Bracciano, Italy. However, six years later, their once fairytale-like love story ended.

After several rumors about trouble in paradise, the former spouses announced their decision to get divorced. Cruise later expressed that he did not expect this decision from Holmes.

The real reason for their split remains unclear. However, one of the most commonly cited rumors involves Cruise's religious beliefs.

The actor has been a known follower of the Church of Scientology. After their engagement, Holmes had also officially converted from Catholicism to Scientology.

It is rumored that one of the reasons Holmes filed for divorce was "to protect Suri from Scientology." Cruise expressed that he found the suggestion offensive and that there was no need for such protection.

While he admitted that this was one of the assertions in the former couple's divorce, he insisted that there were other factors, too. Cruise also revealed that Suri was no longer a practicing member of the religion.

The "Jack Reacher" actor also faced heat over the perception that he had cut Suri out of his life. However, Cruise officially stated that these reports were "patently false."

Cruise asserted that he did not cut off ties with her. Cruise also sued Bauer Publishing for publishing a cover story claiming he had "abandoned" Suri.

After the divorce, Holmes was given custody of Suri, and Cruise only received visitation rights. As part of the legal arrangement, Cruise was permitted to see his daughter up to 10 days a month.

In an interview with People, Cruise admitted that he hadn't been able to see Suri for 100 days. His last visit at the time was when the father-daughter duo took a Disneyland vacation.

He explained that he was swamped with a hectic work schedule in London for the 2014 film "Edge of Tomorrow." The action-adventure movie started shooting in 2012.

The 59-year-old actor also missed out on Suri's first day at school. He couldn't travel to New York City due to work and the possibility of undue paparazzi attention.

However, he added that if Suri had asked him to be present, he would have found a way to make it for the special occasion.

"I would have worked it out in any way I could."

HOW THE FORMER TRIO IS DOING NOW

The three-time Golden Globe winner turns 60 this July, and his latest movie, "Top Gun: Maverick," was a testament to his undying love for aviation, gritty action sequences, and stunts.

Over the years, the Hollywood superstar seems to have managed to keep the relationship with his daughter alive. In 2019, a close friend of the actor revealed that even though he wasn't physically present for Suri's birthdays, he would plan for those occasions.

The insider added that Cruise never intended to be distant from his daughter and that he hopes the relationship will heal one day.

In a 2017 interview, Holmes, who lives with Suri in New York, opened up about her experience raising Suri. She shared that Suri was becoming more and more independent as she grew.

And while the "America's Sweetheart" actress knew that was a good thing, she was heartbroken by the prospect of her little girl leaving her side one day.

Suri Cruise, now 16 years old, looks much like her mother. The mother and daughter seem to share a similar taste in clothes and often shop together. Describing Suri's nature in an interview, a proud Holmes said she has a strong personality and exudes confidence and strength.