Katie Holmes' Daughter Suri Is Her Double & Prepares for College at 17 – Dad Tom Allegedly Cut Ties with Her Decade Ago & Won't Help

• Suri Cruise was highly "visible" from a young age.
• Her father, Tom Cruise, chooses not to communicate after he and her mom split.
• Suri is 17: She looks like her parents and is preparing for college.

Suri Cruise, the only child of the renowned actor Tom Cruise and his ex-wife, Katie Holmes, turned 17 on April 18! It seems her mother chose to keep her daughter's birthday off social media to protect her privacy. The teen was spotted out on a stroll through New York City, and fans were thrilled to see how grown-up she looked.

Countless reports have indicated that Suri and her father don't have a good relationship. After Katie and Tom split, she received guardianship over their daughter, while Tom reportedly chose to cut ties with his daughter.

Fans were elated to see images of Suri out and about. Many people noticed how similar the teen looks to her mother, while others pointed out that she shares many features with her dad as well. One person wrote, "Very pretty. I see mom and dad in her face. Probably more of mom."

Following the divorce, Katie took Suri and fled from Los Angeles and her past life with Tom.

Another Instagram user lamented, "this child is so beautiful why does Tom not want to have anything to do with his child it's so sad (sic)." Another noted, "Oh she's such a beaut. Looking like a mix of both her parents. And wearing her clothes like her momma. Not too much, just subtle. Go Suri."

Suri's 'Visible' Childhood

Even though Katie tries to keep her daughter out of the public eye, Suri is a highly recognizable figure who has been in the spotlight frequently as a child. Katie and Tom welcomed their daughter on April 18, 2006, a mere year after they first met. They were engaged after dating for two months and married almost seven months after Suri's birth.

Katie and Tom's divorce announcement shocked many of their fans.

Tom and Katie were married for five years before they decided to go their separate ways in 2012. Following the divorce, Katie took Suri and fled from Los Angeles and her past life with Tom. The two made their way to New York, where Katie could shield her daughter from numerous elements. She revealed:

"What has been really important for me with my daughter, because she was so visible at a young age, is I really like to protect her. I'm very grateful to be a parent, to be her parent. She's an incredible person."

Following their move to New York, Katie tried her best to keep Suri out of the media's reach. Few pictures of Suri were circulating, and Katie didn't reveal much information about her daughter to news outlets. Nonetheless, with her famous heritage, it was tricky to keep her life private.

After settling into life in New York, Katie revealed that her daughter was her main priority. She said she wanted to ensure Suri knew how much her mother loved her after Tom completely cut ties with her. Since her dad reportedly almost entirely disowned her, Katie wanted to ensure Suri had all the love she needed.

Why Does Tom Cruise Allegedly Not Communicate with His Daughter?

Katie and Tom's divorce announcement shocked many of their fans. Although the famous couple had a financial prenup already in place, the legal battle for custody over Suri was a challenging and drawn-out process. But Katie had no intentions of backing down and losing access to her only daughter.

Suri, quickly approaching 18, is reportedly preparing herself for the next phase of life.

In 2012, Katie filed for divorce in New York, supposedly to make it easier for her to gain sole custody over her daughter. Katie reportedly vied for sole custody over her daughter so she could get Suri away from the Church of Scientology — an institution Tom wholeheartedly supports.

Following the split, sources indicated that Tom was ordered to cut all ties with Katie and Suri, since the Church of Scientology deemed them "unbelievers." Although Tom was granted visitation rights, the actor has allegedly refused to see his daughter for more than a decade. One source declared, "This is his loss."

According to the Daily Mail, Tom was also ordered by the court to pay $400,000 per annum until she turns 18 as part of the child support agreement. Although he's paying no spousal support, he is in charge of Suri's medical costs, dental expenses, insurance, and education. That said, Katie would have been entitled to his $250 million fortune if their marriage had lasted for more than 11 years.

Suri Is 17: The Teen Who Leads a Quiet Life Gets Ready for College

Suri, quickly approaching 18, is reportedly preparing herself for the next phase of life. With her mother's help, she has started the process of applying for colleges, presumably sending in applications to a number of reputable institutions. All sources indicate that Suri's dad won't be pitching in, as he has "no part" in her life.

It also seems Suri is stepping out into the limelight all on her own. In two of her mother's previous directorial endeavors, Suri has been featured. The first, "Alone Together," had Suri singing "Blue Moon" at the very start and had a dedication to her at the end.

More recently, the teen's name was seen at the end of Katie's second film, "Rare Objects," in another brief dedication. Katie commented on her daughter's involvement in her filmmaking, noting, "She's very, very talented. She said she would do it and she recorded it and I let her do her thing." The actress and director has indicated that she hopes to keep working closely with Suri in the future.

But acting isn't the only thing the teen has inherited from her famous parents. Fans noticed she looked like a carbon copy of her mom, and many even saw Tom's features in her face as she made her way through New York City. Some even noticed she shares her mom's eclectic fashion sense.

One Instagram user wrote about Suri, "Mummy's girl," while another commented, "Woooow she looks like her mum." One person said, "Such a natural beauty," while another exclaimed in surprise, "Wait when did she get this big? What the....where have I been? Lol." Another noticed, "Every photo I see of Suri she looks sad."

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