Suri Cruise Is Growing Up Fast
In April 2006, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes welcomed their daughter Suri Cruise. The fascination with Suri has always been high, with some people referring to her as the most famous celebrity child in the world. From her gorgeous looks to her uncommon name, just about everyone has been fascinated with Suri at one point or another. "We had the name before we found out because we both thought the baby would be a girl," Tom told Vanity Fair after Suri's birth. "Some friends of ours sent us two [baby-naming] books. When we came to the name Suri, we both loved it. And we both said, 'Suri Cruise.' We later found out that it meant 'red rose,' and that was just a bonus. Suri — it was perfect," he added.
When Suri was six, her mother made the decision to leave her marriage, walking away from Tom — and from the Church of Scientology. Although Holmes has never really discussed her divorce in depth, the going theory was that she wanted to "protect Suri from Scientology," which Tom later confirmed was indeed his ex's thought process behind the split, according to ABC News. As Suri has gotten older, Holmes has done her best to allow her to live life as normal as possible. Meanwhile, reports indicate that Suri hasn't had a relationship with her father in more than a decade. Nevertheless, time hasn't stopped, and Suri has grown into a beautiful young woman.
The obsession with Suri Cruise started before she was born
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' relationship took the world by storm in the early 2000s and their love story became fodder for tabloids all over the globe. And, during an appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in May 2005, Tom Cruise completely let loose, jumping up on Winfrey's couch and proclaiming his love for the "Dawson's Creek" actor. That moment was so crazy that people still talk about it today — it's a moment frozen in time that most people will never forget. Five months later, People magazine reported that TomKat was expecting their first child together. "Tom and Katie are very excited, and the entire family is very excited," a spokesperson for Tom told the outlet.
It was at this point in time that the stakes for paparazzi seemed to hit a peak. Not only did people want to see photos of Holmes pregnant, but the world couldn't wait to get their first glimpse of America's version of a royal baby. Six months later, Suri Cruise made her grand entrance into the world, but Tom and Holmes decided to keep the first few months of their daughter's life private. Just about everyone was keeping their eyes peeled for a glimpse of Hollywood's first daughter, some even wondering if something was wrong due to the lack of photos. However, Suri made her official debut in October 2006 — and it was clear that there was nothing wrong at all.
Suri Cruise's first photos were magical
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes shared the first photos of their daughter in an impressive spread published by Vanity Fair. "Yes, Suri, She's Our Baby!" read the cover. Photographed by Annie Leibovitz, Suri Cruise appeared content as the camera snapped away. The cover shot featured the bouncing baby girl in her father's arms, with her mom looking on. She had a full head of hair and appeared to be the perfect mix of her parents. "She has Kate's lips and eyes. I think she looks like Kate," the "Top Gun" actor told the publication. "I think she has Tom's eyes. I think she looks like Tom," countered Holmes.
On the inside pages of the magazine, Suri became a star. She appeared in an impressive 22-page spread along with her parents, smiling and peering into the camera as if she was made for exactly this moment. And no one was disappointed. Millions of people viewed the first photos of Suri, and the outlet is said to have broken a one-day record with some four million people clicking in for a look. Perhaps even more shocking, when Suri was only three months old, TMZ reported that magazines were willing to pay upwards of $5 million for the first photos of Suri, which is quite a pretty penny for a tiny human who had only been earthside for a handful of months.
From there, paparazzi knew that photos of Suri were a high priority, and that has been the case ever since.
The camera loved Suri Cruise
After the first photos of Suri Cruise emerged, it seemed as though her parents didn't do much to keep her hidden from the world. In fact, they would often take Suri out to various events, and she would be consistently photographed. Not only did the camera love Suri, but she loved the camera, too. There are tons of photos of her looking right into the lens, flashing a smile, and even striking a pose at times. Heck, even Katie Holmes couldn't deny it.
"We were followed a lot when she was little," Holmes recalled during an interview with InStyle in April 2020. "I just wanted her outside, so I would walk her around to find parks at, like, 6 in the morning when nobody would see us. But there's one video where I'm holding her — she was 2 at the time — and she starts waving at the cameras."
As Suri has gotten older, Holmes has done her best to shield her from the ever-present paparazzi. "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," Holmes told Glamour in an April 2023 interview. One thing that Holmes can't do, however, is stop time. And Suri has grown up so quickly, right in front of all of our eyes.
Suri Cruise has been a fashionista since she was quite young
As Suri Cruise got a bit older, she became very interested in fashion and loved getting dressed up. In June 2011, the Daily Mail reported that Suri had quite an impressive shoe collection worth $150,000. Moreover, she had some really unique pieces in her wardrobe, including "custom-made designs from Marc Jacobs and Christian Louboutin." Not too shabby for a 5-year-old, eh? Outside of Suri's closet, she seemed quite interested in fashion as a whole and started weighing in on her mom's outfit choices, too.
"She'll really tell me [what she thinks]," Katie Holmes told Elle magazine in February 2011, when Suri was nearly five years old. "Like today I'm wearing brown suede pants, and she said, 'I don't like your pants.' But then she'll say, 'You've got to wear these shoes.' Or 'That's so pretty, Mom. Wear that.' She's got a great eye," Holmes admitted.
The next year, Suri found herself back in Vanity Fair, this time involving details of some of her most stylish outfits. Yes, a 6-year-old got her very own article in Vanity Fair thanks to her taste in fashion. From her dresses to her stylish coats, accessories, and, of course, shoes, Suri was a walking fashionista — and no one could deny it.
Suri Cruise became a New Yorker with ease
After spending the early years of her life in California, Suri Cruise moved to New York City with her mom. Around middle-school age, Suri was less into cutesy dresses with frills and bows and more into comfy clothes that had her fitting in effortlessly. Suri seemed to transform into a young lady overnight. She was often photographed with Katie Holmes living her best life in New York, going to museums, sporting stores, and pet shops.
When considering a move to the Big Apple, Holmes had a lot to think about. But first and foremost, she wanted to ensure that Suri was getting the best opportunities to be a kid. In her interview with InStyle, Holmes expressed the excitement she had for moving to Manhattan with Suri and what a great experience it has been for both of them.
"Yes, it's a little too exposed at times, and we work hard to maneuver and navigate. But what I love about New York is that for me and my child, this is our vibe. When there are 25 things to do every night, it takes you out of your own thing," she said. Navigating life as a single mom hasn't always been easy for Holmes, but she has always taken the job seriously. Not only has Holmes really enjoyed motherhood, but she has specifically raved about being Suri's mom, which is super sweet.
Suri Cruise attended Avenues The World School in New York
After moving to New York City with her mom, Suri Cruise enrolled in a private school — Avenues The World School. The private school, located in the Chelsea district, requires its students to wear uniforms. Students can enroll at preschool age and can attend straight through high school, with courses designed to prepare them for college as they reach the higher grade levels. Perhaps unsurprisingly, tuition for the institution isn't cheap. Back in 2013, for example, tuition was estimated to be upwards of $40,000 per academic year. While the campus only first opened in 2012, it boasts quite a track record for its graduating students.
"Students from Avenues' first seven graduating classes are studying at a distinctive array of colleges and universities around the world, including the University of Chicago, Harvard, New York University, the University of Southern California and Stanford," the school's website reads. It's at Avenues that Suri started coming into her own and experiencing a different kind of learning in a safe environment — even impressively learning Mandarin Chinese in Elementary School, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Of course, the paparazzi haven't been too far behind, and photos of Suri as she's gotten older still seem to be a hot commodity. Interestingly, photos of Suri in her school uniform before and after classes are extremely rare, although US Weekly obtained an adorable pic in October 2012.
Suri Cruise became a total yogi (just like her famous mom)
As Suri Cruise has gotten older, she's developed a love for working out and has been spotted heading to and from various classes, including yoga. In 2019, Katie Holmes told Shape that Suri's been a pretty good workout partner for her. "Sometimes I work out with my daughter. It just depends on the day. We have our routines and occasionally they overlap. But I don't force her to work out with me because I know that's lame," Holmes admitted. Over the years, Suri has been photographed alongside her mom in New York City, heading to a yoga studio to get some exercise.
As Suri has gotten older, she's often been spotted as she heads to the gym to get a workout in. Suri has totally nailed the athleisure look and seems to have embraced her mom's laid-back, casual style, really becoming one with the people of New York. There have been a number of times that an all-grown-up Suri has been photographed wearing yoga pants and a cut-off tank as she's walking the streets of one of the most bustling cities in the world. One thing that can't be denied is that she's her mom's near-clone — from her brown hair to her long, lean legs.
Katie Holmes has wanted to work with Suri Cruise
As Suri Cruise has become a young adult, the relationship that she has with her mom has certainly changed, but the two seem to be closer than ever — even if things look a bit different. "She's an incredible person," Katie Holmes told Glamour. But the buck doesn't stop there. Holmes is such a big fan of her daughter that she has shown some serious interest in working with her professionally.
The actor actually got her daughter to lend her singing voice to a project she'd been working on. The then-16-year-old sang a cover of "Blue Moon" in the film "Alone Together," which was released in July 2022. "I always want the highest level of talent, so I asked her! She's very, very talented," Holmes told Yahoo! Entertainment. In April 2023, Suri's vocals in the film "Rare Objects" hit streaming platforms.
"I hope she always does something on my films," Holmes told Glamour. "I always ask her. But both of those experiences came out of the same sense of what I love about our industry, which is, you have these projects and you become a family with people," she added. "So it comes out of love for me to include someone who I love dearly."
Suri Cruise has prepared for college
Suri Cruise may be a teenager, but she hasn't lost some of the passions that she discovered when she was young. As she prepares for her college years ahead, sources say that she hopes to study fashion. "Suri is applying to schools all over the place," a close source told the Daily Mail in March 2023. As the world has watched this super famous kid grow and change, it seems that most people want the very best for Suri as she embarks on new opportunities and forges her own path in the world. Of course, she will always have her mother's love and support, which has only helped shape the woman she is becoming.
"Every day, kids get a little further away from you. That's a positive thing. They should be becoming more independent, but it's heartbreaking," Katie Holmes told Town & Country in February 2017. "You want them to stay with you forever, but they're these amazing beings, and you have to do everything you can to give them what they need — and then they're going to go. And that's going to be very, very sad for me," she added. Indeed, it does feel like just yesterday Suri was peering into the paparazzi camera while holding her elephant stuffy, and so many moms can relate to what Holmes is feeling as her little girl is little no more.