They’ve been rumoured to have had the hots for each other for months despite sources claiming their Valentine’s Day meal in London’s Soho was merely a 'work meeting'. But now it seems that Tom Cruise is off-the-market after the actor and rumoured new girlfriend Ana De Armas appeared to confirm their romance last week when they were seen together on her birthday.
But while Oprah Winfrey may be plumping up her sofa cushions ready for Tom’s latest declaration of love, source tell heat that rather than being overjoyed that Ana, 37, has fallen for one of Hollywood’s all time hunks, those close to the Deep Water actress fear that Tom’s ‘feverish’ pursuit of her is only confirming his ‘creepy’ reputation.
The insider says, ‘People around Ana don’t think it’s a good fit, especially given the age difference – he might seem like a real catch but he’s 25 years older than her!
‘People worry she’s getting in too deep and he’s charming her, it was the same with all his previous girlfriends and wives. He can be so appealing when he’s pursuing someone, but none of his relationships seem to last.’
While Tom, 62, is reportedly still insisting his friendship with Ana is purely platonic, with rumours circling that he is hoping to work with her on a potential sequel to the 1990 action flick, Days of Thunder – the set on which Tom fell in love with his second wife, Nicole Kidman.
However, the A-lister certainly appeared to pull out his Top Guns last week. Embracing his inner Maverick while co-piloting a private helicopter ride for Ana on her 37th birthday, the reported new couple then dined at London’s Michelin-starred Kol restaurant, which offers a completely private dining room area where the two would not have been seen.
Tom’s birthday surprise with Ana is the second time, including Valentine’s Day, that the two have spent a special occasion together.
Last week’s trip also came just weeks after the pair were photographed sharing a flight back from Madrid to London, where they are reported to have stayed separately but kept ‘in constant contact’.
Now the source confirms that Tom, who has an estimated net worth of £600 million, knows how to woo women and won't admit defeat easily.
They tell us, ‘He’s been pursuing her feverishly, flying her around on his private jet and lavishing her with gifts. He’s always setting up meetings to introduce her to investors for a project or other heavy hitters. Ana is telling people it’s all strictly work related, but it’s very clear Tom is aiming for more than that, he’s playing the long game.
‘The thing with Tom is he’s very patient and very persistent, and he truly knows how to sweep women off their feet.’
Tom was last linked to Russian influencer and socialite, Elsina Khayrova, 37, in late 2023. It was reported in February last year that he had ‘cooled things off’ but the pair remain on good terms.
He was also linked to his Mission Impossible co-star Hayley Atwell, 43, in 2020 – six years after splitting with actress Katie Holmes. Before meeting Katie, Tom was married to Mimi Rogers from 1987-1990 and Nicole, with whom he shares Bella, 32, and Connor, 30, from 1990 to 2001.
The Risky Business star has also dated Cher, Penelope Cruz and Sofia Vergara.
However, Ana is no stranger to dating high profile men, having dated Ben Affleck for almost a year after meeting on the set of Deep Water in 2019 before moving on with Tinder executive Paul Boukadakis, with whom she split with late last year. In November, the Spanish-Cuban actress was then spotted kissing the stepson of the President of Cuba, Manuel Anido Cuesta.
But our source says that while Ana is reassuring her friends between jet-setting with Tom, they have raised their concerns over Tom’s chequered dating history – namely with ex Katie, who divorced Tom in 2012.
Katie, who was 26 when they wed, was widely reported to have been forced to plan a ‘secret exit plan’ for her and the couple’s daughter, Suri, now 19, to escape Tom and the clutches of the Church of Scientology, of which he is a very prominent member.
Now the source adds, ‘No one wants to see her in a Katie Holmes situation where she’s essentially whisked away into this whole new life. That didn’t work out well for Katie so of course Ana’s friends are worrying.
‘He’s a couple of decades older than Ana, but he still has that magnetic quality he’s so famous for and it’s very hard not to be taken in by him.
‘The fact that Ana admires him so much certainly makes her more susceptible to his charms. Here’s a man that she considers one of her idols, and now he's got his sights set on her and is rolling out the red carpet to impress her.’
Yet with their ‘romance’ said to be ramping up, our insider says Ana is adamant that she won’t have people butting into her new ‘relationship’ and sharing their opinions on Tom.
The insider says, ‘Ana’s a smart character and headstrong and she’s not taking kindly to people butting in. She’s insisting they’re working on a project together and get along, but it’s nothing more than that. No one really believes it and they wonder who she’s kidding.
‘People think Ana needs to take a step back and not spend so much time with him. Not that they can even say much to her about it, she’s so busy jetting around the world with Tom that she’s hardly in contact with any of her friends.’
Now the source says Ana’s friends fear she may be too engrossed in her new fairy tale romance to spot any warning signs that Tom may not be her Prince Charming after all.
They say, ‘It’s got to feel like quite the fairy tale and they fear that could make her overlook some major red flags. She has a history of dating older men, so it’s not a stretch to imagine her with Tom, even if she keeps insisting that isn’t what’s happening between them. But her friends are all hoping that she’ll come to her senses, and soon!’