While Tom Cruise has not been in his daughter’s life for almost a decade, sources say that he hopes to repair their relationship by paying for her college education.
Suri, 18, made all of us feel old when, last month, she began attending Carnegie Mellon University, a private college in Pennsylvania, and it was reported that her movie star father, 62, was footing the bill.
It’s no secret that the dad and daughter aren’t close, and earlier this year we learned that Suri had even stopped using Cruise as her surname, instead opting for her mother Katie Holmes’s middle name, Noelle.
Now, an insider tells us, ‘Tom paying for Suri’s tuition wasn’t just about him fulfilling his duties as an absent father. It’s part of a long-term plan that he hopes will allow him to ingratiate himself back into her life, so they can connect as adults and have a frank talk about everything – and that includes family and religion.'
Tom’s divorce from Katie, 45, was highly publicised back in 2012, with many believing that the actor’s involvement in Scientology was a key factor in the split.
Katie was reportedly worried that, due to the church’s ‘disconnection policy’, if Suri were to become more involved in it, she would have to cut ties with any family member who wasn’t a follower – including her own mother.
Our source says, ‘Katie has always been fiercely protective of Suri, and did not want Scientology to play a part in her life. But she is confident that she has raised her daughter to think for herself. Katie feels that – especially once she has completed college – Suri will be capable of knowing her own mind and able to stand up for herself, so therefore she isn’t necessarily opposed to Tom connecting with his daughter. Suri has never been able to escape her father’s presence – he’s one of the biggest movie stars on the planet.’
Part of Katie and Tom’s divorce agreement was that while Suri would remain living with her mother, who’d have sole custody, Tom would cover all Suri’s schooling costs.
Other than fulfilling his financial duties, the Mission: Impossible star has been notably absent in Suri’s life.
‘They will certainly have a lot of catching up to do, and Tom believes it’s all about the right timing. He’s been very patient and feels that he can wait a few more years if it means he is able to get back into his daughter’s life.’
