Details About Tom Cruise's Relationship With His Only Son Connor

Tom Cruise has secured the spot as one of the most successful actors of our time. From his role as the seemingly innocent Joel Goodsen in "Risky Business" to the Bond-like Ethan Hunt in "Mission Impossible," the actor has spent the last four decades making a name for himself. In addition to being a successful actor, Tom Cruise is also a well-known father of three — sharing two kids with his ex-costar Nicole Kidman (Connor and Isabella) and one with the "Dawson's Creek" actress Katie Holmes (Suri).

While his relationship with Suri hasn't been the best, he does seem to maintain a strong connection with Connor and Isabella. In 2016, Isabella assured The Daily Mail that she still talks to her beloved father, stating, "Of course, we talk. They're my parents." Due to Tom's private nature, however, it's hard to pinpoint if that connection is as strong as his relationship with his son, Connor. Like his sister Isabella, Connor was adopted shortly after his birth in 1995. Over time, Connor developed a strong bond with the "Mission Impossible" actor. Although the two were last photographed in 2021 (via Hollywood Life), his bond with his father has followed him well into his adult life, and it doesn't seem like it is fading away any time soon. Despite the father-son duo keeping a low profile, their love for each other is well-documented. To gain more insight into their nurturing relationship, here are some details about Tom Cruise's relationship with his only son.

Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman's decade-long marriage came to an end when Cruise suddenly filed for divorce in 2001. According to Kidman, this came as a surprise, since she believed that they had a relatively happy marriage. "It took me a very long time to heal," she told DuJour Magazine (via People). "It was a shock to my system." In light of this, Cruise wanted joint custody of Connor and Isabella due to "irreconcilable differences." Whatever those differences may have been surely left Kidman confused, as it led to Connor and Isabella leaving her to live with Tom in Los Angeles, California (via Vogue).

According to an interview with Hello! Magazine in 2010, she revealed that she was open to the idea of Connor and Isabella living with her and her husband, Keith Urban (via Vogue). Unfortunately, she revealed that the choice for them to live with their father was purely their own, stating, "They live with Tom, which was their choice. I would love for them to live with us, but what can you do?" Despite his sudden departure from his mother, Connor iterated that the two still maintain a strong connection with each other. "I don't care what people say, I know that me and Mum are solid," he told Women's Day Magazine. "I love her a lot. My family means everything. ... the family comes before everything else."

Being the son of two major actors isn't easy, since it usually leads to unwanted attention from the public. Despite this, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman have done a good job keeping their two kids away from the limelight. Due to Tom's religious beliefs, however, supervision was high in the Cruise household. Although Connor never opened up about his strict living conditions, ex-Scientologist Leah Remini claimed that his childhood was heavily centered around his father's religion. From homeschooling to Scientology-based summer camps, Connor experienced an exclusive way of life that was heavily monitored by those in the Church of Scientology.

In an attempt to expose the celebrity-centric religion for its alleged malpractice, Leah Remini wrote a book titled "Troublemaker." In it, she recalled multiple instances regarding the children of Tom Cruise — like Isabella calling her mother a "suppressive person" or Suri crying on the floor at her parent's wedding (via New York Daily News). Through expressing her resentment of the community she was a part of, she suggested that the life of the Cruise kids was heavily controlled. Remini wrote, "The siblings, who were supervised by Sea Org members, often had their computers taken by the security force at CC to make sure they weren't up to anything and to keep filters on so they couldn't go on any websites that might get them asking questions" (via The Richest). Although it's all speculation, there's a good chance Connor grew up following strict Scientology rules. 

Despite being under heavy surveillance as a kid, it seems like his belief in Scientology never wavered. With the Church of Scientology exiling Nicole Kidman for holding opposing beliefs, she shared that Connor decided to remain involved with the religion after her divorce from Tom Cruise. During her interview with Who Magazine, Kidman revealed that although her kids are devoted to a religion she doesn't believe in, she still loves them dearly. "They are adults," Kidman stated, "They are able to make their own decisions. They have made choices to be Scientologists and as a mother, it's my job to love them."

Due to his close relationship with his father, it's safe to assume that Tom Cruise had a big influence on his son's religious beliefs. According to People, their shared faith in Scientology may have been the glue that kept them together all these years. In 2019, the father-son duo was spotted in London on the same weekend as the International Association of Scientologists (IAS) — an annual Scientology event held in Sussex, England, per People. A source told People that they were likely in London to attend the event, stating, "Tom has attended numerous times in the past. This appears to be the first time Connor has gone." Within the Scientology community, Connor is beloved. With Clearwater, Florida being his place of residence — the church's center — Connor appears to be very close to those in the community.

Religious beliefs aren't the only thing of common interest amongst the father-son duo. As the son of two legendary figures in the world of acting, it's only natural to assume he'd follow suit — and he did, for a time. His brief acting stint saw him star alongside massive acting stars like Chris Hemsworth in the 2012 remake of the action war film "Red Dawn," and Will Smith in the 2008 drama "Seven Pounds" (via IMDb). At only 13 years of age, Will Smith praised Connor's level of professionalism and talent he brought to his role as Young Ben (via YouTube). Smith also revealed that before attaining his gig in the drama film, Connor had been expressing interest in acting for eight to nine months. "He's got a couple of good role models in his life," Smith stated, "so I think he might be able to put something together."

Tom Cruise seemingly had a positive outlook on Connor's career, stating that he was almost sure his son and daughter Isabella would follow in his footsteps (via YouTube). However, this wasn't the case. Despite his two successful roles, Connor seemingly stepped away from the world of acting to tackle other passions of his. According to Tom Cruise, he has no problem allowing his kids to venture out and find what truly makes them happy. For Connor, it seems like he didn't miss out, as he's been able to make a living as a DJ and deep-sea fisherman.

Tom Cruise gifting his son a $500,000 boat may seem a tad extreme, but it was for a good reason. If you were to take a look at Connor's Instagram, you'd be amazed by the number of deep-sea creatures he has reeled in — which spans from massive-sized yellowfins to swordfishes. Despite his private nature, Connor has no problem sharing his deep-sea feats with his 40,000 followers. According to TMZ, his talents as a fisherman saw him come in first place at the 2022 Sarasota Slam fishing tournament in Florida. Connor was able to reel in a 301-pound Warsaw grouper, which was then donated to feed those in need. Safe to say that fishing is a massive passion for the 27-year-old.

Although Tom stated that he was confident Connor would follow in his footsteps as an actor, he may have influenced his son's trajectory from acting to deep-sea fishing. According to Connor, fishing was something that Tom introduced him to as a kid. "We used to go fishing a lot when I was [a] little kid," he told People, "The biggest fish I caught was a 250-pound Tuna in Fiji. I was 10" (via People). While it's clear Connor has many talents, it seems like fishing always seemed promising. People states that the young prodigy of the seas has since turned his hobby into a full-time job, all thanks to his father.

After divorcing Nicole Kidman in 2001, Tom Cruise hopped into another very publicized marriage. In 2006, Tom married Katie Holmes, and the couple had a daughter, Suri, the same year. During the Cruise-Holmes marriage, it seemed that Connor and Isabella were well acquainted with their step-mom and half-sister. In fact, Holmes stated that they started to call her "mom" since they were so close (via People). Sadly, this would come to an end, as 2012 saw the demise of Tom and Holmes' relationship. Tom's connection with his daughter slowly became damaged as a result of Holmes winning custody of Suri. From limited visits to long-distance phone calls, Tom began to fade out of Suri's life.

Given Tom's relationship (or lack thereof) with Suri, it's safe to assume that Connor doesn't get to see her all that much either. The last time Tom and Connor were seen with Suri was in 2012. Although we may never know the true extent of their relationship, it's safe to speculate that the two have drifted apart over the years. Despite his private nature, Connor doesn't shy away from expressing his sibling love to Isabella on his Instagram, referring to her as his "Day 1 homie." 

While the Cruise father-son duo is quite heartwarming to see, it's a shame that the two seemingly don't keep in touch with Suri. After years of no contact, we can only hope that Tom, Connor, and Isabella might potentially mend that broken relationship.

Like his father, Connor Cruise has made himself known to be a multitalented individual. From acting to fishing, he's found success in almost anything he's put his mind to. As his father, Tom Cruise seems very proud of his son for stepping out of his shadow and excelling in whatever he desired. We caught a glimpse of this during Connor's brief music career. Despite only ever releasing one song in 2013 — which featured Mason Musso from Metro Station and songwriter/producer DJ Poet, who's also worked with the Black Eyed Peas (via Billboard) — Connor found multiple gigs deejaying, from Nickelodeon's HALO Awards all the way to Rihanna's after-party in the Dominican Republic.

Amongst the countless endeavors Connor seemed to take on, Tom was seemingly enthralled by his son's prowess as a DJ. According to Connor, Tom came to a few of his sets to watch him perform (via YouTube), stating that his dad could usually be found "chilling in the corner." Onlookers in attendance at his 2012 show at London nightclub Chinawhite spotted Tom as he quietly made his way into the venue. "Tom walked in and went straight over to Connor and hugged him," an insider told People. "Then he sat down with a glass of water in the corner and just proudly watched his son for the rest of the night." Although Connor was only 17 at the time, Tom seemed to be okay with his son spending his time in clubs doing what he loved.

Although Connor reassured his fans that he and his mom were "solid," it seems that he's kept her out of important events in his life. In 2015, his sister Isabella made things official with her long-time boyfriend Max Parker, and didn't invite her mother to the event. According to an insider, Nicole Kidman didn't even know that her daughter was getting married (via People). "She, like all mothers, wants her child to be happy, and it surely seems Bella is very happy," the source stated. Despite her positive outlook on the situation, the same occurred four years later when Connor married fellow Scientologist Silvia Zanchi — which made fans question the status of his relationship with his mother.

With the marriage ceremony being Scientology-themed, one can assume that they didn't invite Kidman due to her opposing beliefs on the celebrity-centric religion. According to Radar Online, an insider suggested that this may have been the case since Tom Cruise banned Kidman from attending the wedding. "Tom is behind this and what he wants is as good as law," the insider stated. "Tom made the call and Connor followed." Although Kidman is his mother, Tom probably didn't want her to attend the Scientology-based event since she's referred to as a "suppressive person" by the church. While some may believe that his father shouldn't have had a say in Connor's wedding, it seemed like Connor didn't hesitate to leave his mother out of the ceremony.

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise's six-year marriage came to an end when she filed for divorce in 2012. Cruise, who was distraught by the news, faced scrutiny regarding what may have caused Holmes to act so quickly. Like he'd done to Nicole Kidman in 2001, Tom was left in a similar state of confusion and shock when Holmes suddenly decided to end their relationship. "To be 50 and to have experiences and to think you have a grip on everything, and then it hits you — this is it, what life can do to you," he told German TV network ProSieben (via CBS). "Life is a tragicomedy. You need to have a sense of humor."

What followed was surely a tense period for not only Holmes and Tom, but for the kids as well. With Suri attracting unwanted attention, Connor stood by his father's side when the news broke. Even though Connor and Isabella had seemingly built a strong connection with Holmes, Connor took to Twitter on July 1, 2012, to assure everyone that he would stick with his father no matter what: "#LaFamilia Always. Friends come and go, but family is forever" (via E! News). Holmes' calculated departure from the Cruise family potentially resulted in a strained relationship between her and Tom's older kids. 

Despite Tom's questionable parental choices, he seemingly values and cares about the relationship he has with his children. Coming from a home surrounded by verbal and physical abuse, Tom knows — from experience — what a strained connection with your parent can do to a child. In an interview with Parade, Tom recalled his father being "a coward and a bully" (via CBS). This constant tension resulted in Tom building a deep resentment towards his father for how he was treated. So much so that when Tom reconnected with his bedridden father 10 years later, he was utterly disappointed. With his father only agreeing to meet him if they don't speak about the past, Tom expressed a level of displeasure watching his father on his deathbed. "When I saw him in pain, I thought, 'Wow, what a lonely life,'" he stated, "He was in his late 40s. It was sad."

Given his tumultuous relationship with his father, we could understand why he nurtures his connection with Connor. Out of his three kids, Connor is the one that Tom is seen with the most. From their shared religious beliefs to living close to each other in Clearwater, Florida, the two seem inseparable. Although Tom's home life is — for the most part — private, it is safe to assume that he wants nothing more than to be a loving father.