A Look Back At Tom Cruise's Brief Relationship With Cher

Tom Cruise's romantic history includes several high-profile lovers including Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes. However, one partner that may be surprising to some is singer Cher. Despite a 16-year age gap, the two sparked a connection. The two initially met at the Malibu wedding of Sean Penn and Madonna in August 1985. They would reconnect at a White House dinner in October of that year, and an affair was sparked a while later. Though it's not exactly clear when the relationship began and ended, Cher has praised her time with the younger man. 

During a 2008 chat with Oprah Winfrey, Cher opened up about the relationship, which was primarily kept out of the spotlight. "He was so wonderful, and I was so crazy about him," Cher said in the clip, which resurfaced on TikTok. According to the "Believe" star, Cruise was still a new actor who had not yet amassed his impressive $600 million net worth. This didn't seem to deter Cher's interest, though, and the two were very close until they were eventually forced to part ways due to their hectic work schedules.

During the duration of their courtship, Cher, who was born Cherilyn Sarkisian before changing her name in the 1970s, moved into Tom Cruise's apartment. It's unknown how long she was there, but it's apparent things had gotten serious. During a June 2013 episode of "Watch What Happens Live," the Grammy Award winner admitted to host Andy Cohen, "Well, it was pretty hot and heavy for a little minute." (via E! News). She even ranked her once-young beau as one of her top five lovers during that episode. 

That chemistry seemingly fizzled after several months together. Cruise met actor Mimi Rogers the same year he was first introduced to Cher. He and Rogers walked down the aisle in May 1987. It's unclear if his relationship with Rogers overlapped with his fling with Cher. However, the superstar didn't appear to harbor any hard feelings toward the "Mission Impossible" frontman. The two remain friendly with one another, even though Cher doesn't see eye to eye with all of his views.

Cher and Tom Cruise have remained cordial with one another in the decades following their fling. However, their religious views appear to differ. In 1986, he was introduced to Scientology and has seemingly been practicing since. Cher, who has expressed that she is a Buddhist, spoke to the Daily Mail in September 2018, saying that she doesn't entirely understand Cruise's set of beliefs. "I don't get what he does, that whole Scientology thing. I can't understand it so I just ... don't," she explained.

As for their separate love lives, Cher found love with other partners over the years and has been with music executive Alexander Edwards since 2022. Cruise was reportedly dating model Elsina Khayrova in December 2023, though they allegedly called it quits in March 2024. While it doesn't seem likely this '80s couple will ever reconnect romantically, their time together appears to be something Cher cherishes.