Bella Cruise: The Tragic Story Of Nicole Kidman & Tom Cruise's Daughter

Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise made headlines when they first became a seemingly perfect family of four in the '90s. Since her adoption by the Hollywood "it" couple as a baby in 1992, Isabella "Bella" Cruise has been a subject of gossip columns and Scientology-critics alike. What we know about Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman's only daughter together is somewhat limited today, as she now lives a quiet life away from Los Angeles.

Both of Tom and Kidman's kids seem to keep a low profile these days, and it's understandable why. While today, she seems to be living her best life with her husband in England, working as an artist and graphic designer, it took many years for Bella to find the peace and privacy away from the media to flourish. And who can blame her, as it's clear her turbulent upbringing in the public eye, along with complexities in her familial relationships, has caused her to endure countless circumstances that most young adults never have to ponder.

From her reported years-long rift with Nicole Kidman to Tom Cruise's second divorce, deaths in the family, and numerous bizarre claims of the Church of Scientology's involvement in her life, Bella's dealt with more than enough tragic events for one lifetime.

Tom Cruise's kids have each endured tragedy at least at some point in their lives. For Bella Cruise, life started on a somewhat bleak note as she was born in December 1992 to a woman who couldn't take care of her. Little is known about her biological mother, aside from the fact that she was a member of the Church of Scientology, was married, and already had two other children. She decided that she wasn't able to look after Bella, so the church put her in touch with Nicole Kidman and the renowned "Top Gun" actor.

The movie stars had been married since 1990, and had previously experienced a tragic ectopic pregnancy. Kidman was devastated by the loss and had been told she wouldn't be able to bear children naturally, but that didn't mean she would never be a mother. The couple adopted Bella shortly after she was born, and just a few years later, Connor Cruise joined the family as well.

While it couldn't have been easy for Bella to know her birth mother was out there, Kidman made it her mission to do the best she could for her children. Speaking with Tatler in 2018, the "Big Little Lies" star said, "Whether you're an adoptive mother, whether you're a foster mother, whether you're a biological mother — it's the emotion of attaching to a child and helping to guide them and rear them [that is important]."

There are many celebrity breakups that have hit fans hard. Similarly, when Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman decided to split, their fanbase was shocked. After tying the knot in 1990, following less than a year of dating, the Hollywood actors were a staple on the red carpet for over 10 years. Then in 2001, in another seemingly quick move, Tom filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences, which completely blindsided Kidman.

In August of that year, Kidman told ABC News of her divorce, "It's strange and bizarre and all of those things, but it is what it is." Kidman emphasized the importance of still caring for their children, as Connor Cruise was 6 and Bella Cruise was just 8 at the time. "We will be the parents of two children for the rest of our lives, and that is the priority," she explained. "With that comes the need to be very mature, and the need to deal with it rationally."

While the majority of their divorce settlement remained confidential, Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise agreed to share custody of their kids. However, when the Australian actor returned to her home country following the split, Connor and Bella remained in Los Angeles with their father. As Kidman told Hello! in 2010, "They live with Tom, which was their choice. I'd love them to live with [husband Keith Urban and I], but what can you do?"

If there's one thing Tom Cruise's three kids have in common, it's the highly scrutinized involvement of the Church of Scientology in their lives. The actor has long been an outspoken supporter of the religion since 1986. Over the years, the church has been criticized for its allegations of mistreatment of former members, sketchy business operations, and as some have dubbed it, "cult-like" practices.

So, when Tom Cruise, one of Scientology's most famous supporters, divorced Nicole Kidman, who reportedly never wanted to be a part of the church, and her strained relationship with her children came to light, many believed they knew why. Amidst the couple's separation, Connor and Bella Cruise were taken to courses given by the church while their dad was being audited — a practice supposedly used to help "individuals achieve full spiritual potential," according to the Church of Scientology's website.

In these courses, it was reported that Bella and her brother were taught how to identify an S.P. (suppressive person, or someone who could threaten your spiritual well being). In 2012, former Scientology member John Brousseau told Vanity Fair, "[Bella and Connor] whispered to me, 'J.B., Nicole is an S.P.! Our mom's an S.P. — we hate going and seeing her." These claims were backed by Leah Remini, another former Scientologist, who wrote in 2018 about Bella not wanting anything to do with Kidman due to her "S.P." status.

The Church of Scientology may play a bigger role in Tom Cruise's life than the public is aware of, as reports have surfaced that they've set the actor up with more than a couple of girlfriends. After breaking up with Penelope Cruz, he was spotted with Katie Holmes in April 2005 — who, just six months prior, had made her crush on the actor known in an interview. The couple, dubbed "TomKat," welcomed their daughter Suri in April the following year, and by November 2006, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes tied the knot.

Any child of divorce knows how difficult it can be when your parents split up, let alone when they begin dating again. The "Vanilla Sky" actor's children Bella and Connor Cruise witnessed their dad date several women before winding up with Holmes. While the shift in their dynamic with a stepmother and half-sibling suddenly in the picture could have proven difficult, the "Dawson's Creek" star told Parade magazine (via People) in 2007 that they had grown quite close. "[Connor and Bella] are incredible, really smart and kind. They call me 'Mom,'" Holmes said of the teenagers.

This bond didn't last long, though. After six years of marriage, Holmes filed for divorce from Tom in 2012, reportedly catching him off guard. It was later confirmed that one of the reasons she cited for their separation was to protect their daughter Suri from the Church of Scientology, something the "Mission: Impossible" actor vehemently denied was necessary.

Katie Holmes seemed to serve as a pretty cool stepmom to Bella Cruise. In 2011, when Bella was 18, she was granted an apprenticeship at Holmes' clothing line, Holmes & Yang. It was a major opportunity for her to learn the ins and outs of the fashion world, and her dad couldn't have been more proud. Speaking with People (via Marie Claire) at the time, Tom enthused, "Kate's designing and [Bella] is just working her way up."

He added that Bella had already established herself as an artist, so it was the perfect position for her to fill. "She's loving it." Unfortunately, things changed as Holmes geared up to divorce Tom, and she fired Bella from the line in 2012. During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in July 2012, a former Scientologist who was reportedly close with the family explained, "There was never any trouble between them. ... She was fired out of the blue, and once Katie filed for divorce, it all made sense."

The source went on to theorize that Holmes wanted nothing to do with Bella anymore because of her relationship to Tom. "This was a carefully planned ambush," they added. Fortunately, Bella didn't give up her passion for art and design, launching her own clothing line in 2018 called BKC, which featured her own illustrations on t-shirts.

Although there have long been rumors of Nicole Kidman's estrangement from her daughter, Bella Cruise has denied it. In a 2012 interview with New Idea Magazine (via Hollywood Life), she insisted, "She's my mom. She's great. I see her sometimes and I speak to her." Bella added that she's very close with her entire family, but that sadly didn't seem to be the case when Kidman lost her father a couple of years later.

In September 2014, news broke that Tony Kidman, a clinical psychologist in Sydney, Australia, had died while visiting his daughter Antonia in Singapore. It was suspected that the "Paddington" star's father suffered a heart attack after exercising. Kidman made a joint statement with her husband Keith Urban a couple of weeks later, writing in a Facebook post (via CBS News), "We are all heartbroken, but knowing we are in the hearts and thoughts of others is so comforting."

Kidman returned to Sydney for her father's funeral, and while her daughters with Keith Urban, Sunday and Faith, were by her side as she said goodbye to her father, she wasn't accompanied by two older her children with Tom Cruise. Neither Bella nor Connor Cruise appeared at their grandfather's funeral, and it was reported that the lack of support hurt Kidman deeply.

It seems that Bella Cruise has taken a page out of her famous father's book as, despite being a dedicated member of the Church of Scientology herself, she married someone from outside the religion in September 2015. She and her other half, IT consultant Max Parker, have resided in England since they tied the knot in an intimate Scientology ceremony in London after dating for less than a year. It didn't take long for reports to emerge that, despite being in the city at the time, Nicole Kidman hadn't attended Bella's wedding. In fact, Tom Cruise passed on walking his daughter down the aisle as well.

Given what many believed to be a snub against their daughter, the Daily Mail asked Bella in 2016 whether she was on speaking terms with her famous parents. "Of course [we talk], they're my parents. Anyone who says otherwise is full of s**t," she replied. Apparently, she said it was Tom Cruise's busy work schedule that kept him from attending, but he wound up paying for the ceremony. In terms of Kidman's absence, it's believed that the "Lion" star wasn't even aware of her daughter's nuptials.

Parker's parents didn't attend the wedding either, as his mom Beverly Parker told the outlet, "We stayed away, we didn't want the media circus." However, she seems to approve of her son's relationship and claims that he and Bella are "very happy."

Although Bella Cruise is notoriously private and hasn't provided many details about the personal struggles in her life, she takes a very different stance in terms of her outspokenness for the Church of Scientology. Since she and her brother Connor Cruise were young, it was evident that they would follow in their father's footsteps and continue on their spiritual path with the church. So it wasn't surprising when she was revealed to have become a Scientology auditor in 2019.

The auditor is an important role within the religion, as they ask the person or people being audited a series of questions to "bring people from a condition of spiritual blindness to spiritual existence," according to the Church of Scientology's website. Those being audited are hooked up to an Electropsychometer or E-Meter, which the church purports measures a person's psyche, soul, or spirit.

Bella had just completed her training when she sent an email to the organization, which was published by The Underground Bunker, raving about the process. "This IS what I had been searching for. The missing piece," she wrote. Bella expressed the difficulties she encountered while training, saying it's "hard work," "a lot of effort," and she'd had "a few melt downs" during her training. She went on to thank her family and support network, hinting that she'd been struggling with undisclosed issues beforehand, writing, "I would have drowned in my own problems if you hadn't been there."

To this day, Bella Cruise's relationship with Nicole Kidman isn't entirely clear. It seems they've had ups and downs privately over the years, with the Oscar-winning actor hinting that her adopted children had sided with Tom Cruise and Scientology over her from early on. Despite Bella telling outlets that she sees her mom "sometimes" and that they talk, it's been many years since the two have even been photographed together. Getting a clear picture of their relationship is made more difficult by Kidman, who has kept fairly quiet about it all.

However, this seemingly years-long rift hasn't changed the fact that Kidman remains fiercely protective of all her kids, including Bella. "I have to protect all those relationships," the "Boy Erased" star told Who in 2018. "I know 150 percent that I would give up my life for my children because it's what my purpose is."

Kidman is a prime example of a mother with unconditional love for her children. She's made it known that, despite Bella and Connor Cruise's wishes to follow a religion she doesn't agree with, she will support them. "They have made choices to be Scientologists and as a mother, it's my job to love them," she continued. Since Kidman made her acceptance of her daughter's decisions known, Bella has shown her support for the actor on social media by liking her posts. So, while they may not be close, the mother and daughter seem to at least be on okay terms these days.

Nicole Kidman endured yet another tragic event in September 2024 when she learned that her mother Janelle Kidman had died, just hours before winning a Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival. While the "Babygirl" star was heartbroken and skipped her acceptance of the award, it was unclear how her daughter Bella Cruise took the news that she'd lost her grandmother. A decade prior, when Nicole Kidman's father died, her daughter Bella was absent from his funeral, so it wouldn't be so surprising to learn if Bella had decided against supporting her mother in this tragic circumstance, as well.

However, this didn't seem to be the case when Janelle died. In an Instagram post at the time, Nicole Kidman wrote, "My sister and I ... want to thank you for the outpouring of love and kindness we have felt this week." She added that they've received many messages of condolences, and they've "meant more to us than we will ever be able to express." As it turns out, one of those messages was from Bella and Connor Cruise.

A source told Woman's Day (via the Daily Mail) that Kidman's children sent her a joint message to acknowledge the passing of their grandmother. "It's kind of sad it took such a tragic moment to bring them back into her life," the insider said. "But she knows it would make her mum so happy if her passing brought her estranged grandkids back into the family."