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Coverage of Katie & Tom's Divorce

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Last updated: 8/28/12 at 12:00pm ET - Scroll down for latest news

Posted 6/29/12 at 1:30pm ET
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes Are Divorcing

From PEOPLE: After five years of marriage, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are getting a divorce, PEOPLE has learned exclusively.

"This is a personal and private matter for Katie and her family," says Holmes's attorney Jonathan Wolfe. "Katie's primary concern remains, as it always has been, her daughter's best interest."

Cruise's rep tells PEOPLE: "Kate has filed for divorce and Tom is deeply saddened and is concentrating on his three children. Please allow them their privacy."

The "Rock of Ages"' star, 49, wed actress Holmes, 33, in an Italian castle in November 2006. They have daughter Suri, 6.

This was Holmes's first marriage and the third for Cruise, who previously was married to the actresses Nicole Kidman, with whom he has two children, and Mimi Rogers.

For more on the shocking split, follow PEOPLE.com and pick up the next issue of PEOPLE magazine, on newsstands Monday

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Posted 6/29/12 at 1:30pm ET
Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes Divorcing

From TMZ: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are getting DIVORCED ... after 5 years of marriage.

Katie's attorney, Jonathan Wolfe released a statement saying, "This is a personal and private matter for Katie and her family."

Wolfe adds, "Katie's primary concern remains, as it always has been, her daughter's best interest." 

TMZ has learned Katie filed the docs in NYC ... and wants SOLE custody of Suri.

We're told Tom and Katie have a prenup. The net worth of both Tom and Katie is around $275 mil, but clearly Tom raked in most of that.

For what it's worth, Katie did not attend any of the "Rock of Ages" premieres.

Tom and Katie have one child together, Suri, who is 6-years-old.

49-year-old Tom has 2 children from his previous marriage to Nicole Kidman. He was also married to actress Mimi Rogers from 1987 to 1990.

Cruise and 33-year-old Holmes were married in November 2006 in a lavish ceremony held at an Italian castle. The split was first reported by People.com.

Tom has been spotted in Iceland this week where he's been shooting a movie called "Oblivion."

Katie and Suri have been spotted in NYC all week. Katie was still wearing her wedding ring.

Update #1 -- Sources tell TMZ ... Scientology was a major factor in Katie's decision to pull the plug on the marriage.

Update #2 -- Tom and Katie were HOLDING HANDS in Iceland just 2 weeks before Katie filed for divorce ... more proof Tom was truly "blindsided" by Katie's decision to end the marriage.

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Posted 6/29/12 at 2:00pm ET
KATIE FILED - Wants SOLE Custody

From TMZ: Katie Holmes is the one who filed for divorce and Tom Cruise was "blindsided" by Katie's legal move ... TMZ has learned.

We know Katie filed the divorce docs in New York on June 28, citing "irreconcilable differences." She is asking for sole legal custody and "primary residential custody" of the couple's 6-year-old daughter, Suri.

We also know Katie is asking for a "suitable amount" of child support .. this according to the divorce docs.

Katie also asks for a division of property in her divorce docs, although we know there was a significant prenup that is based on California law. Katie makes no mention of the prenup in her filing.

We're told Tom is "very sad" and "did not see this coming." He was spotted wearing his wedding ring just this week while filming in Iceland. Interestingly, Katie also wore her ring this week.

We're also told there is some "nastiness" here, evidenced by Katie's move to get sole legal custody.

Tom's rep has released a statement saying, "Kate has filed for divorce and Tom is deeply saddened and is concentrating on his three children. Please allow them their privacy to work this out."

Katie's divorce petition was filed anonymously, without names.

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Posted 6/29/12 at 4:45pm ET
SCIENTOLOGY Was Her Breaking Point

From TMZ: Katie Holmes filed for divorce primarily over Tom Cruise's fierce ties to Scientology, fearing that Tom would drag Suri deep into the church ... sources connected with the couple tell TMZ.

Our sources say ... Katie has never been fully committed to Scientology, even though she has had ties with the church. We're told the couple had been arguing over Suri -- that she's now of the age where Scientology becomes a significant part of her life.

Sources familiar with the split tell us Katie is filing for sole legal custody -- as we first reported -- specifically because she does not want Tom to control decisions relating to religion.

Sources have told us that the divorce is NOT about money -- we're told Katie doesn't need Tom's money ... because she has plenty of it ... and will be well taken care of under the terms of the prenup.

To give you an idea of how fierce Tom's ties to the Church are -- a video featuring the actor discussing what Scientology means to him leaked onto YouTube in 2008. You gotta watch the whole thing.

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Posted 6/29/12 at 6:00pm ET
Katie Holmes Has East Coast Advantage In Custody War with Tom

From TMZ: Katie Holmes had a VERY good reason for filing for divorce from Tom Cruise in New York ... because unlike California ... NY is a state that doesn't like giving waring parents joint power to make decisions for their kid.

As TMZ first reported, Katie filed the papers in New York ... and we know she's gunning for sole legal custody of 6-year-old Suri primarily because she doesn't want Tom to drag their daughter into the Church of Scientology.

Despite the fact Tom and Katie filed their marriage certificate in California, Katie went all the way to the East Coast to file the divorce docs because she knows she has a MUCH better chance of getting sole legal custody there ... New York family law judges typically don't like giving two parents who don't get along the power to make child-rearing decisions because they believe the kids will suffer from endless conflicts.

But ... our sources say Tom may mount a fight to bring the case to California ... which favors joint legal custody.

Stay tuned.

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Posted 6/29/12 at 7:30pm ET
Katie Holmes finds Tom Cruise is "Mission: Impossible"

From Reuters: LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress Katie Holmes has filed for divorce from her superstar husband Tom Cruise, ending a six-year marriage that produced one daughter and captivated celebrity watchers worldwide.

Holmes filed papers in New York City on Thursday, citing irreconcilable differences and seeking sole custody of the couple's six-year-old daughter Suri in a move that came "out of the blue" for the "Mission: Impossible" actor, said one source with knowledge of the situation.

The source said Cruise is out of the country filming a movie in Iceland and the filing came as a surprise.

The actor's spokeswoman issued a brief statement, saying: "Kate has filed for divorce and Tom is deeply saddened and is concentrating on his three children. Please allow them their privacy to work this out." No further comment was made

Los Angeles-based attorney Bert Fields, who has represented Cruise in other matters but is not handling the divorce, confirmed the filing but declined to give further details.

"Tom wants to be very private," Fields said.

Earlier on Friday, People magazine quoted Holmes' attorney Jonathan Wolfe as calling it "a personal and private matter for Katie and her family ... Katie's primary concern remains, as it always has been, her daughter's best interest."

The couple's marriage, which began at an elaborate, Italian castle wedding in November 2006, has been closely followed by the celebrity press ever since the pair, dubbed TomKat, began dating in 2005.

At the time, Holmes, now 33, was a rising star and Hollywood ingénue who found fame on TV's "Dawson's Creek" and earned her acting chops in independent films such as "Pieces of April."

Cruise, 16 years her senior, was among Hollywood's highest paid stars who enjoyed a string of box office blockbusters in action flicks ranging from 1986's "Top Gun" to his "Mission: Impossible" movies that began in 1996 and continue today.

He proposed to Holmes atop the Eiffel Tower in Paris and famously went on Oprah Winfrey's talk show, jumped on her couch and shouted out his love for Holmes in front of a TV audience of millions.

Cruise, a practitioner of Scientology, was previously married to actress Mimi Rogers and actress Nicole Kidman, with whom he has two children.

Holmes' marriage to Cruise was her first.

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Posted 6/29/12 at 7:30pm ET
Tom Cruise: Did Katie Holmes Blindside Him with Divorce?

From PEOPLE: What went so wrong so quickly?

Just days ago, Tom Cruise was as exuberant as ever about his love for Katie Holmes, telling PEOPLE that his perfect day is "the time with Kate."

Sadly, those days appear to be over.

On Thursday, five days before Cruise's 50th birthday, Holmes, 33, filed divorce papers in New York, leaving Cruise "deeply saddened" – and their fans searching for answers.

Although the couple have faced breakup rumors ever since their whirlwind romance led to an engagement, baby and then marriage, the timing and circumstances of the breakup still came as a shock – and raised the question of whether the actor was taken by surprise.

Cruise confirmed that it was Holmes who filed papers– not him – and the brief statement from his rep spoke of the star needing privacy to "work this out."

Abrupt Change in Tone

The tone of the terse statement is a long way from his upbeat tone in interviews promoting "Rock of Ages," gushing about Holmes, whom he married in November 2006 in a lavish ceremony in an Italian castle.

"She is an extraordinary person, and if you spent five minutes with her, you'd see it," he told Playboy in last month's issue. "Everything she does, she does with this beautiful creativity. She's funny and charming, and when she walks into the room, I just feel better ... What we have is very special."

But even as he continued to sing her praises, several media outlets did take note that Holmes did not join her husband at the June 8 Hollywood premiere of "Rock of Ages."

Cruise explained to PEOPLE that Holmes had another commitment in China with a charity organization, leaving Cruise with their 6-year-old daughter Suri.

Also, the couple were spotted strolling together June 18 in Reykjavik, Iceland, to visit Cruise's film location. Holmes then returned without him to their home in New York, where she has been photographed on the street with Suri, the most recent sighting on Thursday – the day of the divorce filing.

Katie's Primary Concern

The only clue to Holmes's state of mind came from her lawyer's statement saying the actress's "primary concern" was Suri. To that end, perhaps, TMZ reports Holmes is seeking primary residential custody of their daughter.

If this is the first salvo in a divorce battle it would be a powerful one against Cruise, who in his PEOPLE interview spoke at length about his love of spending time with his daughter, whether at home playing games or during her visits to his film sets.

"It's so much fun. Suri is just so lovely and so much fun to be with," he said. "On weekends we do arts and crafts. With Kate, there's always dancing and singing and all that kind of stuff in the house. Now Suri has friends all over the place, so wherever we go, they're also there."

His two older children with second wife Nicole Kidman, Bella, 19, and Connor, 17, are also frequently with them, along with Cruise's nieces, nephews, his sisters and their families.

"They all love Suri," he said, adding that he and Holmes are constantly striving to be the best parents possible – staggering their work schedules so somebody could always be with Suri and making a point to spend quality family time together.

"Every day, Kate and I go: How did we do?" he said. "Kate and I look at each other like: Well, we had a good day today. We all work at it."

For more on the shocking split, follow PEOPLE.com and pick up the next issue of PEOPLE magazine, on newsstands Monday

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Posted 6/29/12 at 9:00pm ET
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes divorcing

From Associated Press: LOS ANGELES (AP) -- It always seemed more than a little weird, didn't it? The whirlwind romance of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes with its very public, very emphatic proclamations of love. It all occurred too quickly and too loudly to seem real.

Now, after nearly six years of marriage, Holmes is divorcing Cruise. She filed the papers on Thursday, said Cruise's lawyer Bert Fields. The two share a daughter, 6-year-old Suri, who's been featured in celebrity media nearly as frequently as her parents.

But it's telling that even in addressing their split in the typically vague fashion of famous people, Cruise still refers to Holmes by the name he called her: Kate, as if to distance her from the adorable Katie audiences came to know and love from the teen soap "Dawson's Creek."

"Kate has filed for divorce and Tom is deeply saddened and is concentrating on his three children," Cruise's representative, Amanda Lundberg, told The Associated Press. "Please allow them their privacy to work this out."

Holmes' attorney, Jonathan Wolfe, made a similar plea Friday: "This is a personal and private matter for Katie and her family. Katie's primary concern remains, as it always has been, her daughter's best interest."

But we've never been able to leave them alone - and even if we tried, they probably wouldn't let us.

Theirs was a bond that never really made sense on paper, despite Cruise's famously euphoric couch-jumping on "The Oprah Winfrey" show and Holmes' starry-eyed confession that she'd had a crush on the "Top Gun" star when she was a girl. Cruise turns 50 on Tuesday, Holmes is 33.

They'd kiss passionately for the benefit of photographers on red carpets and were all-too happy to share the romantic details of their engagement: He popped the question at the Eiffel Tower in Paris early one morning in June 2005. The wedding itself in November 2006 was a fairy-tale, A-list extravaganza at a 15th century Italian castle before a Church of Scientology minister.

So why didn't we believe them? Maybe because it always felt like they were trying so hard to prove to the world they were in love.

"I can't be cool. I can't be laid-back," Cruise said during his notorious "Oprah" appearance. "Something happened and I want to celebrate it."

Cruise has two children with his previous wife, Nicole Kidman. The actor was also previously married to Mimi Rogers. This was Holmes' first marriage.

Cruise showed up alone at recent premieres of the musical film "Rock of Ages," in which he's earning strong reviews for his performance as an Axl Rose-style lead singer. Holmes also was absent earlier this month when Cruise received the fourth-ever Friars Club Entertainment Icon Award. He said at the time that Holmes was overseas and the family would reunite in Iceland for Father's Day.

Yet a year ago, in receiving an award from Women in Film, Holmes thanked Cruise in the audience, saying his "commitment to his work and family inspires me daily."

Before the relationship, Holmes had drawn acclaim for her work in films like "Wonder Boys" and "Pieces of April." And Cruise was ... well, he was Cruise, one of the biggest stars on the planet. But the marriage, and the general speculation about its legitimacy, seemed to hurt both their images.

It was around the time of the "Oprah" appearance that Sumner Redstone and Paramount broke ties with Cruise after their long relationship. Cruise's company, Cruise/Wagner Productions, then signed a deal with First & Goal LLC.

Redstone was recently quoted by The Hollywood Reporter as saying that he "actually fired Tom. His behavior was terrible ... He was jumping on the couch on the Oprah show. Women hated him. A lot of people said they would never come back and see Tom Cruise."

Kelly Lynch, editor of the pop-culture website Socialite Life, noted Friday the August 2005 W Magazine cover story on Holmes in which a woman described as Holmes' "Scientology chaperone" sat in on the interview and chimed in on her responses, even though Holmes herself was consistently ebullient about Cruise.

The chaperone also deflected particularly pointed or uncomfortable questions about rumors that this love might not be real.

"She wasn't Joey from `Dawson's Creek' anymore," Lynch said. "It was almost like the life had been sucked out of her when she started dating him."

Her first film back, the 2008 heist comedy "Mad Money," was a critical and commercial failure. That same year, Cruise came out as the eyepatch-wearing star of the Nazi thriller "Valkyrie," which drew mixed reviews but still made $200 million worldwide.

Holmes' recent films include Adam Sandler's "Jack and Jill" and the Emmy-winning mini-series "The Kennedys," in which she played Jackie Kennedy. Cruise, meanwhile, starred in the fourth film in the "Mission: Impossible" series, "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol," which has made more than $690 million worldwide.

Lynch said she was surprised by the demise of the duo dubbed "TomKat" because she figured that, no matter what, Cruise and Holmes would always try to maintain the meticulously crafted image that they were the perfect couple.

"Despite some of my reservations about the relationship, I thought they were happy to kind of swim along as man and wife, despite reports in every sort of magazine that they weren't getting along, that Katie is trapped in the marriage," Lynch said. "But I never truly believed that they were truly in love. It felt very arranged."

How the divorce impacts either of their images or careers remains to be seen, said veteran celebrity publicist Howard Bragman.

"They're both going to be defined by their choices. Tom was never really defined by the marriage. Tom was defined by Tom. He's such a force of nature," he said. "A single Tom Cruise is an interesting phenomenon. I think we'll be hearing about him dating.

"Katie will be fine. I think this raises her to a new level. I think she'll get more active in her career," Bragman added. "She's got talent, beauty, a good family, a good support system, good Midwestern values - these things are all going to serve her. I think mostly she's a good mother. That's what I respect her most for."

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Posted 6/29/12 at 9:00pm ET
Tom Cruise's divorce could get prickly as Katie Holmes lawyers up

From Los Angeles Times: Tom Cruise is one of Hollywood’s richest movie stars. His wife, Katie Holmes, has assembled a team of high-profile lawyers to handle their divorce proceedings. Will the split be amicable, as Cruise’s attorney hopes, or will the breakup be a courtroom version of the actor’s “War of the Worlds”?

The announcement Friday that Cruise’s wife of more than five years was seeking to end their marriage appeared to catch the star of the “Mission: Impossible” films off guard. Representatives for Cruise, who was in Iceland filming the movie “Oblivion,” were informed “by mail and fax” of the initiation of divorce proceedings, Cruise’s lawyer, Bert Fields, said.

Holmes filed for divorce Thursday in Manhattan, Fields confirmed. She retained two firms that specialize in wealthy breakups. New York lawyer Allan E. Mayefsky has been involved in a number of acrimonious and headline-grabbing splits, including the divorces of model Christie Brinkley, TV host Joan Lunden and a Wall Street financier who was ordered to pay his wife $44 million.

In addition, Holmes hired a New Jersey divorce lawyer, Jonathan Wolfe, whose website boasts of his prowess in “complex matrimonial matters” involving leaders from business, entertainment and sports. He has written extensively about prenuptial agreements and ways to recover hidden assets in divorce proceedings.

In a statement, Wolfe called the divorce “a personal and private matter.”

“We’re thinking about who to use,” said Fields, Cruise’s longtime legal representative in litigation matters but not a divorce specialist. He added, “We have to discuss strategy.”

“Katie's primary concern remains, as it has always been, her daughter's best interest,” Wolfe said, referring to the couple’s daughter, Suri, 6.

Speculation about a prenuptial agreement began almost immediately after Cruise announced his engagement to Holmes at a Paris news conference. Cruise already had two Hollywood divorces under his belt, from actresses Nicole Kidman and Mimi Rogers, and earns a lot more money than Holmes, who is best known for television’s “Dawson’s Creek” and had a costarring role in Adam Sandler's "Jack and Jill" last year.

Forbes recently put Cruise’s annual earnings at $75 million. Like some of Hollywood’s richest performers, Cruise often earns a share of a film’s total revenue, rather than a base salary.

The couple have property in Los Angeles and New York and hundreds of acres in Telluride, Colo. Their first date was a ride (and sushi) in Cruise’s private jet. Cruise and Holmes married in a lavish ceremony in an Italian castle in 2006.

Asked whether there was a prenuptial agreement, Fields said: “I can’t comment on that. It will all come out.”

In spite of the legal forces being marshaled by Holmes, Fields said he wanted the matter to be resolved amicably. “I would hope that it’s not a contentious matter. I know Tom is not a particularly contentious person,” he added.

Bernard Clair, a Manhattan divorce lawyer with many wealthy clients, said judges generally order divorcing couples to abide by the terms of their prenuptial agreements when it comes to finances. But the court often modifies provisions governing child support and custody, potential issues in the Cruise-Holmes breakup.

“These provisions relating to custody are almost always viewed as statements of intent and aspiration as opposed to enforceable and binding provisions,” Clair said.

The decision to file in New York rather than California might have been one of convenience – Holmes and the couple’s daughter are currently living in New York – but it also might reflect a desire for privacy.

“My guess is that she brought it in New York because files are sealed,” said Manhattan attorney Raoul Felder, a veteran of high-profile divorce cases. “If it was in California, it’s all public and you can walk into the clerk’s office and get the papers.”

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Posted 6/30/12 at 11:00am ET
Katie Holmes to get $15M in divorce | Said to be keeping the couple’s $35 million Beverly Hills mansion

From Hamilton Spectator: Katie Holmes will receive $3 million for every year she was married to Tom Cruise.

The 33-year-old actress has filed for divorce from the 49-year-old actor - who she wed in November 2006 - and as she had signed a pre-nuptial agreement before they tied the knot, she is unable to seek half his rumoured $275 million fortune.

Instead, she will reportedly be paid $15 million for the five-year union as well as being given their $35 million Beverly Hills mansion.

However, Katie - who has cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason behind their split - is seeking sole custody of the couple’s six-year-old daughter, Suri, and experts believe she will get a huge amount of child support from Tom.

Top divorce attorney Vikki Ziegler told Hollywoodlife.com: “Most of the estate is Tom’s. She’ll have to go for a lot of child support. She’ll have to show that Suri has nannies, cars, activities, clothes, hair appointments. That a hefty amount each month is needed to maintain Suri’s lifestyle.”

Once the divorce is finalized both Katie and Tom will keep their respective earnings from the projects they’ve worked on since November 2006.

As well as the Beverly Hills mansion, the former couple also have homes in New York, Colorado, Italy and England.

Since they did not stay married for 11 years, the pre-nuptial agreement states California community property laws won’t apply to the divorce - which normally sees a couple’s assets split 50/50.

Following the news Katie was filing for divorce, Tom - who has two children, Isabella, 19, and 17-year-old Connor with ex-wife Nicole Kidman - said he was “deeply saddened” by it.

Sources claim Katie had given no indication to Tom - who was also married to actress Mimi Rogers - she was going to do it.

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Posted 6/30/12 at 11:00am ET
Custody of 6-year-old Suri, superstar images at stake in Tom Cruise-Katie Holmes divorce

From Associated Press: LOS ANGELES - When Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes first got together, he jumped on a couch, she gushed girlishly, and many of their fans said, "Huh?"

Their split could cause just as much drama.

Not only are the images of two Hollywood stars at stake, so is the future of 6-year-old Suri, with some speculating that Holmes' decision to file for divorce in New York might mean she's seeking sole custody of their daughter.

Ultimately, Cruise might have the most to lose.

"There's no question this divorce is going to hurt his public image," said Dorie Clark, author of the forthcoming "Reinventing You: Define Your Brand, Imagine Your Future."

"His brand was already tarnished significantly when he first got together with Holmes five years ago and was infamously jumping up and down on Oprah's couch, and shortly afterward the videos of him praising Scientology were leaked," she continued. "This divorce is another opportunity for questions to be raised about his personal life, his religious beliefs — which many consider outside the mainstream — and that's not what a box-office star really wants."

California divorce attorney Michael Kelly, who is not involved with the Cruise-Holmes case, called Holmes' East Coast filing "a tactical move" that signifies "there will be an attempt to gain an advantage."

New York's comparative-fault divorce laws could be advantageous for Holmes, he said. The couple lived in Los Angeles.

Cruise and Holmes married in 2006 after a whirlwind love affair. He proposed at the Eiffel Tower. Their wedding was held at a 15th-century Italian castle.

She filed for divorce Thursday, ending her first marriage. This will be Cruise's third divorce. He was previously married to actresses Mimi Rogers and Nicole Kidman, with whom he has two children.

Cruise showed up alone at the recent Los Angeles and London premieres of his latest film, "Rock of Ages." Holmes also was absent earlier this month when Cruise received the Friars Club Entertainment Icon Award in New York. But he did bring Suri with him, allowing her to stay up late for the raunchy proceedings.

"Divorce will actually help Katie Holmes' brand," Clark said. "More people are going to be thinking about her and aware of her. This is generating a lot of sympathy and interest from people."

Holmes, 33, rose to fame on the teen soap "Dawson's Creek." She went on to appear in "Batman Begins," and earned raves for her roles in independent films such as 2003's "Pieces of April" and 2005's "Thank You for Smoking." She took a break after giving birth to Suri in April 2006 and marrying Cruise that November.

She did just a handful of roles until stepping things up in 2011. Holmes played Jackie Kennedy in the Emmy-winning miniseries "The Kennedys," appeared in Adam Sandler's "Jack and Jill" and just wrapped up a film with William Hurt. She said she's set to start another project in July.

Meanwhile, Cruise, who turns 50 on Tuesday, has remained a megastar. His latest role, as an Axl Rose-style rock star in "Rock of Ages," has won him strong reviews (though not corresponding box-office results), and his most recent "Mission Impossible" installment, "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol," has made more than $690 million worldwide.

"Tom Cruise's brand has always been the dynamic, likable hero — the `Mission Impossible' star that you're rooting for — and it becomes harder for the public to get behind someone as a hero and want to go to the box office and cheer them on when there are serious questions about what kind of husband and father he is," Clark said.

Holmes' attorney, Jonathan Wolfe, said Friday that "Katie's primary concern remains, as it always has been, her daughter's best interest."

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Posted 6/30/12 at 11:00am ET
Katie Holmes May Have SCREWED Tom By Filing in NYC

From TMZ: Katie Holmes' master plan to file for divorce in New York may have created HUGE tax problems for Tom Cruise ... sources connected with the couple tell TMZ.

TMZ broke the story ... Katie filed divorce docs in NYC, in large part because she wants sole legal custody of Suri and New York courts are way more likely to grant Katie sole legal custody and control over child-rearing decisions than California courts.

But here's the problem ... sources connected with the couple tell us ... Tom has been trying to do everything legally within his power to avoid strong ties to New York City because the tax rates are ridiculously high ... and he does not want any appearance that he or Katie have been living there.

But here's the thing ... TMZ has obtained documents which show Tom deeded their NYC apartment to Katie last August and our sources say it was done specifically for tax purposes. Point of fact ... the deed lists a transfer to a trust, but TMZ has confirmed it's a trust established for the benefit of Katie.

Sources say Katie is using the apartment to establish residency in New York for the purpose of the divorce -- something we're told can screw Tom tax-wise.

It's pretty clear .... Tom is not gonna let Katie dictate New York as the venue for the divorce. He clearly thinks Cal-i-for-ni-a's the place he outta be.

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Posted 6/30/12 at 11:00am ET
Holmes' Parents Sad Marriage Ended, But Relieved To Have The 'Old Katie' Back

From RadarOnline: Katie Holmes' parents have mixed emotions about the end of their daughter's marriage to Tom Cruise, RadarOnline.com is exclusively reporting.

A source close to the Holmes' family says Martin and Kathleen Holmes are "sad" that their youngest child is having to go through a divorce, but that they are also relieved to have the "old Katie" back again.

"Obviously, Martin and Kathleen are sad that Katie is having to go through all this emotional turmoil and that she is going to be a single parent, but it's not like she is going to have to go it alone and she certainly won't have any financial hardship to worry about.

"Both Martin and Kathleen had very strong reservations about Katie marrying Tom, but she was an adult and they obviously couldn't stop her from following her heart. It's been tough for them over the past five years to watch Katie be controlled by Tom and they really felt that they had lost their daughter to some extent.

"So, that's the one bright side to the divorce — they feel like they're getting the old Katie back again, the strong, independent willful Katie that had all but disappeared since marrying Tom.

"Their real concern right now though is Suri. She is still trying to understand exactly what is going on and she is obviously picking up on her mom's emotions at this time and playing up to a degree.

"Katie's mom and dad are providing as much love and support as they can to their daughter and their granddaughter and are trying to make it as easy a transition as possible. And, one thing is for sure, Martin is going to do everything in his power to make sure his daughter gets everything she wants from the divorce. He is NOT going to allow her to be bamboozled and bullied anymore."

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Posted 6/30/12 at 6:00pm ET
Exclusive: Katie Holmes Secretly Rented NYC Apartment Weeks Before Filing to Divorce Tom Cruise

From Us Weekly: When Katie Holmes filed to divorce Tom Cruise Thursday after five years of marriage, she already had a contingency plan in place to ensure that she and the couple's 6-year-old daughter, Suri, would be taken care of.

Sources tell Us Weekly exclusively that the 33-year-old actress rented her own New York City property -- separate from the home the couple shares when they're in town together -- just prior to filing for divorce.

With Cruise, 49, away filming the sci-fi flick Oblivion in Iceland, Holmes quietly filed divorce papers with the aid of a New Jersey-based attorney, and requested sole custody of the couple's daughter.

"Katie's primary concern remains, as it always has been, her daughter's best interest. This is a personal and private matter for Katie and her family," Holmes' lawyer, Jonathan Wolfe, said in a statement to Us Friday.

In a statement released by his rep Friday, Cruise said he was "deeply saddened" by his wife's filing. "Kate has filed for divorce and Tom is deeply saddened and is concentrating on his three children. Please allow them their privacy," the statement said.

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Posted 6/30/12 at 6:00pm ET
Tom Cruise To File For Divorce In California

From RadarOnline: Tom Cruise will file for divorce from Katie Holmes in California, and is gearing up for a bitter custody battle over their six year old daughter, Suri, RadarOnline.com is exclusively reporting.

As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Katie's lawyer announced she'd filed for divorce and that was quickly followed by a statement from Tom's rep, who said, “Kate has filed for divorce and Tom is deeply saddened and is concentrating on his three children. Please allow them their privacy."

Holmes filed for divorce in New York, and is seeking sole legal custody and primary physical custody of their daughter, Suri.

Cruise "will file a response in New York, asking that the divorce proceedings be halted in the Big Apple because California is the proper venue for the matter to proceed. Team Cruise is going to assert that Katie doesn't meet the residency requirements to file in New York, and that both live full time in California, specifically Los Angeles," a source close to the situation tells RadarOnline.com exclusively.

"At the same time, Tom will file for divorce in California, and will most request joint custody of Suri. There is absolutely no way that he is going let Katie have sole custody. The lines are being drawn, and this is going shape up to be a very contentious custody battle," a source says.

Team Cruise does appear to have the the law on his side about where the divorce proceedings will take place. Under New York law, the residency requirements for divorces to take place in that state, "The marriage ceremony was performed in New York and either spouse is a resident of the state at the time of the commencement of the action for divorce and resided in the state for a continuous period of one year immediately before the action began. The couple lived as husband and wife in New York and either spouse is a resident of the state at the time of the commencement of the action for divorce and resided in this state for a continuous period of one year immediately before the action began. The grounds for divorce occurred in New York and either spouse is a resident of the state at the time of the commencement of the action for divorce and resided in the state for a continuous period of one year immediately before the action began.

Cruise and Holmes were privately married in L.A. and then had a lavish civil ceremony in Italy.

Cruise's lawyers "will state in their response to Katie's divorce petition in New York that she didn't reside continuously in New York for a year, as the law states. Yes, they do have a home in New York, but Tom will argue that Los Angeles is where they live, period," the insider says.

Cruise and Holmes have homes in Los Angeles, New York City and Telluride.

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Posted 6/30/12 at 6:00pm ET
Katie Holmes Can’t Use Scientology As Argument To Get Sole Custody Of Suri, Say Attorneys

From RadarOnline: Katie Holmes can not play the Scientology card in her bid to win sole legal custody of daughter Suri, two top divorce lawyers have told RadarOnline.com exclusively.

As attorneys for the actress and Tom Cruise gear up for one of the biggest divorces in showbiz history, there's been much speculation in the media about how big a part Scientology played in their marriage and subsequent demise and how it will be used in proceedings.

Top Los Angeles divorce lawyer Grace Jamra tells RadarOnline.com that it would simply be “unconstitutional" for a judge to involve him or herself in issues pertaining to Suri's religious upbringing.

“If there are tenets in the religion that spell out certain ways to raise a child and Katie doesn’t feel that’s working for Suri, maybe because she’s acting out a lot, or not doing well in school, or has developmental issues, then that would be what she uses – the litmus test would be what is in the best interest of the child.

“Katie doesn’t really need to use Scientology as the basis or reasoning to get sole custody.”

New York-based family law attorney Bernard Clair concurred, telling us a judge would not consider Tom’s religion and its practices as reason enough to grant Katie full decision-making power over their daughter.

“I am hopeful that a judge would not give too much credence to the fact that someone is a member of a particular religion or particular thought-based organization,” Clair said. “It’s only relevant if it impacts the decision making of the parents.

“If any parent’s religion impacts on that parent’s ability to act in the child’s best interest, then that’s going to be a factor for consideration. But in and of itself, how someone practices religion, should not matter. It is only down to whether a parent interacts with the child positively or negatively. If the religion of the parents causes it to be negative then that needs to be looked at.

"Just the fact that Tom is a Scientologist should not matter," he adds.

“If I were Katie’s lawyer, I wouldn’t use religion as a factor but if she has particular examples of practices that she may believe to be detrimental to Suri’s wellbeing that Tom uses then I would highlight those before the judge rather than specifically using Scientology.

“The religion itself is of no importance until you can draw a nexus between a person’s conduct that they say derives from the religion and then the secondary nexus, the more important one that such practice is in some way detrimental to the child or not in her best interest.”

The Daily Beast reports that although Katie converted to Scientology in 2005 before she tied the knot with Tom, she hasn’t been seen inside a Scientology Church for quite a while and even enrolled Suri in a Catholic pre-school  a few years ago.

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Posted 6/30/12 at 6:00pm ET
Tom Cruise Riding High After Divorce News

From TMZ: Tom Cruise was spotted today for the first time since news of his divorce from Katie Holmes broke ... riding aboard a helicopter in Reykjavik, Iceland where he filming "Oblivion."

Katie shocked the world yesterday (ok, not really) when she filed for divorce after five years of marriage to the "Rock of Ages" star.

As TMZ first reported, Katie filed in New York City because she is seeking sole legal custody of Suri ... and Katie feels New York is much more likely to grant her that than California would be.

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Posted 6/30/12 at 11:00pm ET
Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes: "The Fairy Tale Was Over," Says Close Source

From E! News: As much of a shock as Katie Holmes filing for divorce from Tom Cruise might have been to the rest of us, it actually had been a long time coming, according to a close source.

"The fairy tale was over," the source said. "They had become more like friends."

While another insider declared that Cruise's Scientology beliefs were a sore spot in the relationship, this source believes that Cruise's mega successful career also became an issue.

"It wasn't a surprise to Tom," the source said. "He knew it was coming. They have had problems for a while. His career came first, always, and Katie wasn't happy anymore."

"She wanted him home, and for them to be together. But Tom only knows how to be a movie star," according to the source. "He's a great dad and husband when he is there and present, but...work comes first."

As tough as that was on Holmes, the source says, it was just as hard on their daughter, Suri. "[Holmes] left him because she wanted a better life for her and her daughter," the source continued. "Suri has no friends. She does not have a normal life, and that was becoming more and more apparent as she was getting older.

"Katie wants to get a project that keeps her in one place so Suri can go to school, have friends, have play dates, all the things that she doesn't have at the moment," the source said. "Katie was willing to give up an unhappy marriage for a happier life for her daughter."

As to Holmes filing for sole custody of Suri, the source states: "She feels like she is bringing up Suri alone anyway. She doesn't want Suri having to fly all over the world to see Tom. She wants normality."

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Posted 7/1/12 at 1:00pm ET
Katie Holmes and Suri Move Out

From PEOPLE: On the morning that Katie Holmes filed for divorce from Tom Cruise, the actress made another big decision.

Holmes, 33, and daughter Suri, 6, were spotted on June 28 moving their bags from the New York City apartment they shared with Cruise to a new apartment elsewhere in the city.

The new digs are close to some of Katie and Suri's favorite places, including a gymnastics studio where Suri takes classes.

The move is going on while Cruise, who turns 50 on Tuesday, remains in Iceland, where he's filming "Oblivion." The first picture taken of him after the divorce filing shows the star riding in a helicopter.

For more on the shocking split, follow PEOPLE.com and pick up the next issue of PEOPLE magazine, on newsstands Monday

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Posted 7/1/12 at 1:00pm ET
Katie Holmes & Tom Cruise Sleeping Apart in Weeks Leading Up to Divorce

From TMZ: Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise were both in New York City in the weeks leading up to her filing for divorce, but they did NOT stay under the same roof ... TMZ has learned.

According to our sources, Tom was in town for a few days around June 10 to film a movie. We're told Tom did not stay in the apartment the couple has in NYC ... but rather at The Greenwich Hotel ... and never once stepped in or near the apartment.

Our sources say Katie, meanwhile, was going back and forth between the apartment she and Tom shared, and a new apartment she recently got. The two were both photographed during their time in NYC but never together.

We're told Katie did bring Suri to visit Tom at the hotel on two occasions for a few hours and that the visits were unplanned -- Tom's own security didn't even know they were coming.

According to the people we spoke to in Tom and Katie's building ... they couldn't remember the last time they had seen Tom. Our sources say that while they were clearly having problems, Tom had no idea this was coming and his entire team was caught flat-footed by the filing.

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Posted 7/1/12 at 1:00pm ET
Katie Holmes - Scientology Is Watching Me

From TMZ: Katie Holmes believes Scientology now views her as a threat to the organization and has put a team on her tail ... sources close to the actress tell TMZ.

We're told Katie believes in recent weeks -- as the discord between her and Tom Cruise grew -- Scientology has been following her moves, especially in New York City.

This does not appear to be the mind of a paranoid person. People who have photographed Katie multiple times tell TMZ there have been several "mysterious" men and vehicles around Katie's apartment and following her when she's out.

Specifically ... a white Cadillac Escalade and black Mercedes SUV (see above) have been seen near Katie's NYC apartment for the past week.

FYI -- there is a publication that has put a tail on Katie, but the people doing that are separate from the people Katie believes have been dispatched from Scientology.

It is unclear if the two vehicles that have been constantly spotted near Holmes' pad are from Scientology or from the publication.

If Katie is able to keep the divorce in New York -- where courts generally like to award sole legal custody to one parent or the other when there is conflict -- proof that she's being tailed could help her case.

We put in a call to Scientology ... so far, no word back. 

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Posted 7/1/12 at 10:00pm ET
Church of Scientology We're NOT Tailing Katie

From TMZ: The Church of Scientology has responded to TMZ’s story ... that Katie Holmes believes she is being followed by the Church -- they say it ain't so.

Gary Soter, lawyer for the Church, tells TMZ ... the Church of Scientology is not following Katie or conducting surveillance on her in the wake of her divorce with Tom Cruise.

 As we previously reported, several vehicles have been on Katie’s tail in recent weeks, but again the lawyer says the Church is not behind it.

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Posted 7/1/12 at 10:00pm ET
Creepy crew reportedly from Church of Scientology keeping tabs on Katie Holmes, daughter Suri

From New York Daily News: Actress Katie Holmes and her 6-year-old daughter were lying low Sunday in their new Manhattan apartment as a creepy crew reportedly from the Church of Scientology watched their every move.
 
Holmes and her child, Suri, have stayed out of sight since she blindsided hubby Tom Cruise by filing for divorce in New York.
 
But five burly and menacing men parked outside of Holmes’ Seventh Ave. building in Chelsea made no attempts to hide Sunday.

The mystery men sat inside a white Cadillac Escalade bearing Tennessee license plates with the engine idling and the AC running. All casually dressed and 40 to 50 years old, they refused to identify themselves or even roll down their windows when a reporter from the Daily News knocked.

The men only got out of their SUV to photograph reporters interviewing neighbors in front of the building between 24th and 25th Sts.
 
Citing unnamed sources, TMZ.com reported Sunday that the men in the Escalade were sent by the Church of Scientology to shadow Holmes and her daughter.
 
Scientology officials denied the TMZ report Sunday.

“There is no truth whatsoever to the TMZ.com report (or any other report) that the Church of Scientology has sent anyone to follow or surveil Katie Holmes,” Gary Soter, a lawyer for the Church of Scientology International, told The News in an email.

Holmes fears Scientologist big wigs now see her as a threat to their organization because she is dumping their celebrity Top Gun.
 
The Daily News reported Sunday that Holmes had concocted an elaborate escape-from-Cruise plan that included renting her Chelsea pad weeks before filing for divorce on Thursday and asking for sole custody of Suri.
 
The papers were filed a week before Cruise’s 50th birthday.

The split is reportedly rooted in Cruise’s fierce loyalty to Scientology and the Catholic-raised Holmes’ fears over the wacky religion’s potential future impact on Suri.
 
Holmes is Cruise’s third wife. The marriages melted down, coincidentally, when all three wives — including Nicole Kidman and Mimi Rogers — were, like Holmes, 33 years old.
 
Cruise — who is filming the sci-fi flick “Oblivion” in Iceland — was said to be “deeply saddened” and taken by “complete surprise” by Holmes’ divorce action, according to the actor’s flack.

The mega-millionaire actor countered over the weekend by hiring Los Angeles-based divorce lawyer Dennis Wasser to represent him.

Wasser, Cruise’s lawyer in his divorce from Kidman, is expected to file for divorce on behalf of Cruise in Los Angeles, where Cruise would have a better chance of getting joint custody of Suri, ABCNews.com reported Sunday.
 
Cruise’s lawyers are expected to argue that Holmes’ divorce petition in New York is invalid because she didn’t continuously live here for a year. Cruise, who owns an apartment in Manhattan, insists their true home is Los Angeles.
 
“I would hope that it’s not a contentious matter. I know Tom is not a particularly contentious person,” Bert Fields, Cruise’s longtime legal representative, told the Los Angeles Times.
 
Fields refused to comment on whether the couple has a prenuptial agreement.
 
“I can’t comment on that,” Fields said. “It will all come out.”
 
Holmes has hired divorce lawyers Jonathan Wolfe and Allan Mayefsky, who represented Christie Brinkley in her nasty divorce battle with Peter Cook.
 
Wolfe described the divorce as “a personal and private matter.”
 
“Katie’s primary concern remains, as it has always been, her daughter’s best interest,” Wolfe said in a statement.
 
Friends of Holmes said she moved to the Chelsea building because she already has close friends living there who can give her support during her rocky ordeal.
 
Holmes’ new neighbors said she moved in about 10 days ago and has kept a low profile, going out only to buy groceries at a nearby Whole Foods.
 
Workers at the Whole Foods told The News that Holmes has been in to shop several times, but mostly has had her groceries delivered to her door.
 
Neighbor Christopher Hyland, 64, said he’s encountered Holmes in the hallways of their building several times.
 
“It’s incredible to have her here,” said Hyland, editor of an iPad lifestyle and design magazine.
 
“She’s attractive. She has poise and has presence,” said Hyland, as he walked his Labradoodle “Hudson.”
 
As the men in the white Escalade silently snapped photos, Hyland said Holmes has only showed grace in the face of her personal problems with Cruise.
 
“I’ve seen her here several times, always holding her daughter tightly,” Hyland said. “She has deep class. She conducts herself like an American princess; there’s not an ounce bit of arrogance.”
 
He said he first noticed Holmes and her daughter 10 days ago walking down the street, hounded by paparazzi.
 
“There was a barrage of photographers,” Hyland said. “Her security was at a distance. She was holding her daughter close to her chest. She was regal. She reminds me of Princess Diana.”
 
Close friends of Holmes say her demeanor has dramatically changed since deciding to leave Cruise.
 
“She’s been miserable for a long time, but the last couple of weeks, she’s been happy — like she’s been set free,” a source told Us Weekly.

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Posted 7/2/12 at 12:00pm ET
Katie Holmes Afraid Tom Would Ship Suri To Radical Scientology Org

From TMZ: The final straw in Katie Holmes' decision to file for divorce was that she was convinced Tom Cruise was going to send 6-year-old Suri away to a hardcore Scientology organization known as Sea Organization ... sources connected with Katie tell TMZ.

Sea Org, as it is known, is where the highest levels of Scientology are taught and kids as young as five can be sent to live there ... without their parents -- and our sources say Tom is a big fan.

Our sources say Katie and Tom had been arguing over Suri's indoctrination into Scientology -- and we're told the Sea Org was the flashpoint.

The Sea Org has been often compared to a boot camp and several ex-Scientologists (including Oscar winner Paul Haggis) have been outspoken against its military-like conditions. The Freewinds, the massive Scientology boat that was the location of Cruise's infamous birthday party in 2004, is entirely staffed by Sea Org members.

According to the official Scientology website, members of Sea Org sign "a one-billion-year pledge to symbolize their eternal commitment to the religion and it is still signed by all members today."

Katie herself has first-hand knowledge of the Sea Org. When Holmes and Cruise first hooked up in 2005, Jessica Feshbach, a prominent Scientologist who had been with the Sea Org since 1994, was transferred and became Katie's assistant/Scientology chaperone. Feshbach, in one of Katie's first interviews after getting together with Cruise, was described by a writer for W magazine as "cold-eyed" and "a third-wheel."

In the end ... we're told Katie felt the only way to save Suri from being shipped off to Sea Org was to file for divorce and seek sole legal custody.

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Posted 7/2/12 at 12:00pm ET
Katie Holmes fires her publicist and hires her pre-Cruise one…

From Mr. Paparazzi: Well, well, well how interesting - having announced her break-up from Tom Cruise over the weekend, Katie Holmes has gone and ditched her publicist and has re-appointed her old one.

After seven years (i.e. the exact length she’s been with Tom Cruise) she fired the highly respected Slate PR earlier today and signed with BWR again. In a statement they said:

"Actress Katie Holmes has left her publicist at Slate PR and has signed with BWR Public Relations.

"Following the announcement of her divorce from Tom Cruise, she is now represented by Leslie Sloane in the New York office and Nanci Ryder in Los Angeles. Katie is set to star alongside Chace Crawford in the upcoming film Responsible Adults which starts filming later this year."

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Posted 7/2/12 at 12:00pm ET
Cover Story: Katie Holmes "Felt Like She Was in Rosemary's Baby" With Tom Cruise Marriage

From Us Weekly: Katie Holmes' Hollywood fairy tale with Tom Cruise definitely did not have a happy ending.

When the 33-year-old actress filed for divorce from Cruise, 49, last Thursday -- aggressively moving for sole legal custody of daughter Suri, 6 -- it was the culmination of a year-long attempt to break free of a confining, Scientology-influenced marriage to Cruise, sources tell the new Us Weekly, out now.

"Every move she made and everything she did was controlled . . . She felt like she was in Rosemary's Baby," says one insider, referring to the classic 1968 horror film, in which an aspiring young actress (Mia Farrow) unwittingly bears a child for her husband's Satanic cult.

Indeed, her shocking divorce filing, which has blindsided a "furious" Cruise, wasn't simply about the Kennedys star's own personal contentment, a Holmes source says.

"This is about protecting her daughter," the insider explains to Us. "She wants to be in charge of how Suri is being raised and didn't want her to have an exclusively Scientology education."

The first source puts it more bluntly: "She felt she had to get out to save her daughter."

For more on the biggest divorce shocker of the year -- inside their rigid marriage, their final blowout fight, how Cruise is "flipping out," how Holmes "got the strength to do it" -- pick up the new Us Weekly, on stands now.

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From PEOPLE: Who are the mysterious men talking on headsets and taking photos outside Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise's new apartment building in New York City?
 
Their presence has sparked reports that they are Scientology operatives, hired to follow Holmes after her surprise divorce filing from Tom Cruise.
 
But sources close to the situation say the men aren't related to Scientology at all – they're actually a new security team hired by Holmes herself.

The Church of Scientology has also denied having Holmes, 33, followed. "There is no truth whatsoever to the [report] that the Church of Scientology has sent anyone to follow or surveil Katie Holmes," Gary S. Soter, an attorney from the church, said in a statement.
 
Holmes rented the three-bedroom Manhattan apartment in the weeks leading up to her shocking move to divorce Cruise, who is currently filming in Iceland and turns 50 on Tuesday. The actor is a passionate advocate for Scientology, a religion that Holmes (who was raised Catholic) embraced at the start of their relationship.

But Scientology may become a hot-button issue in their split. Holmes reportedly filed for sole legal custody of their daughter Suri, which would give the actress the power to make decisions on the 6-year-old's education and religion choices.
 
Holmes "has always been more of a Catholic than a Scientologist," a source tells PEOPLE in the magazine's new cover story about the split.

For much more about Holmes and Cruise's divorce, Suri's future and the role Scientology will play, pick up the new issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands now

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Posted 7/2/12 at 5:00pm ET
Katie Holmes’ Father In New York — Fires Staff, Takes Control

From HollywoodLife: Katie Holmes’ lawyer father is taking precautions to protect his daughter from Tom Cruise and the Church of Scientology. He’s taken control — do you think Katie needs help escaping from Tom’s world?

On June 28, Kaatie Holmes' father, an Ohio-based attorney, Martin Holmes arrived to New York City to aid his daughter away from Tom Cruise by firing the people surrounding Katie. “He took control,” PEOPLE reports.

“He was worried about his daughter,” the source adds. The decision to divorce was Katie’s decision and left Tom, who is in Iceland filming "Oblivion," “totally devastated and heartbroken.”

Only three weeks ago, Tom told PEOPLE, “You’re blessed to be able to live your dream and have the family that I have, the wife and children that I have.”

But it’s not just Tom that Katie married. “When you’re married to Tom Cruise, he doesn’t come alone. He has people with him all the time. You marry the 10 people who always surround him.”

Sources also claim Tom is “hurt and confused. Ultimately, he knows they respect each other wand will work it out amicably.”

The Mirror is reporting that Katie has fired her publicist of the “Tom years” — Ina Trecoikas — and gone back to her pre-TomKat publicists Leslie Sloane and Nanci Ryder.

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Posted 7/2/12 at 5:00pm ET
Katie Holmes Keeps Her Date with "Project Runway: All Stars"

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Posted 7/2/12 at 5:00pm ET
Katie Holmes - Here's What Freedom Looks Like

From TMZ: Katie Holmes finally surfaced in New York City today ... flanked by security ... and sporting the look of a woman who's unencumbered by marriage or religion.

Katie is in NYC to tape an episode of "Project Runway: All Stars." We're told Katie will be a guest judge.

It's the first time Katie has been seen in public since she filed for divorce from Tom Cruise last week.

According to reports, Tom is still in Iceland ... where he's been filming a movie.

TMZ broke the story, Katie is bailing from the marriage because she believes Tom wants to put 6-year-old Suri into a hardcore Scientology group known as Sea Org.

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Posted 7/2/12 at 5:00pm ET
Katie Holmes Fires Security Team - They're Too Close to Tom

From TMZ: Katie Holmes has fired her old security team because they were way too close to Tom Cruise ... TMZ has learned.

The team -- made up of a bodyguard and driver -- worked for Tom for years, before Tom even met Katie ... and when he and Katie hooked up, Tom assigned the duo to Katie full-time.

The security team worked directly for Katie for years -- but today, Katie appeared with a new security detail made up of 5-6 bodyguards. Neither the old bodyguard nor the driver was anywhere in sight.

Sources connected to the actress tell us, Katie let the old team go after filing for divorce last week -- because of their allegiance to Tom. It's unclear if the duo were Scientologists.

The last time Katie was seen with her old security team was last Tuesday. Katie filed for divorce on Thursday.

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Posted 7/2/12 at 5:00pm ET
Katie Holmes - My Marriage to Tom Was Kaput in 2011

From TMZ: TMZ has learned ... Katie Holmes says her marriage to Tom Cruise was "irretrievably" broken at least 6 months prior to her filing for divorce ... this according to divorce documents filed in New York.

Sources connected to Tom tell TMZ ... Katie's contention is baffling, because he had "no idea" she was about to file for divorce. As the sources told us last week, Tom was "blindsided" by the filing.

Indeed, take a look at the pic (link) of Tom and Katie strolling the streets of Iceland hand-in-hand a little more than 2 weeks ago.

But wait ... there's more.

We've also learned ... Katie claims in her divorce documents that both she and Tom have been residents of New York for "at least 2 years." Katie, who filed in NYC, must establish legal residency in NY in order for the court to have jurisdiction -- something she wants because New York courts are more likely to grant sole custody of Suri.

No doubt ... Tom -- who shared a home with Katie in Beverly Hills for years -- will fight the residency claim tooth and nail.

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Posted 7/2/12 at 5:00pm ET
Katie Holmes - The Wedding Ring Finally Comes Off

From TMZ : It's gone -- Katie Holmes has finally removed her wedding ring.

Holmes was photographed moments ago in NYC, as she left a "Project Runway" taping ... sans finger jewelry.

Katie had worn the ring as recently as last week -- just days before she filed for divorce from Tom on Thursday.

TMZ broke the story ... Katie believes her marriage to Tom became "irretrievably broken" at least 6 months ago -- so the fact that she was still wearing her wedding ring last week is another sign she intentionally blindsided Tom with divorce papers.

Further proof -- Tom was wearing his ring last week too.

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Posted 7/2/12 at 7:00pm ET
Katie Holmes Removes Wedding Ring

From PEOPLE: Katie Holmes is making a public statement about her split from Tom Cruise: She's no longer wearing her wedding ring.

The actress, 33, who filed for divorce from the movie star, 49, on Friday, shot a "Project Runway: All Stars" segment on Monday sans the ring that Cruise gave her more than five years ago.

Holmes – who was said to have done "great" at the taping despite her personal drama – left Cruise "devastated and heartbroken," a source told PEOPLE of the breakup. "He had no idea this was coming."

The pair wed in an Italian castle in November 2006.

For much more on the split, including Holmes's dramatic exit from the marriage and the legal battle ahead, pick up this week's issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands now

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Posted 7/2/12 at 11:00pm ET
Katie Holmes' Net Worth of $25 Million May Grow After Tom Cruise Split

From ABC News: In requesting full custody of her daughter and a "suitable amount" of child support, Katie Holmes's divorce from Tom Cruise is likely to bring in a nice chunk of change for the 33-year old actress who has already managed to have a number of non-acting, side projects.

For her level of personal stardom, Holmes, whose net worth is estimated at around $25 million, has never gotten close to her earning potential, according to Michelle Lee, Hollywood.com's senior vice president of content. That's not much compared with say, Cameron Diaz who earned $34 million last year alone.

"Don't get me wrong. A net worth of $25 million is not small potatoes," Lee said. "But when you compare to Tom's earnings, it's nowhere close."

Cruise, 49, brought in $75 million just last year, according to Forbes, with earnings from "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" and as a producer and a studio executive.

"Other stars have been able to structure better deals for themselves, getting a share or profits, for example," Lee said. "She's an actress who had so much potential at first--fans were really hopeful that she would turn into a great actress. But I think her marriage really hurt her career. It seemed like directors and producers started to get a little scared of hiring her for projects because they didn't want their project being overshadowed by the spectacle."

In asking for a "suitable amount" from Cruise in her divorce filing, Holmes is likely hoping to maintain a celebrity lifestyle of shopping and travel, though she certainly has enough cash of her own to live very well even by Hollywood standards.

"I'm speculating that her spending habits probably changed when she married Tom," said Danielle Mayoras, co-author of the book "Trial and Heirs" about celebrity estates, "so she's obviously asking the court to maintain that suitable lifestyle."

The couple's properties include homes in Hollywood Hills, Beverly Hills, Montecito, Calif., New York, and Colorado, according to Zillow.

With Cruise's earnings, Mayoras said it is likely that he has been the "breadwinner" during their five-year marriage. They were last photographed together over Father's Day weekend in Iceland where he is shooting a film.

"I would hope that she's done smart financial planning," Mayoras said. "We know they travel a lot and we always see them on the red carpet. I would hope she was putting away her own money and not depending on Tom's money. It's hard to say."

After six successful years on television's "Dawson's Creek," which ended in 2003, Holmes focused on smaller films, like the critically acclaimed 2003's "Pieces of April," which brought in $2.4 million domestically and 2005's "Thank You For Smoking," which had $24.8 million according to Baseline, a movie research database. Those films "weren't huge box office blockbusters but really helped to build her acting credibility," Lee said.

"It was a smart move for her at the time," she said. "People in the industry can look down on actors who starred in so-called 'teen shows,' so she really needed to go that route."

Holmes reportedly made $175,000 per episode for Dawson's Creek, according to IMDB.com and Baseline. According to those sources, she reportedly made $200,000 for "The Gift" (2000), $1 million for "Abandon" (2002), $500,000 for "Phone Booth" (2002), and $1 million for "Batman Begins" (2005).

Holmes has starred in bigger movies, but none were considered to be "Katie Holmes vehicles," Lee said.

Her biggest movies at the box office have been "Batman Begins" with Christian Bale, which brought in $205.3 million domestically in 2005 and "Jack and Jill" with Adam Sandler, which grossed $74.2 million domestically, according to Baseline.

Mayoras said it's possible she is earning something from royalties from previous roles, but that is likely financially "insignificant."

Around the time of "Batman Begins," Holmes' celebrity persona started to overshadow her acting persona, Lee said.

"When you saw her on the big-screen, she wasn't Rachel Dawes," Lee said, referring to Holmes' character in the Batman film. "She was Katie Holmes, Tom Cruise's wife—and because of their personal beliefs, how they acted in public, etc., that turned some audiences off. And ultimately hurt her bottom line."

Unlike Cruise, Holmes didn't have the years of built-up film credibility.

"Even though Tom went through a rough patch when audiences were turned off from him, people still respect him as a movie star," Lee said. "The last 'Mission Impossible' proved that. The man is a total movie star. The camera loves him and there's really no one else like him in the world."

Among some of Holmes' box office disappointments were 2010's "The Romantics" alongside Anna Paquin and Josh Duhamel, which earned just $103,280 domestically, according to Baseline. The comedy, "Mad Money" with Queen Latifah and Diane Keaton, earned $20.7 million in 2008.

In addition to raising daughter Suri, 5, Holmes has modeled for retailer Ann Taylor, jeweler H. Stern and fashion house Miu Miu in the past three years, which Lee estimates would have netted Holmes a few million dollars.

Last year, Holmes launched a high-end fashion line, Holmes & Yang with celebrity stylist Jeanne Yang, which is "not a huge business yet." Right now, the line is sold in Barneys New York, Hirshleifer's, Harvey Nichols and Montaigne Market in Paris.

Barneys' website is selling nine items from the line, which range in price from a "Small Foliage Print Cami" top for $350 to a leather "Cropped Moto Jacket" for $3,095.

Many Hollywood watchers believe that Holmes' career may take off after the divorce in the same way Nicole Kidman's career sky-rocketed after that divorce in 2001, weeks before their 10-year anniversary.

But Lee said the situation is very different this time around.

"I think because Tom hadn't really shown the wilder side of himself publicly yet," Lee said.

In 2005, years after his divorce from Kidman, Cruise had his infamous "couch jumping" incident on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and criticized practices of psychiatry and actress Brooke Shield's drug treatment for postpartum depression. He later apologized to Shields.

Still, Lee said "the divorce is definitely sad on a personal level but it might actually help Katie's career in the long run," if she can get "meaty roles" in smaller films.

"She should follow the trajectory of someone like Joseph Gordon-Levitt who earned his stripes in indie movies and now makes huge films like Inception and Dark Knight Rises," she said.

"But it might take a little while. I think she really needs to build up her acting credibility again," according to Lee.

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Posted 7/3/12 at 1:00pm ET
Katie Holmes Getting PEANUTS From Prenup

From TMZ: Katie Holmes will be getting virtually nothing from Tom Cruise by way of $$$$ because their prenup cuts her out of his fortune ... and sources connected with Katie tell us it's just fine with her.

We've learned the prenup Katie signed is long, tight and stacked in Tom's favor. We're told reports that she'll walk away with $15-20 million are absurd. Our sources say Katie will walk away with what she brought into the marriage ... and hardly anything else.

Our Katie sources tell us, "She's not about the money. She's not that girl. She loves to work."

We're told there's one thing Katie is insistent on -- she wants child support from Tom, and that could turn into a big ticket item.

As for whether Katie will challenge the prenup ... it's pretty common when a divorcing couple is in conflict, and our Katie sources are not ruling that out. But they insist, "Money is not that important to her. She makes plenty on her own."

One final point ... a well-placed source connected with the couple tells us, the prenup that basically gives Katie bupkis is proof the marriage is not a sham -- she didn't tie the knot for the loot.

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Posted 7/3/12 at 1:00pm ET
Suri’s ‘Education’ & ‘Upbringing’ Was Real Reason for Split, Says Katie Holmes Insider

From GossipCop: Katie Holmes's decision to split with Tom Cruise ultimately came down to their daughter Suri’s “upbringing” and “education,” an insider confirms to Gossip Cop, which thoroughly investigated the recent breakup.

According to our impeccable source, Holmes’s “biggest concern is Suri,” who she “wants to have a normal education, to go to a normal school with other kids, make friends,” and not be home schooled by Scientologists.

Our insider notes that all other speculation about why Holmes left Cruise, such as long periods spent apart because of work, is wrong.

“Scientology was the reason” for the split, confirms Holmes’s confidante.

Eventually, her six-year-old’s education became a concern, and the actress decided she wanted to rear her daughter in a more similar way to her own Catholic “upbringing.”

While Holmes’s decision to split blindsided Cruise, who was “deeply saddened,” it was something she had been thinking about for some time.

Meanwhile, we’re told Holmes is “doing OK” following the divorce announcement.

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Posted 7/3/12 at 6:00pm ET
Katie Holmes's Toughest Defender: Her Father

From PEOPLE: There is no shortage of lawyers involved in Katie Holmes's divorce from Tom Cruise. But the attorney who may have played the most important role is not even handling the case.

Martin Holmes, 67, helped orchestrate his daughter's sudden split from her husband of five years, as PEOPLE reports in this week's cover story, on newsstands now.

A University of Toledo law school grad and member of the Ohio Bar since 1971, he practices in areas including personal personal injury, business litigation, probate and matrimonial law.

"Marty is very rigid – it's his way or the highway," says a Toledo attorney who has worked with both Martin Holmes and his son, attorney Martin Jr., on cases. "Marty believes there are only two sets of rules: the rules of the court and his rules, and he carries himself that way."

Along with his homemaker wife Kathy, 65, Martin raised five children: Tamera, 44, Holly, 43, Martin Jr., 42, Nancy, 38, and the baby of the family, 33-year-old Katie.

As parents, Martin and Kathy "laid down the law but always with a lot of love," a relative told PEOPLE in 2006.

After their youngest daughter began dating Cruise, 50, in 2005, rumors quickly emerged that the actress's parents were wary of the relationship. But publicly, Martin was always supportive of Cruise, calling him a "humanitarian" in a statement to "Access Hollywood," and both Tom and Katie denied any tensions with her family.

"Some of the crap that's out there – the stuff that's said about my parents and my siblings [not hitting it off with Tom], it's really frustrating," Holmes told Vanity Fair in 2006 after welcoming daughter Suri.

And indeed, at the rehearsal dinner for the couple's wedding in November 2006, Martin offered an emotional and welcoming toast to his famous new son-in-law.

"There is a line in the movie "Father of the Bride" where Steve Martin talks about how a time comes when you have a daughter that you stop worrying about her meeting the wrong guy ... and you worry about her meeting the right guy," Martin said. "It didn't take much time before I realized this Tom guy was a special guy – that he loved Katie, that he cared for her and supported her. Tom expressed his love many different ways – I like that. I respect men who are not afraid to show their feelings. I respect Tom for the commitment he has made to provide happiness and love to Katie."

For much more on the split, including Holmes's dramatic exit from the marriage and the legal battle ahead, pick up this week's issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands now

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Posted 7/4/12 at 1:00pm ET
Katie Holmes: How She Planned Her Split from Tom Cruise

From PEOPLE: Katie Holmes's decision to leave Tom Cruise may have seemed suddne, but it involved meticulous planning.

And no one was more shocked than Cruise himself.

"She was talking to Tom on the phone up until last week saying, 'I love you,' " a source tells PEOPLE of the actress.

"Her inner circle has been planning this and switching out cell phones since she was in China [in mid-June]," adds the source. "When new cell phones arrived, then nobody could reach her. Her old best friends from last week don't have her new number, no email. She's unreachable."

Holmes, 33, also rented her new apartment in New York City in early June. "[Tom] knew that she moved there, but [he thought it was] for different reasons," says the source.

"She said she moved there to drive into the underground garage. There are fewer paparazzi and it's less intrusive for her," says the source. "It was the first phase of getting everything out of the house, and that's why she was able to say she's moving without giving an indication that she was going to divorce him."

Then, last week, her father, Martin Holmes, arrived in New York and helped his daughter clean house, firing many of the people around her shortly before Holmes filed for divorce anonymously in New York City.

Cruise, then filming in Iceland, "had no idea this was coming," a source tells PEOPLE in the magazine's new cover story, on newsstands now.

For much more on the split, including Holmes's dramatic exit from the marriage and the legal battle ahead, pick up this week's issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands now

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Posted 7/4/12 at 4:00pm ET
Tom Cruise Spent Somber 50th Birthday in L.A.

From PEOPLE: Tom Cruise quietly spent his 50th birthday with his teenage kids, Connor and Bella, and members of his extended family at his Beverly Hills, Calif., mansion, PEOPLE has learned.

Both absent on Tuesday: his estranged wife, Katie Holmes, who filed for divorce last week, and his daughter Suri, 6, who has remained with Mom in their new Manhattan apartment since last week's bombshell split announcement.

"The plan was he was going to spend his birthday with Katie and Suri [in New York City]," a source tells PEOPLE. "Then they were going to fly to California where he is going to finish [filming] "Oblivion" and spend time there."

But after Holmes's divorce filing, which the source says utterly blindsided Cruise, the superstar actor had to abruptly change plans.

With Bella, 19, Connor, 17, and other family members in tow, Cruise left Iceland, where he's been shooting "Oblivion," and landed in Burbank early Tuesday.

"They were all together, and one of the reasons he came back to California was that he had to take his family back to LA.," says the source.

The Cruise insider adds that the actor also bypassed New York to avoid the paparazzi frenzy. "It's an impossible situation and he does not want to subject his daughter to any more trauma," the source says.

For now, Cruise must rely on regular phone calls with Suri, says the source, adding that the two talk several times a day.

"Say what you will about Tom, but there is no doubt he loves his daughter," says a second source. "Not seeing her would be very hard on him."

As for the mood on the actor's birthday, it was "somber," says the insider. "Just very very sad."

Meanwhile, a smiling Suri and Holmes stepped out for ice cream on Tuesday in New York's East Village neighborhood.

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Posted 7/4/12 at 4:00pm ET
Katie Holmes Files Emergency Motion For Public Tom Cruise Divorce Trial

From HollywoodLife: On July 3, Katie filed an aggressive legal action — an ‘emergent application’ – in New York City court to determine immediate custody and child support issues over Suri Cruise. There is already a court date that Tom will have to attend! Only HollywoodLife.com has all of the EXCLUSIVE details!

Katie Holmes has just taken a very aggressive step in her divorce from Tom Cruise: she has requested an ‘emergent application’ to make the trial public in the New York City court system!

Katie, 33, has taken a huge step in batting Tom, 50, a source close to the situation tells HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY.

“Katie filed an ‘emergent application’ in New York City on July 3,” our source tells us. “It’s a motion seeking temporary emergency relief, which can include child support and custody. It also means that Tom is going to have to hire a New York lawyer — he can’t use his Calif. lawyer anymore. The motion also means that both Tom and Katie have to be present in court on July 17. A judge is now assigned to their case, which means it’s no longer going to be an out-of-court settlement. They are scheduled to appear before Judge Matthew Cooper on July 17 at 9:30 AM.”

Our source also said this filing sends a very clear message to Tom.

“Katie doesn’t anticipate Tom cooperating, and there have been rumors that he’s going to file in Calif. and argue that litigation should be there rather than New York. Bottom line: if you file an emergency motion, you don’t believe there’s going to be cooperation from the other party or you need an order that only the court can give. It might have something to do with trying to control the media.They filed under anonymous verses anonymous to avoid the media. Most celebs do that.

“It’s unlikely for a celebrity to file an emergency hearing, because most celebrities settle out of court because they don’t want the media involved in their case. Katie and Tom are now going to have an open court room, which means that anyone can walk in and see what’s happening. Plus, they are putting their case in the hands of a judge who is going to determine what happens next. Most public figures don’t want that — it’s a last resort. It’s super-aggressive for Katie to have taken these steps. It suggests that there’s going to be a contentious divorce battle to come.”

HollywoodLife.com also spoke EXCLUSIVELY with celebrity divorce attorney Vikki Ziegler, author of The Pre-Marital Planner, who told us what Katie is hoping to gain from this move.

“Tom is probably asking for parenting time,” she said. “She’s asking for it to be reviewed on an expedited basis to protect the child, Suri. She’s saying, “I want this case tried in New York, I want temporary full custody, I want child support and I may want my legal bills paid as well.”

HollywoodLife.com reached out to reps for both Tom and Katie, but we haven’t yet received a comment.

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Posted 7/4/12 at 7:00pm ET
Katie Holmes Not Seeking Emergency Hearing, Lawyer Says

From PEOPLE: Katie Holmes's lawyer is denying reports that the actress wants an emergency hearing on custody and child support in the Tom Cruise divorce.

"Other than her action for divorce, the only pending application filed by Ms. Holmes remains her request for an anonymous caption," her lawyer Jonathan Wolfe says. An anonymous caption means that the papers in the case are filed anonymously.

The statement is response in to online reports that Holmes, 33, on Tuesday filed what is called an emergent application that could have resulted in a public hearing in a New York court.

Since her surprise filing last week – in which Holmes, 33, reportedly asked for sole legal custody of their daughter Suri, 6 – Holmes has remained in New York with Suri.

Cruise, who hasn't filed any legal papers yet, flew from Iceland to Los Angeles, where he spent his 50th birthday with his older children, Isabella and Conner.

A source close to the case tells PEOPLE Cruise prefers to file in Los Angeles, which he considers his home base. Also, despite having a New York apartment, the family primarily spent time in the Big Apple for work or outings like Broadway plays, says the source.

"They don't live in New York City," says the source. "It's ridiculous."

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Posted 7/5/12 at 3:00pm ET
Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes's Legal Teams: Meet the Key Players

From PEOPLE: As their divorce battle heats up, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have enlisted some serious legal fire power.

In Cruise's corner: Los Angeles divorce attorney Dennis Wasser, who previously represented Cruise in his 2001 divorce from Nicole Kidman, and veteran entertainment litigator Bert Fields, who has also represented Cruise for years.

Wasser, whose daughter Laura is a top Hollywood divorce attorney herself, has been involved in a number of high-profile showbiz divorces, with Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood and Jane Fonda among his former clients.

"Dennis is a gentleman and exceptionally bright," says L.A. family law attorney Robert Brandt. "His ultimate goal is to settle cases, but he won't do it out of weakness. He's not intimated by anyone."

Fields, who has represented such megastars as Madonna and the Beatles, "is considered the dean of entertainment trial lawyers," says L.A. lawyer Larry Stein, who practices in the same field. "He's not a brash person; he's quietly aggressive. He's a Harvard Law graduate who uses his intellect and charm to win his cases."

Because Holmes filed for divorce in New York, Wasser told PEOPLE that he and Fields will be joined by a lawyer based in that state. They could attempt to move the proceedings to L.A., where judges are more likely to award joint custody – a decision that will likely be made in the coming days.

Holmes also has a strong legal team in place. New Jersey-based attorney Jonathan Wolfe, 36, will be working with New York attorneys Allan Mayefsky and his partner Michael Mosberg.

Less known in show business circles, Wolfe has handled plenty of high-powered cases, including the divorces of football star Braylon Edwards and NHL player Martin Brodeur, and has written extensively about matrimonial law.

"He is the finest of the fine," says Randall M. Kessler, Chairman of the American Bar Association's Family Law Section and one of Wolfe's partners. "He comes from a family of successful lawyers, including his identical twin brother."

Another source who has worked with Wolfe calls him "cool as a cucumber" under pressure. "He's aggressive, but he leans toward trying to keep cases, as much as possible, out of the courts. Without any question, he knows how to maintain privacy and discretion and knows how to negotiate deals. Whatever the outcome is, it'll be fair for both sides," the source adds.

Meanwhile, Mayefsky, a partner at Aronson, Mayefsky & Sloan, is a Harvard Law grad with more than 25 years of family law experience. His firm represented Peter Cook in his bitter 2008 divorce from Christie Brinkley. Mosberg, a partner in the firm, is a Brooklyn Law School grad who's been practicing since 1998.

Mayefsky is "a low-key, excellent attorney," says New York matrimonial attorney Nancy Chemtob. "He's mild-mannered. He's a nice, reasonable man. He's definitely very bright."

For much more on the split, including Holmes's dramatic exit from the marriage and the legal battle ahead, pick up this week's issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands now

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Posted 7/5/12 at 3:00pm ET
Katie Holmes: No Emergency Hearing, but Date Set for Court Showdown With Tom Cruise

From E! News: Katie Holmes told the New York Daily News Wednesday she's doing "all right, thank you," but that doesn't mean she doesn't have a long road ahead of her.

Despite initial reports to the contrary, there is no emergency hearing scheduled on custody and child support for Suri Cruise. Her lawyer told E! News in a statement that "other than her action for divorce, the only pending application filed by Ms. Holmes remains her request for an anonymous caption."

She will, however, face a family court judge July 17 in New York City at an order to show cause hearing. An order to show cause can be filed to request that the court issue a temporary order before the other side responds. It is often used when time is of the essence and when a decision is needed faster than a notice of motion.

Holmes is being represented by two attorneys, Jonathan Wolfe of New Jersey and Allan Mayefsky of New York.

Cruise, 50, has not actually filed for divorce in California, despite previous reports. And while the "Mission Impossible" star hasn't been seen with his 6-year-old daughter since he and Holmes announced their split, there are unconfirmed reports that he calls Suri "several times a day."

The actor also reportedly opted to fly from Iceland to L.A. instead of NYC on his birthday Tuesday. His reasoning? More unconfirmed sources claim Cruise wanted to avoid the media frenzy that would've undoubtedly ensued were he to attempt to see Suri in the city.

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Posted 7/5/12 at 3:00pm ET
Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes Divorce Will Remain In New York, At Least For Now

From RadarOnline: Score one for Katie Holmes in her divorce and custody dispute from estranged husband Tom Cruise.

The proceedings will remain in New York where the actress filed because under the law, the "Mission Impossible" star can't file in California as he had planned because you can't file in separate states at the same time, RadarOnline.com is exclusively reporting.

Cruise "will have to adhere to the New York divorce petition that Katie filed. He won't be able to file in California until he presents evidence to the courts in New York that they weren't residents. The judge in New York will ultimately decide if the Big Apple is the proper venue for the divorce to proceed. So for the time Tom won't be able to file in California. This is an obvious setback, and Tom is livid that Katie is calling all the shots," a source close to the situation tells us.

Holmes "has gotten top notch legal advice because the case will remain in New York for the near future. Important issues coming up include temporary child support. Katie clearly has the upper hand in the proceedings at this point. It can't be emphasized enough that she took these extraordinary measures to protect her daughter, Suri," an insider close to the actress says.

Cruise will have to file a formal response to Katie's divorce petition in New York, and "he is going to submit a motion to have the case dismissed because NYC isn't the proper venue. Tom is hopeful that New York will do the right thing and allow him to file in California," the source said.

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Posted 7/5/12 at 10:00pm ET
Tom Cruise: Katie is Using Suri As a Weapon

From TMZ: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have cut off all contact with each other, and her people are making it difficult for Tom to have contact with his daughter ... sources very familiar with the situation tell TMZ.

Although Tom now has "absolutely no contact with Katie," his people are negotiating/bickering with Katie's people over when and how Tom can talk to Suri. We're told Tom does speak with his daughter by phone at least once a day, but sources connected with Tom say it hasn't been easy.

We're told when Tom's on the phone with Suri, there is one place he has not gone ... he has NOT discussed the breakup of his marriage with his daughter.

As for when Tom will attempt to see Suri ... sources say it's not going to happen for awhile. We're told Tom was in L.A. for the 4th but he's leaving before the weekend to shoot his new movie in the Rockies.

Our sources say things are "really bitter now" between Tom and Katie. He feels betrayed by her and thinks she is using Suri as a weapon.

And you don't need sources to know one thing -- if he's blocked from seeing Suri, his lawyers will make a beeline for court.

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Posted 7/5/12 at 10:00pm ET
Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes Divorce NOT Over Scientology

From TMZ: Katie Holmes may say her decision to divorce Tom Cruise is over Scientology, but it's NOT ... so say sources directly connected to Tom.

Our sources tell us ... they believe Katie and her team are leaking false stories to the media by maintaining she was trying to save Suri from the grips of Scientology, and that's why she left Tom.

As one well-connected Tom source put it, "She [Katie] was totally committed to Scientology. She had enthusiasm for it and would voluntarily and gladly participate in it when Tom was off shooting movies."

The source adds, "This is not a fight over religion. It's being used as a way to hurt Tom."

And on the subject of hurting Tom, as we first reported, sources connected with the actor tell us Katie's people have made it difficult for him to speak with Suri by phone, but he's talked to her every day. He has no immediate plans to see his daughter because he's leaving today or tomorrow to shoot his new movie in the Rockies.

Tom's lawyers have not filed any docs in court -- yet -- to establish his custodial rights. If that happens, we're told they will file in New York, although it's pretty clear they will ask to have the case sent to California.

And, as for what Tom's people say the divorce is really about ... they won't say yet, but tell us it's coming.

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Posted 7/6/12 at 10:00am ET
Katie Holmes - Tom Treated Me Like a Robot

From TMZ: Tom Cruise controlled Katie Holmes like a puppetmaster ... making every major and even minor decision in her personal and professional life ... and in the end, she felt like she couldn't breathe without his permission ... this according to sources close to the actress.

Movie studio-connected sources tell us Tom executed an "Art Kill" way back when Katie was doing "Thank You for Smoking" in 2005 ... when the 2 first started dating.

Sources tell us Tom instructed producers to "kill" any promotional photos which showed Katie and Aaron Eckhart engaged in kissing or "anything else compromising."

We're told Tom also imposed his will during "Batman Begins" ... prohibiting Katie from flying with the rest of the cast. Instead, Katie would only travel on Tom's private jet. One source tells us Morgan Freeman was "disgusted" by the situation. On the other side, however, one source scoffed and said, "Wow, Tom offered her his private jet. How terrible for Katie."

Ultimately, our Katie sources say she grew sick and tired of playing Pinocchio to Tom's Geppetto ... and decided it was time to cut the strings.

We reached out to Morgan Freeman for comment -- so far, no word back.

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Posted 7/6/12 at 7:00pm ET

From PEOPLE: Katie Holmes paid a visit Friday to the high-powered New York law firm representing her in the divorce from Tom Cruise.

Casually dressed in white jeans and a yellow top, the actress, 33, arrived with four bodyguards in a Mercedes with black-tinted windows about 11:30 a.m. at the midtown Manhattan building housing the offices of Aronson, Mayefsky and Sloan.

Daughter Suri, 6, was not with her, observers say.

The visit comes after Cruise attorney Bert Fields spoke out to the BBC about the possible next steps for the 50-year-old superstar.

"Tactically we can't say where Tom will file a divorce case and if he'll be seeking joint custody of Suri," said Fields.

"We are letting 'the other side' play the media until they wear everyone out and then we'll have something to say," added Fields.

The divorce case involves legal heavyweights on both coasts.

Holmes's attorneys Allan Mayefsky and his partner Michael Mosberg work for the firm that represented Peter Cook in his bitter 2008 divorce from Christie Brinkley. Their co-counsel, Jonathan Wolfe of Skoloff & Wolfe in Livingston, N.J., has handled the divorces of football star Braylon Edwards and NHL player Martin Brodeur.

Fields is a longtime Cruise business lawyer in Los Angeles with a host of celebrity clients. The actor's lead divorce lawyer, Dennis Wasser, is another prominent Hollywood attorney who represented Cruise in his divorce from Nicole Kidman.

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Posted 7/7/12 at 10:00am ET
Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes Settlement Talks Underway

From TMZ: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have called a temporary truce while their lawyers try to negotiate a full divorce settlement ... TMZ has learned.

Sources very familiar with the situation tell us ... there are NO immediate plans for either side to go to court. There will be no court hearing Monday, Tuesday or in the foreseeable future, unless the negotiations fall apart.

Sources tell us the lawyers are negotiating child custody, visitation, child support and a property settlement.

We're also told the whole settlement could be ratified in New York if all goes well. In other words, there may not be a move by Tom's camp to transfer the case to California, where judges are more likely to award joint custody.

One source described the emotional state of the negotiations as "calm."

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Posted 7/7/12 at 11:00pm ET
Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes Divorce: Inside Their Negotiations

From PEOPLE: For much of the past few days, lawyers for Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have been working behind closed doors to iron out an agreement between the two stars that would avoid a long, public divorce fight.
 
Cruise "doesn't want his family dragged through the mud," says one source. "They both love their daughter."
 
One crucial issue: where Suri, 6, will live and who will raise her.

Holmes, 33, who filed for sole legal custody, would like to bring up her daughter in New York City. Cruise, 50, lives primarily in Los Angeles, although he owns properties in Manhattan.

Sources around Cruise and Holmes are optimistic that the couple and their legal teams could reach a deal as discussions continue.
 
For the second day in a row, Holmes was spotted at her lawyers Allan Mayefsky and Michael Mosberg's offices on Saturday.
 
As for Holmes's bid for custody, Cruise may be open to Suri living primarily with Holmes, according to a source. But any agreement would have to include generous visitation for Cruise: "There's no world where Tom won't be seeing Suri."
 
"I'm sure Tom Cruise's attorneys are doing all they can behind the scenes to negotiate with Katie's side to calm the situation," says L.A. family law attorney Steve Mindel, who's not involved with the case. "Ultimately, neither side would want a messy public case to avoid bringing emotional harm to their daughter. Don't be surprised if Katie quietly retracts her divorce filing and they eventually agree to an amicable divorce and settlement."

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Posted 7/7/12 at 11:00pm ET
Katie Holmes Has Marathon Legal Session Saturday

From RadarOnline: Katie Holmes' negotiations with Tom Cruise over custody and support for their daughter Suri went into overdrive on Saturday.

Holmes spent six hours with her divorce attorney Allan Mayefsky in his Manhattan office today, emerging in the early evening.

Earlier in the day, members of her security team went to a nearby bakery and brought back two boxes of sugary treats for Katie and her legal team.

Katie filed for divorce on June 28, playing hardball by asking for sole legal custody and primary physical custody of six-year-old daughter.

As RadarOnline.com reported, this is the second consecutive day Katie spent hours with Mayesky.

He is reportedly attempting to iron out an agreement -- at least a temporary one -- with Tom's attorney Dennis Wasser that would negate the necessity of going to court.

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Posted 7/8/12 at 3:00pm ET
Tom Cruise Is in "Major Crisis Mode" Amid Katie Holmes Split, Custody Fight

From Us Weekly: Cruise has lost control.

On Saturday, Katie Holmes spent her second consecutive marathon session at the midtown Manhattan offices of her attorney. And though estranged husband Tom Cruise has not been photographed in over a week, the superstar and his team "are in major crisis mode," a source close to the "Rock of Ages" actor, 50, tells Us Weekly.

"Tom's whole life . . . is being torn apart," the source says of Cruise, who was blindsided when Holmes filed for divorce and full legal custody of six-year-old daughter Suri on June 28.

"He is on the phone with his lawyers 24/7," the source explains, confirming that the Oscar nominee "is trying to hash this out" -- custody, child support and property division -- without going to court.

Cruise, whose loyalty to the Church of Scientology and its teachings became a sticking point in his nearly six year marriage to Holmes, "doesn't want his entire life laid out for everyone to dissect anymore."

"Every move she made and everything she did was controlled . . . [Katie] felt like she was in Rosemary's Baby," another source told Us Weekly of Holmes' bold move. "She felt she had to get out to save her daughter."

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Posted 7/8/12 at 3:00pm ET
Katie Holmes, Tom Cruise Trying to Avoid Court, Settlement Talks 'Ongoing'

From ABC News: Private is the word repeatedly used to describe the way Tom Cruise likes to handle personal matters and this weekend the bombshell divorce between Cruise and Katie Holmes became very, very quiet.
 
Sources close to case tell ABC News that both Cruise and his soon to be ex-wife, Katie Holmes "want to settle this matter privately and that talks are ongoing between the two parties."
 
Katie Holmes was snapped going to visit her attorney in New York on Saturday but didn't say a word to photographers waiting for a nugget of news.
 
While the first hearing in the case is set on the New York Civil Supreme Court calendar for July 17, that is a full week away. Both parties have stated they want what's best for their 6-year-old daughter Suri and sources close to the case told ABC News "they have never ruled out trying to reach an amicable settlement." They are now trying to do just that.

Robert Stephan Cohen, who has represented celebrities Christie Brinkley, James Gandolfini and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in their divorce cases, told ABC News that if "this case goes through the court system in New York or California it would be very complicated."

Cohen, who also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania, said that what happens to the child going forward would be the big issue in any kind of settlement talks.
 
"The parties can decide what school she can go to and who her pediatrician is but what about Scientology?" he said. "Is he willing to forgo having his daughter raised as a Scientologist? Is she willing to allow the child to be one? If they can work those issues out they may be able to work out a deal."
 
Holmes filed for divorce and sole custody of the couple's daughter on June 28.

As pictures poured in of Holmes and her daughter out and about in Manhattan enjoying ice-cream, the museum, popping into Whole Foods and visiting her attorney this weekend, Cruise has yet to be seen. Sources close to the actor admitted that Cruise was "stunned" by Holmes' action, which his publicist said left him "deeply saddened."
 
He returned to Los Angeles from filming in Iceland last Tuesday to celebrate what was described as a "somber" 50th birthday celebration with his family.
 
Sources close to the actor said they were fine with letting Holmes play the "media game" last week because that is exactly what Cruise wanted. But make no mistake, Cruise has not really been quiet. He has been strategizing with his team of lawyers and calling the shots on what to do about what his associates say "came out of nowhere."
 
Some legal analysts have said that Holmes' decision to file for divorce in New York might have given her an advantage in her effort to gain sole custody versus joint custody and provide more privacy, since New York seals divorce filings that are often available in California.
 
California divorce attorney Michael Kelly told The Associated Press that Holmes' East Coast filing was "a tactical move" that signifies "there will be an attempt to gain an advantage."
 
New York's comparative-fault divorce laws could be advantageous for Holmes, he said. The couple spent most of their marriage in Los Angeles but Holmes has been in New York for most of this year.
 
Holmes dumped her longtime security team because of their loyalty to Cruise, according to sources, and there had been lots of talk about what is really no longer the elephant in the room, Scientology.

The Church of Scientology issued a statement denouncing reports that Holmes and Suri have been followed by members of the church -- reports that were debunked when it became clear that Holmes' own security people were outside her building.
 
Nobody from the Cruise camp has uttered the word Scientology publicly yet, and a source who reviewed the divorce complaint says there is nothing about scientology in the document that Holmes filed on June 28.
 
But sources close to the case did acknowledge that Scientology is an issue for Holmes and one person close to actress said it has been for some time, despite appearances.
 
Cruise Has Gone Settlement Route Before

The previous times Cruise has gotten divorced, he was in control.

Curiously all of Cruise's marriages ended when his ex-wives were 33 years old.

Cruise filed for divorce from his second wife, Nicole Kidman, in February 2001, sometime after she miscarried their baby, according to Kidman (they had previously adopted two children).
 
He filed for divorce less than two months after they renewed their vows on their 10-year anniversary, Christmas Eve 2000.
 
Kidman broke down on Oprah Winfrey's talk show in May 2001, calling the situation a "nightmare."

"I think that divorce is hard for anyone. It's a nightmare, it just is, and you can pretend you're fine," she said. "And days you're great [and] days you're not great."
 
In a written response to a divorce petition filed by Cruise on the grounds of irreconcilable differences, Kidman said she was stunned when he told her that he no longer wanted to be married, and allegedly begged him to stay and seek marriage counseling. He refused and left for good, according to her response.
 
When asked by Winfrey whether she thought she would always be married, Kidman timidly replied, "Yeah."
 
"I've had a blessed life," she said. "I've always thought [if] something bad is going to happen, something bad is going to happen.
 
But then something really bad happened. A number of really bad things happened. You go, 'I'm dealing with it. I'm stronger than I thought.'"
 
Kidman is now happily married to country singer Keith Urban. They have two children together. Connor and Isabella Cruise chose to live with their dad after the split, which was settled out of court.
 
Given how adoringly Cruise has spoken about Katie Holmes throughout their relationship -- he told the May issue of Playboy, "I'm just happy, and I have been since the moment I met her" -- he may take a while to get back to his eccentric, couch-jumping self. But his first ex-wife once voiced her confidence in Mr. Mission Impossible's ability to rebound.
 
"Tom is very strong -- he handles stress," Mimi Rogers told People magazine in 2001. "He's human. He has a temper. He blows up sometimes, whatever, but it's not like he can't deal with it."
 
He filed for divorce from actress Mimi Rogers in January 1990 after three years of marriage.
 
She seemed to get over it quickly. In October 1990, she told The Associated Press, "As far as I know, we're divorced, but I've been so busy on this new film that I haven't had time to check, so I'm not sure. I bet that sounds pretty silly, huh?"

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Posted 7/8/12 at 9:30pm ET
Katie Holmes Is "Dead Set" on Keeping Full Custody of Suri

From Us Weekly: For the past few days, legal teams for Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise have been working steadily in an attempt to reach a settlement for the divorcing stars, but make no mistake: Holmes, 33, is not about to cave when it comes to their little girl.

"She is dead set on keeping custody of Suri," a Holmes source tell Us Weekly. The "Romantics" actress -- whose future projects include the new film Molly (which she wrote) and a Holmes and Yang runway debut at New York Fashion Week this fall -- filed for divorce from Cruise, 50, June 28, and asked for sole legal custody of daughter Suri, 6.

"Katie is not going to compromise on certain issues, all regarding Suri," the source says.

During their nearly six-year marriage, Holmes became increasingly uncomfortable with the bizarre rules and restrictions of Scientology -- particularly with respect with how to raise and educate her only child with Cruise.

"This is about protecting her daughter," another source explained to Us.

While Holmes has been highly visible since the news broke, stepping out with Suri near their new NYC apartment nearly every day, Cruise has been M.I.A., reportedly holed up at his L.A.-area home.

The "Rock of Ages" star and his team "are in major crisis mode," a Cruise source admits. "He is on the phone with his lawyers 24/7."

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Posted 7/9/12 at 10:00am ET
Tom Cruise: There's NO Settlement Without Suri

From TMZ: Tom Cruise has made one thing VERY clear -- Suri is the deal-maker and the deal-breaker in his divorce with Katie Holmes ... this according to sources very familiar with the situation.

As we first reported, lawyers for both sides are trying to pound out a settlement. We're told Tom has insisted that the settlement provide "meaningful, significant contact with his daughter." As one source put it, "She is the primary concern in his life."

Sources connected with Katie tell us they have made it clear that Tom will be able to spend time with his daughter when he finishes his movie shoot in the Rockies.

Lawyers for both sides have been meeting for hours a day. Sources say they even met for a full business day on Saturday. And, we're told, they are not just trying to hash out a temporary truce -- these are settlement negotiations for the entire divorce.

Sources say both sides are negotiating custody, visitation, support and property settlement.

One caution -- we're told the negotiations are still "in flux" and it's possible things could fall apart. But for now, no one is rushing to court.

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Posted 7/9/12 at 12:30pm ET
Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes Release Joint Statement on Divorce Negotiations

From PEOPLE: As they continue to hammer out a divorce settlement, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have released a joint statement asking for privacy as they work out a custody arrangement for their daughter, Suri.

"We are committed to working together as parents to accomplish what is in our daughter Suri's best interests. We want to keep matters affecting our family private and express our respect for each other's commitment to each of our respective beliefs and support each other's roles as parents," says the statement from Holmes and Cruise's reps, Nanci Ryder and Amanda Lundberg respectively.

No word on when the couple will reach an agreement, but sources close to both sides say that Cruise, 50, and Holmes, 33, will likely agree to an arrangement where Suri, 6, lives in New York with her mother and her father is given generous visitation rights.

Sources say Holmes's decision to file for divorce in June blindsided Cruise.

She and Suri recently moved into a new 3-bedroom apartment in New York City, where the pair have been spotted out while Cruise was at home in Los Angeles with his teenage kids, Connor,17, and Bella, 19.

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Posted 7/9/12 at 1:00pm ET
Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes Reach Divorce Settlement

From PEOPLE: Less than two weeks after Katie Holmes filed for divorce, the actress and Tom Cruise have reached a settlement.

Holmes's attorney Jonathan Wolfe confirmed the deal in a statement to PEOPLE:

"The case has been settled and the agreement has been signed. We are thrilled for Katie and her family and are excited to watch as she embarks on the next chapter of her life.

"This result could not have been achieved without the hard work of my partner Gary Skoloff and our co-counsel Allan Mayefsky, Michael Mosberg and Larry Trachtenberg of Aronson Mayefsky and Sloan and Peter Walzer and Chris Melcher of Walzer & Melcher in California.

"We thank Tom's counsel for their professionalism and diligence that helped bring about this speedy resolution."

Cruise's attorney Dennis Wasser separately told PEOPLE, "All the lawyers and the parties are happy that it's done, the deal was closed and we wish everyone well."

There was no immediate word on the details, but Holmes and Cruise said in a separate statement they focused on protecting daughter Suri, 6.

"We are committed to working together as parents to accomplish what is in our daughter Suri's best interests. We want to keep matters affecting our family private and express our respect for each other's commitment to each of our respective beliefs and support each other's roles as parents," says the statement from Holmes and Cruise's reps, Nanci Ryder and Amanda Lundberg respectively.

Sources close to both sides say that Cruise, 50, and Holmes, 33, were working on an arrangement in which Suri lives in New York with her mother and her father is given generous visitation rights.

Sources say Holmes's decision to file for divorce in June blindsided Cruise.

She and Suri recently moved into a new 3-bedroom apartment in New York City, where the pair have been spotted out while Cruise was at home in Los Angeles with his teenage kids, Connor, 17, and Bella, 19.

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Posted 7/9/12 at 2:00pm ET
Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes DIVORCE SETTLED!

From TMZ: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have SETTLED their divorce ... this according to Katie's lawyer.

Jonathan Wolfe tells TMZ, "This case has been settled and the agreement has been signed. We are thrilled for Katie and her family and are excited to watch as she embarks on the next chapter of her life."

TMZ reported in the last few days lawyers for both sides were in a marathon negotiation -- trying to end what began as a divorce war.

Wolfe added, "We thank Tom's counsel for their professionalism and diligence that helped bring about this speedy resolution."

Tom's longtime lawyer, Bert Fields, just told TMZ, "The Tom Cruise-Katie Holmes case has been settled with a signed agreement. Tom is really pleased we got there, and so am I."

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Posted 7/9/12 at 2:00pm ET
Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes Settle Split

From Entertainment Tonight: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have settled their split, explaining the news in a just-released statement to ET.

"The case has been settled and the agreement has been signed," says a statement from Katie's lawyer, Jonathan Wolfe. "We are thrilled for Katie and her family and are excited to watch as she embarks on the next chapter of her life. This result could not have been achieved without the hard work of my partner Gary Skoloff and our co-counsel Allan Mayefsky, Michael Mosberg and Larry Trachtenberg of Aronson Mayefsky and Sloan and Peter Walzer and Chris Melcher of Walzer & Melcher in California. We thank Tom's counsel for their professionalism and diligence that helped bring about this speedy resolution."

Tom's lawyer, Dennis Wasser, tells ET, "The case is settled. It is done!

Earlier today, the couple released a joint statement regarding their daughter Suri: "We are committed to working together as parents to accomplish what is in our daughter Suri's best interests. We want to keep matters affecting our family private and express our respect for each other's commitment to each of our respective beliefs and support each other's roles as parents."

Sources tell ET that Tom is only days from a reunion with Suri, 6. Sources also tell us that Suri will most likely remain with her mother in New York for the near future while Tom continues to work on back-to-back movies around the world, from the currently filming "Oblivion" to "Jack Reacher," which hits theaters December 21, and the upcoming "All You Need Is Kill."

ET has also learned that Tom had planned to spend the Fourth of July holiday in New York with his family at their new apartment.

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Posted 7/9/12 at 5:00pm ET
Cruise, Holmes reach settlement in divorce case

From Associated Press: NEW YORK (AP) -- Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes reached a settlement on Monday, legally sorting out their divorce with the same speed that kicked off their much-scrutinized romance seven years ago.

Just as Hollywood was settling in for what was expected to be a long and nasty separation, lawyers for the couple said the pair settled less than two weeks after Holmes unexpectedly filed for divorce.

"The case has been settled and the agreement has been signed," Holmes attorney Jonathan Wolfe said in a statement. Cruise's attorney, Bert Fields, also confirmed the settlement in a statement: "Tom is really pleased we got there and so am I."

Representatives for Holmes and Cruise declined to elaborate on the agreement.

"We are thrilled for Katie and her family and are excited to watch as she embarks on the next chapter of her life," the statement from Holmes' attorney said. "We thank Tom's counsel for their professionalism and diligence that helped bring about this speedy resolution."

In a joint statement, Cruise, 50, and Holmes, 33, asked for privacy for their family with 6-year-old daughter Suri.

"We are committed to working together as parents to accomplish what is in our daughter Suri's best interests. We want to keep matters affecting our family private and express our respect for each other's commitment to each of our respective beliefs and support each other's roles as parents," read the statement from Cruise's publicist Amanda Lundberg and Holmes representative Nanci Ryder.

The resolution was notably quick, particularly in Hollywood terms. By way of comparison, Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries are still negotiating a divorce for an August 2011 marriage that lasted less than three months.

"A quick settlement indicates that they were able to agree that they'll both do some co-parenting," said Steve Mindel, a managing partner in the Los Angeles firm Feinberg, Mindel, Brandt and Klein who has handled bi-coastal divorce cases.

Mindel said the next step would be for Holmes or Cruise to file to have their status changed to divorced, but that the actual financial and child custody details won't get filed in court unless there's some later dispute.

The rapid settlement saves the couple from a public battle that was sure to be covered vigorously by the celebrity news media, which had already shifted into hyper-drive.

In the already voluminous tabloid reporting, Holmes had been portrayed with overwhelmingly more sympathy. The emerging narrative, whether true or not, was of a locked-away Holmes breaking free from the servitude of a strange, corrupting marriage.

Us Weekly reported that the couple "fought viciously" over Scientology parenting. The Daily News trumpeted Holmes entering "a new phase." A TMZ headline blared "Tom treated me like a robot."

That may also be the most convenient view of a relationship that even at its start spawned "Free Katie!" T-shirts. In 2005, the couple publically announced their relationship in Rome, famously celebrated it on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and got engaged on the Eiffel Tower in Paris. They were wed in Nov. 2006 at a castle in Bracciano, Italy.

Fields has said they were letting "the other side play the media until they wear everyone out." The Church of Scientology, too, didn't want to be portrayed as the schism between the couple.

The quick settlement and joint statement may put out some of that fire.

"I don't think either of these high-profile celebrities want their dirty laundry aired in technically a public forum," said Russell I. Marnell, an East Meadow, N.Y.-based divorce lawyer who's also licensed in California. "Those kind of factors certainly would lend themselves to try to encourage a resolution."

Cruise has two children with his previous wife, Nicole Kidman. The actor was also previously married to Mimi Rogers. This was Holmes' first marriage.

Their divorce case lasted less than two weeks, but Mindel said that's not uncommon for high-profile breakups: "There's too many incentives on both sides of the equation for settlement."

When actress-singer LeAnn Rimes' husband filed for divorce in December 2009, it only took a day before the couple filed a judgment. Actor-comedian Russell Brand's divorce from singer Katy Perry took a little over a month to resolve, while director Cameron Crowe and singer-guitarist Nancy Wilson resolved their 2010 divorce in less than three months.

Cruise and Holmes may have saved more than just their dignity by not fighting out their divorce in court. A drawn-out custody battle would have likely cost more than a million dollars in legal fees.

"What jumps out at me is how quickly they were able to resolve a multi-million dollar (financial case) and custody issues," likely to be particularly complicated for a couple whose work can take them all over the world, said Paul Talbert, a partner in a New York City matrimonial-law firm that isn't involved in the case.

Said Mindel: "The question's going to be did they have enough time to flesh out how they're going to resolve future disputes."

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Posted 7/9/12 at 7:30pm ET
Tom and Katie Divorce - The Suri Clause

From TMZ: TMZ has learned, the divorce settlement between Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes is extremely complicated, outlining things both Tom and Katie can and cannot do with Suri.

Here's what we know.

-- Katie will have what amounts to primary physical custody, but Tom has significant custodial time with his daughter.

-- A report claiming that Suri must be in the presence of Katie's bodyguard and nanny when she is around Tom is "absolutely, 100% false."

-- The custodial provisions of the agreement are extremely detailed, and religion is one of the topics. We're told there are restrictions on what Tom and Katie can discuss with Suri on the subject of religion, including Scientology, however, those restrictions are eased the older Suri gets.

In short, we're told the agreement is extremely detailed and outlines a course of conduct for years to come.

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Posted 7/9/12 at 7:30pm ET
Tom Cruise Divorce: Suri to Live Primarily with Katie Holmes

From PEOPLE: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes agreed that daughter Suri should live primarily with her mother in New York with generous visitation by her father, PEOPLE has learned.
 
The terms of physical custody of the 6-year-old was a key element of the settlement announced Monday just days after Holmes filed for divorce, according to sources.
 
"They both love their daughter," says one source, "and Tom thinks she should be with her mother."

The superstar also "didn't want his family dragged through the mud," says the source. "Neither one of them wanted this to be hashed out in public."
 
Holmes has long loved New York and will enroll her daughter, who had been home-schooled by tutors, into a private school in Manhattan in the fall, according to sources.
 
Holmes, 33, and Suri recently moved into a three-bedroom apartment in New York City, where the pair have been spotted out. Cruise, 50, has been at home in Los Angeles with his teenage kids, Connor, 17, and Bella, 19, before returning to work Monday on his sci-fi thriller "Oblivion."

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Posted 7/9/12 at 7:30pm ET
Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes Keeping Divorce Deal Strictly Confidential

From PEOPLE: With reports swirling about everything from restrictions on Suri Cruise's nannies to her exposure to Scientology, Katie Holmes's lawyer warns the public to be wary of stories about the settlement with Tom Cruise.
 
"There are numerous inaccuracies in the reports regarding the purported contents of the agreement reached between the parties," says attorney Jonathan Wolfe. "The agreement is confidential and its terms will not be disclosed."
 
Holmes, 33, and Cruise, 50, announced on Monday morning that both sides had settled the divorce action just days after the actress filed papers.

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Posted 7/9/12 at 11:00pm ET
Katie Holmes' next move: Fashion, films or both?

From USA Today: TomKat didn't have nine lives.

Tom Cruise, 50, and Katie Holmes, 33, settled their divorce Monday, less than two weeks after Holmes stunned Hollywood with the news that she planned to divorce one of the most famous men in the business.

The speedy settlement was preceded by a statement from the soon-to-be-exes: "We are committed to working together as parents to accomplish what is in our daughter Suri's best interests. We want to keep matters affecting our family private and express our respect for each other's commitment to each of our respective beliefs and support each other's roles as parents.

By settling so quickly, Holmes and Cruise avoided a potentially nasty legal battle that could have cast even more scrutiny on their already highly watched seven-year relationship.

Howard Bragman, vice chairman of Reputation.com and a longtime Hollywood publicist, says there are several factors that make the lightning-fast settlement a little less shocking. "Number one: There was a prenup. Number two: Her father is an attorney. Number three: It was in both their interests to resolve quickly. Number four: They both want to move on. And, Number five: There were not that many issues left to resolve, especially if you have a prenup in place."

Now that Holmes is one step closer to being officially single, she is starting over with a fresh slate in both her personal and professional life, all of which should be a positive for her, adds Bragman.

"She's going to be interesting now, she's going to get a boost from this because she looks independent, normal. She fought for her child, and people can relate to her. There is no better launching pad."

And in her second act, Holmes will most likely blend acting with fashion, says Janice Min, editorial director of the Hollywood Reporter and former editor of Us Weekly.

"My sense is, her passion is fashion. It's going to take her a while to get her legs back in terms of being considered as just Katie Holmes," says Min. "I could see her doing some interesting cameos on good shows. I could see her doing another hour-long drama. She's not quite as established enough as a major film star to carry a movie, but one day she could be."

Beyond a love of fashion, what else could be in the pipeline for Holmes? Experts weigh in on three aspects of her life — professional, personal and romantic.

PROFESSIONAL: An assessment is in order

Holmes' career hasn't exactly gone gangbusters since hooking up with Cruise in 2005.

The former "Dawson's Creek" star's most recent movie was last year's universally panned Adam Sandler comedy "Jack and Jill," and her last hit was 2005's "Batman Begins."

"When analyzing a career, there are many, many contributory factors, not just one. Usually at the core of great success is great drive - relentless, maniacal drive combined with great talent. She may not have been that driven, we don't know," says veteran Hollywood publicist Michael Levine.

Shortly after filing for divorce, Holmes filmed a guest spot on the Lifetime reality show "Project Runway." But Levine says Holmes is capable of landing a bigger role.

"First, she has to figure out what all actors should do, which is assess where they are and where they want to be in five years and take steps based on reverse engineering to help them be where they want to be," Levine says. "If they want to be movie stars, choose parts, small or large, that get them there. If they want to be movie stars, don't choose reality TV shows. … Any fool with a plan beats a wandering genius. I would encourage her to get a plan based on where she wants to be."

Holmes did find some laughs opposite Josh Radnor during a guest appearance last fall on CBS' "How I Met Your Mother." But can she carve a career out of humor?

"We have yet to see her really expand. I don't know whether or not Katie is funny," says casting director Doron Ofir, who's responsible for casting "Jersey Shore." To be a dramatic actress is a relatively easy thing to do, because drama is inherently part of the human nature. To be funny is another one. We don't know her."

Building heat on television could buoy her in the pop culture landscape, and fans are already calling for Holmes to spark a mini-reunion on ABC's "Don't Trust the B—in Apt. 23," which stars her "Dawson's Creek" pal James Van Der Beek (he plays himself). The network was unavailable for comment.

Mini-arcs are trending in Hollywood, says Deadline's Pete Hammond. "I think (Holmes) can do what Gwyneth Paltrow did on "Glee" if there's a good role out there."

Whichever path Holmes chooses with acting, there's no need to rush into anything advises Bragman.

"First thing she has to do is get beyond this. She shouldn't feel in a rush to get a project," he says. "She's done film, TV, live theater. She should do something that really moves (her) soul, either the medium or the part. There's going to be intense scrutiny no matter what she does, so the only right answer is what's right for her."

After Nicole Kidman's 2001 divorce from Cruise, the statuesque Aussie went on to win an Oscar the next year for her work in "The Hours".

Not bad - and not too far off the mark for Holmes, Ofir believes.

"I think that we are about to see what we saw with Nicole Kidman. The second that she was free, she exploded. It was literally one after the other after the other. It was "Moulin Rouge," then "The Others," then "The Hours." She was sought after, and, now she is one of our golden actresses of the time. If Katie can realize that this is the beginning of her life as a legitimate actress and she chooses her roles incredibly carefully, she will become in that same vein."

And fashion is always an option, too. Women's Wear Daily reports that Holmes and her stylist Jeanne Yang will show their Holmes & Yang line at New York Fashion Week in September.

PERSONAL: Don't hide, get outside

No need to uncover any rocks to find Holmes during this celeb split. She's avoided the whole hiding-in-my-apartment-to-dull-the-pain approach and instead has been out and about in New York, taking her daughter Suri, 6, for very public and very photographed trips to the grocery store, for ice cream and to a children's museum.

Bragman says the anti-bunker approach is the way to go in this situation. "When you hide, it looks as if you have something to hide from. It sends the wrong message that says, 'I'm hiding,'" he says. "All these everyday things (she's been doing) endear her in the hearts of people, make her look normal, and that's what you want right now."

And, in an era of back doors and private elevators for Hollywood's biggest names, it's clear that Holmes could stay out of the public eye - if she wanted to.

"That only creates demand, and what you don't want to do is create too much demand," adds Bragman. "If there are a lot of pictures, they're worth less (to paparazzi). If she never goes out and there's just one picture of her out, it's worth hundreds of thousands (of dollars). If any tourist with a phone can snap you walking down Fifth Avenue, it's worth a nickle."

Min agrees.

"She is making an aggressive attempt to appear normal," Min says. "She seems confident and unrattled, living her life day-to-day as a normal mother. It conveys to Tom Cruise's side that she's not in hiding and not afraid."

But outings and interviews are not the same thing. Min predicts that anyone waiting for Holmes' tell-all chat about her five-year marriage will be holding their breath for quite some time.

"Very likely she'll keep (interviews) in the realm of fashion. She'll do the cover of a fashion magazine. Anyone expecting the big tell-all, I don't see a universe where that happens," says Min. "It doesn't benefit her to make it seem like she's telling tales out of school. For better or worse, she was part of Scientology during this marriage. She didn't get much of a career bounce out of being married to Tom Cruise. She doesn't gain by being too brutally honest about the marriage or Scientology."

ROMANCE: Love should wait

Like all celebrity divorces, after the legal dust has cleared, fans are eager to see newly single stars coupled up once again. And perhaps no future relationships will be more closely watched than those of Holmes and Cruise.

"She's in the image business. People will talk and talk about her, no matter what she does. If she has coffee with a guy, people will have them involved in an affair," says relationship expert Gilda Carle. "She's going to have to be strong enough to laugh all this off. … I think it's a good idea for her to wait six months (to start dating), until she's actively certain that she has her footing and she can balance her life on her own."

Plus, after the enthusiastically public nature of her romance with Cruise, Holmes may consider going in the opposite direction by keeping her private life a little more private and engaging in some self-reflection.

"She needs to figure out how she ended up in the boat she ended up in, and what she's going to do to change her taste in men," adds Carle. "She's coming into her own. She seemed robotic with (Cruise). She has just started realizing that she has power. She can go and do as she pleases. This is a huge, rude awakening for her. She has to be comfortable with her empowerment and be comfortable as a single mom and as a woman who can earn a living."

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Posted 7/10/12 at 10:00am ET
Suri Cruise Triggered Divorce Settlement

From TMZ: Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise went from zero to nuclear war in an instant when she filed divorce papers, but it was little Suri who became the peacemaker ... sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ.

Our sources say ... a week ago Thursday, after Katie filed, the hostility between the two was palpable and Suri became a weapon. Katie wanted to strip Tom of all decision-making power in Suri's life, and Tom responded by unleashing the biggest legal guns around to fight her.

We're told what turned everything around was a series of conversations that Suri would be irreparably damaged by parental warfare. It registered big time with both Tom and Katie, and it allowed their lawyers to strike a deal in what could be record time for this type of divorce.

Fact is ... it generally takes celebs in these high-profile divorces a lot longer to realize how bitterness affects small kids, so credit to both.

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Posted 7/10/12 at 10:00am ET
Katie Holmes Is "Very Happy" With Tom Cruise Divorce Settlement

From Us Weekly: Katie Holmes got exactly what she wanted from Tom Cruise.

The exes have not publicly revealed the details of their July 9 divorce settlement, though multiple sources confirmed to Us Weekly. Monday that Holmes -- who initially filed for sole custody -- will receive primary legal custody of their daughter, Suri, 6.

"She won and is happy. Very happy," a source close to Holmes, 33, tells Us. "She can move on and finally live her life."

The decision to leave Cruise after nearly six years of marriage wasn't easy, but Holmes "did this only for her daughter," the source explains. "That was all she cared about."

The "Romantics" actress -- who secretly began renting her own New York City apartment two weeks before filing for divorce -- "pulled it off brilliantly," according to the source. "She has her career back and her daughter. She will be a huge star now. . . This was all played so well. Katie is very happy with how it all came out."

Indeed, Holmes recently wrapped a modern version of Chekhov's "The Seagull" and is at work on "Molly," which she cowrote and produced.

According to another insider, "Rock of Ages" star Cruise, 50, "will be allowed to see Suri, but there are guidelines for the visits." Details of their arrangement have not yet been revealed.

Lessened quality time with Suri won't be easy for Cruise, who has primary custody of his children Connor, 17, and Isabella, 19, from his previous marriage to Nicole Kidman, 45. "Tom is really sad at the thought of not being able to see Suri," the insider revealed Monday. "You can tell he really loves his kids."

Shortly before announcing they had reached a settlement, reps for Holmes and Cruise released a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to resolving the matter amicably and privately.

"We are committed to working together as parents to accomplishing what is in our daughter Suri's best interests. We want to keep matters affecting our family private and express our respect for each other's commitment to each of our respective beliefs and support each other's roles as parents."

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Posted 7/10/12 at 11:00pm ET
Tom Cruise-Katie Holmes: Disposable phone used to start divorce

From Los Angeles Times: Katie Holmes set the wheels in motion for her divorce from Tom Cruise using a throwaway cellphone provided by a friend to initially talk to her lawyers and avoid her husband knowing about the conversations, according to a source familiar with the divorce.

The move allowed her to prepare her legal case without Cruise and his staff knowing she was about to exit the marriage and left him shocked at the sudden divorce. By the time a deal was struck last weekend to end the marriage, she hired three law firms in three states.

Holmes will now have primary custody of her 6-year-old daughter, Suri, with Cruise in a quick, behind-closed-doors divorce settlement. But the "Mission: Impossible" star will still have a "meaningful relationship" with his child.

The agreement provides Cruise with visitation rights but gives Holmes the lead role in choosing how Suri will be educated, a source said Monday.

With a prenuptial agreement governing the distribution of assets, talks between lawyers for Cruise, a prominent member of the Church of Scientology, and Holmes, who was raised Roman Catholic, centered on the role of Scientology in the upbringing of Suri, according to a source familiar with the negotiations but not authorized to discuss them publicly.

Holmes wanted guarantees in the settlement to ensure nothing is done while their daughter is with Cruise that would "alienate" Suri from her, the sources said.

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