The relationship between exes Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise and their children is strange. Isabella and Connor Cruise are rarely seen, and when they are, it’s for seemingly staged photo opps, like when they were photographed with Tom, Katie Holmes, Suri and the Beckhams at Thanksgiving. So when Connor Cruise landed his debut film role playing a young Will Smith in the upcoming drama “Seven Pounds,” you’d think that Tom and Nicole would relish the photo opp and show up to support him at the film’s premiere, right? Not so much, according to reports. Apparently, Tom’s press junket for “Valkyrie” kept him away from the premiere- but no word on what kept Nicole away.
“Seven Pounds” is his son Connor’s first film, but Tom Cruise opted not to attend the premiere in L.A. Dec. 16.
The reasoning for skipping 13-year-old Connor’s big-screen debut, in which he plays a younger version of Cruise pal Will Smith? Cruise opted to stay in New York to continue the publicity blitz for his film “Valkyrie.”
“As you know, Tom and Will are great friends,” his rep Cheryl Maisel said. “Tom is in New York on a publicity tour for his movie.”
That much is obvious, but why not support Connor, who was specifically invited to attend the festivities along with some of the other kids in the film?
“It comes as such a surprise,” says a Cruise source. “When Connor was filming (‘Seven Pounds’) Tom was so excited and proud of him. It’s sad Tom didn’t fly out for the evening. He could have missed one night of publicity to support Connor and Will.”
It wouldn’t be the first time Cruise did a cross-country sprint: last December he flew from L.A. to New York and back to support Smith at his “I am Legend” premiere.
It does seem odd that Cruise especially wouldn’t turn up for the movie premiere starring his son and his new BFF, Will Smith. His excuse is flimsy but at least he has one. What about Connor’s mom, Nicole Kidman? Her film “Australia” has basically tanked, so what’s her excuse? Surely she could leave the baby at home with her new husband and show up for her son’s first movie. Perhaps the reason for Nicole’s absence can be summed up in one word – “Scientologists.”
As for Tom – it sure seems like he is all wrapped up in his “new” family too. In recent days, Tom has talked non stop about daughter Suri and only mentioned Connor’s acting aspirations in passing. What gives? And did anyone from the family turn up to support Connor? I’m sure if Suri were making her acting debut the world would stop turning before Tom missed that.
It’s not easy recent finding photos of Connor Cruise that don’t involve Katie Holmes, Suri or the Beckhams. Here are some shots of Tom and Connor last January celebrating Connor’s birthday. Dad and son are almost the same size. Photo credits: WENN.
Yes, had this been the magical Suri, there would have been celebrations to rival Times Square on New Year’s Eve.
I hope Valkyrie sinks into a hole of muck. Not too sure about N. Kidman, unless the “first” kids have become sort of incommunicado with her.
It really makes me think that Connor and Isabella are unimportant to both Tom and Nicole because they both now have babies that are “really” theirs. I feel so bad for the older two kids.
I feel for those poor kids. They deserve better.
I agree. Being adopted and having your parents favour ‘real’ children (I hate that term, but I can’t think of anything else) must be terrible. I thought they’d be glad for Connor to be an actor too.
Sue, you can use “biological.”
Not wanting to defend Nicole Kidman but having seen some photos of Connor on set with her in Australia (for Australia) and it not being publicized made me think that she does have more of a relationship with Connor and Isabella than we think. With Will Smith the most famous non-Scientologist Scientologist being the lead I could accept that as an excuse to not attend.
And wasn’t Kidman still in Europe as of last week promoting Australia? Maybe she’s still off somewhere overseas? At least that’s what I hope.
Hi Sue, you could also use the term ‘birth.’ It’s actually preferred now over ‘biological.’ It’s a little more sensitive-sounding for one.
Poor Little Rich Kid 🙁
Cry me a river
I’m at work so I only skipped through the article, but did Connor not go to the premier because of this? If he did go, who went with him from his family to show support? THAT is really odd. I mean this is his first movie premier. It’s such a shame his parents didn’t show up to support him. I mean, they adopted him (he probably wouldn’t even have been in the entertainment field had they not adopted him) they should come together to support him! Dang!!
Ironic. He sits on Letterman’s couch desperately trying to persuade complete strangers that he’s just a regular, caring father and family man, and then does the exact opposite of what a genuine, caring father would do, revealing himself to be a bullshitter of the first order. How could he miss his own son’s big moment??
Really, that neither Cruise nor Kidman made room in their schedules for this speaks volumes. But I’m sure their PR teams will come up with suitable excuses. Assume eyeroll.
I said it many times as the press favours the “real” children,the parents will start favouring them too.The same will happen with Ange and Brad.Everybody is focused on Shiloh now and the twins.Iam betting the rest of the kids who are adopted will gropw up and be so angry,at the way they will be treated and snubbed.Compared to the golden kids who will have their parents looks.
How terrible for Connor! This says a lot about his ‘parents’. If it were my son, there’s nothing you could have done to keep me away!
My mom missed my high school graduation. My father is deceased, so he (obviously) couldn’t attend. I still feel sad about it. Connor will probably feel disappointed. These moments of growth, that feeling of accomplishment should be shared with family. I hope he has a strong sense of self, otherwise it could be a tough road into adulthood. But who knows what goes on behind the scenes with these celebs…
Connor and Bella evidently have a couple of narcissists for parents. It is inexcusable that between the two parents, divorced or not, there was not a parental and family representative. For shame.
@Alison: “I hope he has a strong sense of self, otherwise it could be a tough road into adulthood.” Were he a ‘normal’ that would be the case but since scientologists consider him to already be an adult in young person’s body, he should similarly be able to handle things like a grown man *eye-roll*
Yet, Cruise can come out and ‘support’ his kids at sports events and whatnot (read: self-serving photo ops)? He’s probably not going to this premier because for one, he can’t trot out Suri and hog Connor’s spotlight and; for two, it’s ‘not about him,’ so why would he go?
As for Nicole, she’s in Australia or something cleaved to a ‘real,’ non-scientolo baby so why would she go? She was forced out in the first place…I can’t blame her if she didn’t want to go. It would be horrendously awkward I would think…
Connor?? Isabella??? Huh? Who?? Its all abt Suri and Sunday Rose (according to them anyway)
Oh Scientology, why are you so weird????
Poor Connor. Poor Isabella.
So much for Tom rehabing his image. So much for Nicole caring so much about motherhood. Blech.
The kid is a teenager. He probably didn’t want any parent there upstaging him at his own premiere. Don’t read too much into it. Last thing a teenager wants is a clingy parent. If you don’t believe me, ask your teenager…:)
The Scientologists probably did keep her away, whether directly or just not wanting to deal with them. I’m sure she talked to Connor about it beforehand.
The other thing is, she probably just didn’t want to steal his thunder. It would be all about her if she showed up, and you KNOW it would be all about Tom if he showed up. At least she wasn’t off doing her own premiere instead.
Maybe he didn’t want his famous mom and dad there to upstage him.
The kid is a teenager and he probably doesn’t want his parents upstaging him at his own premiere (which is what would happen). Last thing a teenager wants is clingy parents. If you don’t believe me, just ask your teenager…:)
I’m sure there’s something to this story that we’re not seeing, but my knee-jerk reaction is “Damn them”. If it was about not wanting to steal the spotlight, there’s such a thing as back entrances. If it was about clingy parents, simply pose for one shot with your child and then run – don’t walk, run – inside away from the paparazzi. I went through the “mom, don’t” motions of adolescence but at the end of the day, if my mom had missed anything I would have felt funny all night. Then I would have gone home and called her with tears in my throat. Surely Nicole could have avoided Tom or the scientologists if she’d wanted to.
Yes, there’s definitely something we’re not hearing about.
@ Kate: He may not have his father’s looks, but he’s a damn fine looking boy who WILL have the last laugh, hopefully winning all the oscars Cruise got shafted for. Look at how he wears a suit. Shoooot.
Isabella and Connor look like cute kids. They seem down to earth and wear a coat when it’s cold.
That Connor is one heck of a good looking young man, isn’t he?
The “not wanting to upstage” theory makes me think of when Jeb Bush’s daughter had to go to court for drug possession, and neither parent went with her because they didn’t want to draw attention. I felt so sorry for that girl, going through that without a parent at her side.
I don’t care if I’m Queen Elizabeth, if my kid has done or is doing something that needs my presence, or that my presence will enhance, I am there.
I can see why they weren’t there. They would have upstaged Connor completely and none of the attention would have been on him. That was a good move for them not to go.
Thankfully I’m going to see Valkyrie anyway, so I’m not one of the people he’s trying to sway with his tosspottery. If Connor had any sense, he’d tell Daddy to stay away, Baho is right, Tommy couldn’t help but steal the limelight.
Not sure what Kidman’s excuse was though.
Mairead, you’ll have to write us a review after you see it! I hope it’s scathing…does that make me a bad person, LOL?
Considering that Conor himself was not in any of the pictures of the event, could it be that he wasn’t there hence his parents having no need to be there? I mean, what are they going to be there for, just to smile at the cameras and show they care?
the true question is: Connor was at this premiere or not? because his family could go together in NY premiere!
I completely agree w/Leandra. I think it was a good move for both of them not to attend. They would have over-shadowed Connor and HIS movie premiere.
Nice parents……
Maybe their nanny went with him. Something tells me these kids would spend more time with a nanny than with their parents…
But then again I think there is something we are missing. Maybe they didn’t go because they knew that it would draw more attention to connor… cos theres no such thing as bad publicity?
I don’t agree with the overshadowing theory. I mean, Will Smith and Jada went to the Kit Kitteredge premier in support of Willow and Will didn’t “steal the show”. Everyone knows Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise are Connor’s parents. It’s just natural for them to be there. But then again, if Connor wasn’t there (it doesn’t seem like the article specifically states he was), then it all makes sense.
There is NO excuse for them not to have been there.
NONE.
And the overshadowing thing is a steaming pile. Kids don’t mind being overshadowed by their parents. They DO mind being ignored and unnoticed by their parents. What a HUGE moment in his life…and neither of his dingbat parents could be bothered.
There is no excuse good enough…unless it just so happened that both were attending grievously injured family members in hospital during the event. Since they were not…they’re both unmitigated bastards, and I feel sorry for their son.
I see where you’re going with that Prissa, but it’s impossible for Cruise not to steal the show: The power of Xenu compels him! The power of Xenu compels him! The power of Xenu…(body floats in a Christ-like pose back down onto the red carpet).
If Tom & Nicole show up the kid gets overshadowed by his parents at his first movie premiere.
I’ve always questioned Nicoles real connection to Connor and Isabella but it could be that she wants to keep her privacy and will protect theirs when with her. Hearing that Connor was on her movie set is a good sign. I always felt that she considered them to be the kids Tom wanted.
Maybe Connor told them not to come.
Connor, if you’re googling yourself to read the buzz about your movie, please know that your parents are non-supporting shitheads and there are a lot of people who would love to see you succeed despite them, not because of them. Knock ’em dead, kid.
Totally agree with Aspen. Tom should have taken some time from promoting his crappy movie and Nicole should have left Sunday with the nanny and been there for her son. He is her child just as much as Sunday is.
Stop making excuses for these lousy excuses for parents. On an occasion like this, a kid wants his parents there. They just showed him what their priorites are, and their priorities don’t include him.
BTW, that boy is drop-dead gorgeous. He is going to be a hunk five years down the line.
I didn’t see Connor there, maybe he will be at the next premiere. If he had been there, then both parents had no excuse for not attending. But since he wasn’t there- and there could be a good reason for that, or so I hope- It would seem wierd if the parents turned up.
I don’t like them at all, they are so mean to their adopted kids and they’re neglecting them big time, i’m sure tom & nichole won’t do the same thing to suri or sunday, i’m glad the media exposing them for what they are.
to Kate @ # 12:
so how these parents feel about their adopted children will be determined strictly by the media response? 😮
This whole thing is just plain old nepotism. Tom Cruise was certainly “there for” Connor to get him the role, why show up to the premier of a movie (in which son has a bit part that was procured for him due to Cruise’s status as an actor in Hollywood) when he could be in NYC celebrating his wife’s 30th bday. I get it!
i think it’s disgraceful neither of his parents came.
tigerlilli was correct in stating that his adoptive parents are narcissists. Just look at them both parading their biological offspring around. Now I blame Tom more. He has made sure he get most time with his kids for egotistical reasons. And then he can’t go because he hasn’t figured out what benefit it is to him to garnish narcissistic supply from an adopted child. Much more fulfilling to use Suri for this. Tom only cared for them before he had Suri
Nicole was pushed away from the children’s lives since she didn’t “submit” to the cult, I mean, that “religion”.
She is keepin quiet, otherwise she wouldn’t be allowed by control freak Tom, to maintain a bond with her children until they are 18.
I don’t blame her for a moment.
Tom is a cruel man for what he has done to both his ex and his children.
and all for what?
for maintaining the stupid beliefs so the children will not open their eyes and learn that there are other options and other religions.
So sad.
Considering the tension between Nicole and the entire Scieno crew that was doubtlessly attending, I can see how she might have decided (hopefully with Connor) that her presence would make things more stressful than supportive….
I am not a Tom fan anymore to set the record straight right off. But, I believe he was always a hands on father. I think the kids now go to Scientologist school & do not live w/ him full time. Also, in a t.v. interview recently, he was talking about Conner & his audition. Nicole has clearly been kept fr. these kids as a result of cult. She was young & naive when she fell for Tom & was audited. They have info. on her & she never really speaks out. I also resent that media, magazines, etc. always refer to those to children as “adopted”. Once adopted, they are their children plain & simple.
Who is raising that kid anyway? My parents would have come to my premire with 13 and if it was only due to the fact that i was living with them.
Suri reminds me of Chris Klein.
@MT: “Nicole was pushed away from the children’s lives since she didn’t “submit” to the cult, I mean, that “religion”.
She is keepin quiet, otherwise she wouldn’t be allowed by control freak Tom, to maintain a bond with her children until they are 18.
I don’t blame her for a moment.
Tom is a cruel man for what he has done to both his ex and his children.
and all for what?
for maintaining the stupid beliefs so the children will not open their eyes and learn that there are other options and other religions.
So sad.”
I totally agree with you, MT
I think that this is just messed up. .I am tired of these damned celeb-u-turds adopting children and treating them like fashion accessories!!! I heard that A-Rod and Madonna are considering adopting another child from Africa…the only time you see these blazing heffers with these children is for media purposes!! SMDH!!!
Connor and Isabella are now in the category of pets.The only silver lining of this story is that they are the emotionally neglegted pets of super rich adoptive parents instead of people
of minimal wealth.HOPEFULLY they can reunite with biological mothers down the road and be financially secure…
Connor and Isabella were always props for both Tom and Nicole. Amazing how people put the blame on Tom for Nicole not being with the children. If she really wanted them the hell with career she’d fight a controlling Tom, just like Kim Basinger fights the controlling Alec.
one thing i could never stand about Tom (Fake) Cruise is that this guy is such a control freak, dont get me wrong, it is good to be self deciplined, but he has taken it way too far, the way he behaves, it always occur to me that he is somebody more interested in created the right image rather than doing the right thing, normally i feel his attempts to do this are just off putting, but this incident with Connor Cruise made me feel like he is such a disgusting man, serious, tom, HE IS YOUR SON, AND AS SUCH, HE SHOULD ALWAYS BE YOUR NO 1 PRORITY, to miss your son big moment simply because you cant( who are you BS here) take one day off your schedule to promote your own film, is just plain disgusting, and your attempt to do damage control later on by saying that driving your son to his first audition was a big father and son moments, made me feel like people are actually jusfied in calling you a FREAK, i mean seriously, do you even have any real human emotion left? you know, i always felt people strong feeling against is unjustified, but reading this article on how you treat your son, made me agree with them for the first time, YOU DESERVE EVERYTHING YOU GET, as for nicole kidman, i seem to remember in her oscar acceptance speech, she has made a special mention of bella but not connor at all, i am quite sure what she was trying to do, but for a mother to do that to someone she always refer to as her child in interviews, it just plain disgusting to the first degree, the bottom line is those two should never been allowed to adopt in the first place, and angers to think that both Connor and Bella could have went to parents that may not be as rich, but would give them unconditional love like they deserves, sorry to say this again, and i dont use this language often, but seriously, you two disgusts me
you know, i used to like tom cruise, but recently i began to dislike him more and more, and it’s not actually about only about the fact he’s such a control freak, always appears to care about more with presenting the image of a nice guy , rather than actually be one. But this incident just makes me turn off completely on this man. It one thing to do PR spin on other things but your own son premier, serious, Tom , JUST BE A GOOD FATHER, RATHER THAN CONSTANTLY HIRING A PR TEAM TO CONVINCE EVERYONE ELSE YOU ARE ONE. as for some of other comments here, i dont buy it at all, do any of you really think that what connonr want the most is have that feeling of unconditionally loved by his parents, which should come across into their behaviours. Personally, if it is me in connor shoes, my parents would try to be there for me even if there is severe thunderstorm going on, THAT IS WHAT PARENTS SHOULD DO, YOU PUT YOU KID ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE, SHAME ON YOU, TOM AND NICOLE.
I Like Tom but since Suri came along and Nicole had Sumday Rose, they have turned into Mummy and Daddy Dearest. This scenario will not happen with Jolie as she is the only celeb who is always out with all her children and people recognise them and know they are all cherished.