Cruise Escorts Cruz to Premiere

ByABC News
August 14, 2001, 2:06 PM

August 14 -- Spanish actress Penélope Cruz showed up at the Los Angeles premiere of her new movie, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, with the best "dress for success" accessory a girl could have: newly single superstar Tom Cruise.

The actors, who met on the set of their forthcoming thriller, Vanilla Sky, walked arm in arm down the red carpet at Monday's premiere, posing happily for the hordes of photographers.

Earlier in the day, during a taping of NBC's The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, the 27-year-old actress nodded when asked whether she was dating Cruise, according to The Associated Press.

Leno asked her how she deals with the media attention surrounding her romance with Cruise. "I think you manage to find ways to live your life," Cruz responded. "With this, I don't have a problem saying this is true. I don't want to get into details because it's something I want to protect and I am very happy about."

Less than a week ago, Cruise made a very different appearance at another film premiere, that of Kidman's low-key thriller The Others. The Mission: Impossible star showed up sans date at that event and did not pose with or approach his soon-to-be-ex-wife. Cruise's divorce from Kidman became final on Aug. 8, although they have yet to settle matters of money and child custody.

Cruz's name has popped up in connection with the breakups of her previous co-stars Matt Damon (with whom she starred in the tepid All the Pretty Horses) and Nicolas Cage (her leading man in Mandolin), but the Spanish beauty denied romancing either Oscar winner. Cage, who recently split from wife Patricia Arquette, is now seeing Lisa Marie Presley.

As for Kidman, on a recent appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman, the statuesque actress joked about one of the benefits of her breakup: "I can wear heels now."

Responded Letterman, "That'll cost you."