Tom Cruise Files for Divorce
February 7, 2001 -- Tom Cruise filed for divorce today from his wife of more than 10 years, Nicole Kidman, dashing fans' hopes that the glamorous couple might reconcile.
The couple, who co-starred in Eyes Wide Shut and other films, shocked fans and the media alike in announcing their separation Monday.
Ironically, Cruise, 38, and Kidman, 33, had just renewed their marriage vows Dec. 24, which was their 10-year anniversary, US Weekly reveals in an upcoming issue.
A spokeswoman declined to give further details of the divorce action filed today in Los Angeles Superior Court, but according to Access Hollywood, the Mission: Impossible actor is citing irreconcilable differences and is seeking joint custody of the couple's two adopted children.
Even their publicist, Pat Kingsley, is shaken, telling the New York Daily News, "It blew me away. I had come to think of Tom and Nicole as the Holy Grail of marriages. I'm very sad about this."
Clooney Rumor 'Ridiculous,' Says RepThe official reason given Monday for the pair's split was conflicting work schedules, but already tabloids are searching for a third party to blame in the bust-up.
George Clooney's publicist, Stan Rosenfield, is fuming that his client has been looped into the proceedings. Yes, Clooney co-starred with Kidman in 1997's The Peacemaker, and yes, she presented him with his Golden Globe Award last month, but that, Rosenfield tells Mr. Showbiz, is that. Sniffing at a story in the New York tabs, Rosenfield says, "An overzealous reporter had hair up his ass and printed something totally without foundation. [Clooney and Kidman] hadn't seen each other in two years [before the Globes]. It's too ridiculous."
Reportedly, Cruise and Kidman chose to announce their split now to beat a story in the works at The National Enquirer. The tabloid's editor-in-chief, Steve Coz, hinted cryptically to British Web site Empire that the article claims there's "more than one reason" — whatever that means — for the dissolution of one of Hollywood's most famous marriages.
The Daily News, meanwhile, reports that the strain of the breakup was already evident on the set of Cruise's film Vanilla Sky. Over the last two weeks, "Tension on the set has been astronomical," one source told the Daily News, adding that Cruise was "miserable" and has been behaving "erratically." Well, can ya blame him?
Baldwin SympathizesAlso in the Daily News, newly busted-up star Alec Baldwin commiserates with Kidman and Cruise. At the New York premiere of Hannibal, which was his first public appearance since his January split from wife Kim Basinger, Baldwin said, "I was really sorry to hear about Tom and Nicole. It's very upsetting when breakups happen."
As to his own split, Baldwin admitted, "I didn't want it to happen. But I guess Kim is like everyone who thinks at some point that they may be better off on their own." He added that he'd just seen his wife and daughter over the weekend and that "Kim could not have been nicer."
Baldwin is currently shooting The Devil and Daniel Webster, directing himself and Hannibal star Anthony Hopkins, and says that the cannibal portrayer has been an unlikely source of strength for him.