Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes

The Story

Reports say Holmes received no lump sum or spousal support under the prenup; the only reported payment is $400,000 a year in child support (about $4.8 million over 12 years).

Who Were the Couple?

Tom Cruise, one of the biggest film stars in the world, and Katie Holmes, an actress who rose to fame in the television series Dawson's Creek, began dating in April 2005 and were engaged within weeks. They married on 18 November 2006 in a castle near Rome, in a ceremony attended by many celebrities. The couple had a daughter, Suri, born in April 2006. Cruise was already a three-time Academy Award nominee, and Holmes was seen as a rising star.

How the Wealth Was Built

Cruise's wealth came from a long run of box-office successes, including Top Gun, Rain Man, Jerry Maguire and the Mission: Impossible series. He negotiated profit-participation deals that made him one of the highest-paid actors in the world, with earnings that reached tens of millions of dollars per film. Holmes's earnings were considerably lower. The huge gap between the two incomes shaped the divorce settlement and the legal arrangements around it.

Timeline of the Marriage

The couple married in 2006 and the marriage lasted just under six years. On June 29, 2012, Holmes filed for divorce in New York, surprising Cruise and the public, and the case was resolved within about two weeks. The divorce was reported as finalized in August 2012. Holmes has had primary custody of Suri, and press reports say Cruise saw little of his daughter in the years that followed.

Divorce Settlement Details

Unlike most entries on this list, there was no big payout. According to reports based on the settlement papers, Holmes received no spousal support and no lump sum, which was consistent with the couple's prenuptial agreement. Cruise agreed to pay $400,000 a year in child support for Suri until she turns 18, about $4.8 million in total, and to cover her school and extracurricular costs. Both sides also agreed that Suri would not attend a residential school. The $4.8 million figure used here is the total of that child support, not a property settlement.

Why the Settlement Was So Large

It wasn't large by the standards of this list. Cruise's wealth was far greater than Holmes's, but the prenuptial agreement limited her claims, and the short marriage and a quick filing in New York, rather than California, kept the process fast and private. The headline sum of about $30 million that circulates online is not supported by the reported settlement terms.

Impact on Businesses or Assets

Cruise continued to make blockbuster films, including Mission: Impossible sequels and Top Gun: Maverick, which earned more than $1.4 billion worldwide in 2022. Holmes returned to acting and directing and appeared in Broadway plays. The divorce did not harm Cruise's business interests, though his relationship with the Church of Scientology remained a topic of media interest.

Comparison With Other Famous Divorces

The Cruise and Holmes divorce stands out for its speed and low payout rather than any large sum. Compared with the Pitt and Jolie case or the Gibson case, it was brief. It is often compared with Cruise's earlier divorces from Mimi Rogers and Nicole Kidman, both of which were also handled privately.

Interesting Facts

The divorce was settled within about two weeks, one of the fastest of any major celebrity couple. Cruise had previously been married to Mimi Rogers and Nicole Kidman. Holmes is known for her low profile since the divorce. The reported $400,000 a year in child support was widely described as modest for a star of Cruise's wealth.