Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise started dating in April 2005 and didn’t waste any amount of time solidifying their love for one another. The couple got engaged just seven weeks later and had their only daughter – Suri Cruise – on April 18, 2006. They later tied the knot with Suri by their side on November 18, 2006.
Within 18 months, the two went from not knowing each other to being married with a child. They stayed together for six years until Holmes filed for divorce in June 2012 – which was settled one month later. At that time, Holmes was awarded custody of their daughter, Suri, and has stayed by her side ever since.
Holmes has dated twice since her divorce from Cruise: her first divorce, his third divorce. Between 2013 and 2019, Holmes was in a relationship with famed actor, comedian, and singer Jamie Foxx. She was also in a one-year relationship with chef Emilio Vitolo Jr. but is now dating musician Bobby Wooten III.
And while Katie Holmes isn’t one to share a lot about her personal life, she has opened up about being a mother on several occasions over the years, People reports – even taking to social media every now and then to express her love for Suri. “My main goal is to just let her know how much I love her,” she said nearly 10 years ago.
Let’s take a look at some of the other snippets she has shared about her life as a mother:
”I didn’t know how much love I had in me. It’s overwhelming. Every day I discover more about this spectacular human being I get to be the mother of,” she said of her daughter to Glamour in 2014.
While on the Today Show in 2014, Holmes said, “The most important thing for me is letting her know how proud I am and that her accomplishments mean everything. Whatever I do is whatever. It’s really just about her, and that’s what I think is most important.”
“Motherhood means everything to me. I’m learning every day, and I have been since the minute I became a mom,” said Holmes to PEOPLE in 2014.
“Between tickle fights and glitter art, I try to throw in some manners along the way. I try to have good manners too, so that’s what she sees. I also try to be very creative with her because I know she’s an artist, and that speaks to the girl in me. To be honest? I’m not going to play tag, probably. That’s not top of my list. But I’ll paint all day, I’ll do the creative stuff.”
It’s not new news that Holmes has raised Suri as a single parent for most of Suri’s life. But as Holmes has previously said, that has been possible thanks to her incredible support system, which consists of her girlfriends of all ages and her mother. “I lean on them. For advice, for recipes, for all of that stuff: ‘What am I supposed to do? Can you come over and watch? Can you be a helping hand?’ And I do have help, yes, but … it’s your baby, you know? You want to be the one who is there.”
And like so many other moms, Holmes has admitted to dealing with “mom guilt” in the past. From questioning whether she’s enough to learning that she can’t control it all, Holmes has experienced it all as a parent to Suri. “‘Am I enough? Am I doing enough? Have I seen her enough?’ Guess what? You’re not enough; she hasn’t seen you enough, you’re horrible: That’s how it can feel sometimes. You do the best you can. Some days you feel really good about yourself, and some days you don’t,” she said of feeling mom guilt in 2014.
“Motherhood has taught me to just let go of some things, to relinquish control. There’s a playdate you weren’t expecting — I’ve had to learn to ask myself, ‘Is this worth it? Is it going to make her smile?’ And if it is, then yeah, we’re probably gonna do it. Maybe that means dinner at eight instead of 6 and a snack in between. Fine. Things don’t have to happen a certain way. I think we all need to ease up on the expectations. We’re all trying to do the best we can. Motherhood taught me that.”
As Holmes told People in 2016, some of their fondest memories come from their time spent in the kitchen! ”I like to make a nice breakfast and start the day calmly. I like that time with my little one before school. [Suri] has her favorites, like most kids. I don’t really have any tactics to help [with picky eating]. I think like most parents you make the stuff you know that they like, and every once in a while you introduce something new,” she said to PEOPLE in 2016.
And like so many of us who have been raised by exceptional mothers of our own, Holmes has admitted that she’s been inspired by her mom when it comes to her own parenting style. “She’s just so kind and has such a pure heart; she really leads with those two qualities, so I try to do the same. She’s just so kind and very generous, so I try my best to embody that and pass that on to my own daughter.”
During an interview in 2017 with Town & Country, Holmes opened up again about dealing with mom guilt, this time because she’s a working parent in a business that isn’t always consistent. “This business is so unstable, and you never really know where you’re going to be … My child is the most important person to me, and her upbringing is paramount to my work right now. It’s very important that I’m present and she has a stable, innocent childhood. I feel so blessed to do what I do, but there’s nothing in the world better than watching your child succeed.”
And like so many other parents, Holmes has opened up about being in awe over how quickly Suri has grown up. After all, this year, Suri will turn 17 years old! Can you believe it?
“Every day, kids get a little further away from you. That’s a positive thing. They should be becoming more independent, but it’s heartbreaking. You want them to stay with you forever, but they’re these amazing beings, and you have to do everything you can to give them what they need — and then they’re going to go. And that’s going to be very, very sad for me,” said Holmes to Town & Country in 2017.
Holmes has also discussed what it was like becoming a mom in her 20s for the first time and how that has also affected her parenting styles. “I was happy to become a mom in my twenties. It’s been nice that our ages fit … how do I put this? Every age that my child has been and my age at that time has been a good match. We kind of grew up together,” she said to Elle UK in 2019.
And because her line of work is often inconsistent, Holmes has opened up about the way she and Suri get in some quality time together! “Sometimes I work out with my daughter. It just depends on the day. We have our routines, and occasionally they overlap. I don’t force her to work out with me because I know that’s lame,” she said to Shape in 2019.
“Hobbies such as sewing, painting and writing became new hallmarks of satisfaction and having had time at home to just be. To listen. To live for a moment in time without the pressure of results and instead appreciate the natural rhythms of mother and daughter was the most precious gift,” said Holmes to Vogue Australia in 2020.
Katie Holmes even went as far as to give fans a glimpse into Suri’s personality.
“My biggest goal has always been to nurture her into her individuality, to make sure she is 100 percent herself and strong, confident, and able. And to know it. She came out very strong — she’s always been a strong personality,” said Katie Holmes to InStyle in 2020.
“She’ll pick an activity and work her butt off until she’s really good at it. Then she’s like, ‘Okay, I’m going to try the next thing.’ She’s very focused and a hard worker,” added Holmes.
Mother’s Day 2021
“I am so grateful to be a mom to the sweetest daughter. Happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms!!!,” wrote Holmes in an Instagram post on Mother’s Day in 2021.
Katie Holmes Appearing in Off-Broadway Show in New York
In more recent news, Katie Holmes will be making her return to the New York stage in an off-Broadway production of The Wanderers. She’ll be playing Julia Cheever, who sparks an online friendship with a married man. It’s written by Anna Ziegler and directed by Barry Edelstein and will open on February 16th.
“The more modern couple, the husband is going through the death of his father, and he already had experienced the death of his mother. It’s traumatic moments like that obviously everybody goes through…death is part of life. But it’s the choosing to live again that is so poignant, that is so much a theme of this,” said Holmes of the show.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Katie Holmes Celebrates Daughter with Tender Throwback Photos: ‘Happy 15th Birthday Sweetheart!’
This comes after Katie Holmes starred in Alone Together in 2022 – she was also a writer, producer, and director of the film. Jim Sturgess, Derek Luke, Melissa Leo, Zosia Mamet, and Bekcy Ann Baker also starred in the film, which was released in July 2022 and received positive reviews.
Contents
Mamas Uncut is THE online place for moms. We cover the latest about motherhood, parenting, and entertainment as well – all with a mom-focused twist. So if you're looking for parenting advice from real parents, we have plenty of it, all for moms from moms, and also experts. Because, at the end of the day, our mission is focused solely on empowering moms and moms-to-be with the knowledge and answers they’re looking for in one safe space.