- Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise married and adopted two children in the 1990s.
- When Kidman and Cruise divorced, their children decided to stay with their father.
- Years later, Kidman missed her daughter's wedding, and rumors swirled about why.
Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise met while both on the edge of fame. Neither of them had reached the fame they know today, but they were relatively well-known. Their marriage quickly gained attention.
They had one of the most high-profile marriages in the 1990s and experienced immense career success, too. However, one thing missing from their life was children, which the couple found they couldn't bring into the world themselves.
Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman on the red carpet in 1994 | Source: Getty Images
Kidman and Cruise tied the knot in 1990 when Kidman was 23. She revealed that she was naive then and relied on Cruise for many things, leading to the couple becoming heavily dependent on one another.
When Kidman fell pregnant and suffered an ectopic pregnancy and subsequent micarriage, which doctors said would mean she was not likely to fall pregnant again, the couple knew they wanted to start a family one way or another, so they adopted a daughter named Bella in 1992. In 1995, they expanded their family again with their son, Connor.
In December 2000, the couple celebrated their 10th anniversary as a married couple with friends and loved ones. Kidman admitted she thought their life was perfect, yet Cruise announced he was leaving Kidman two months after their anniversary.
Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, and their children Isabella and Connor in Sydney, Australia in 1996 | Source: Getty Images
Kidman did not know why her marriage ended and pleaded with Cruise to stay with her. When asked why he ended the marriage, Cruise said Kidman knew why. The actress said she found it difficult to heal from the pain her divorce caused her.
How Did Kidman React to the Children Choosing to Stay with Cruise?
Seven months after Cruise announced he would be leaving Kidman, their divorce was finalized, with the agreement being that they would share custody of Bella and Connor. Yet, while Kidman moved back to her native Australia, their children remained in LA full-time with their father.
Isabella and Connor Cruise in Rome in 2006 | Source: Getty Images
Cruise raised his children in the Church of Scientology, of which he is also a member. Bella and Connor have become high-ranking members of the faith, which reportedly views their mother as a "suppressive person," driving a wedge between them.
Bella has trained as an "auditor" in the faith, which equates to the role of a counselor for people in "spiritual distress." She once thanked her dad for providing her with the missing piece she had been searching for in her faith by raising her under the Church of Scientology.
Tom, Bella, and Connor Cruise at the MLS match between the Los Angeles Galaxy and CD Chivas USA in 2008 | Source: Getty Images
While Kidman's divorce from Cruise and her children's faith are of public knowledge, she prefers to keep everything else about her children with Cruise as low-key as possible. She once shared:
"I'm very private about all that. I have to protect all those relationships. I know 150 percent that I would give up my life for my children because it's what my purpose is."
When asked what she thought of her children being Scientologists, Kidman said they were adults who had made their own choices, and her only job was to love them and to let her children know that she was there for them no matter what.
Nicole Kidman and her children Bella and Connor Cruise watching a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat at the Staples Center in 2004 | Source: Getty Images
The "Moulin Rouge" actress added that her job as a mother was to offer "unconditional love" to her children no matter how often they spoke to her or how their religion affected her relationship with them.
Why Did Kidman Miss Her Daughter's Wedding?
In 2015, Cruise and Kidman's daughter exchanged vows with her beloved in a secret ceremony. After the event, news of Bella's marriage surfaced, and what was more shocking than the wedding was that Bella's parents were not in attendance.
There was little speculation as to why Cruise wasn't there, but rumors soon began swirling about why Kidman failed to attend. One of the reasons raised was the reported strained relationship Kidman had with her children due to their affinity to Scientology.
However, Bella dispelled the allegations. In fact, she admitted that she and her mother spoke often and said anyone who thought she wouldn't talk to her parents was wrong.
Cruise reportedly didn't attend his daughter's wedding because of work, and Kidman didn't participate because she didn't want to cause a "media circus."
Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise at the "Eyes Wide Shut" premiere in Paris in 1999 | Source: Getty Images
Bella's husband, Max, who is not a member of Bella's church, confirmed that neither of his parents attended his nuptials too. They feared their attendance would have caused the private wedding to become public knowledge.
Bella and Max's wedding guest list comprised only their closest and most trusted friends. The happy couple's parents have not even met yet. When Max's mother, Beverly Parker, was asked if she wanted to meet Cruise and Kidman, she said:
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"No, no, there's no need for that. At the end of the day, they're just people, aren't they?"
Parker also said Bella was trying to escape Hollywood by moving to England to be with Max. Although Max and Bella are now happily married, Max confessed that he never asked Cruise's permission to propose to Bella.
Isabella Cruise leaving Boujis nightclub in London in 2013 | Source: Getty Images
However, he said that he and his father-in-law have since patched things up, and both Bella's parents have embraced him as their daughter's husband and part of their families.
While Max and Bella have a good relationship with Bella's parents, they will not accept their help. When the couple married, Bella's parents offered them financial support. However, Bella and Max rejected the offer, saying they wanted independence and to escape the spotlight.
Max and Bella now live in a one-bedroom apartment with other tenants in a converted terrace house. Bella shares a relationship with both her mother and father, despite rumors to the contrary.
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