Connor Antony Cruise is the child of two of the biggest stars in the world right now, yet many fans are getting to know him for the first time. Now 26 years old, Connor tends to shy away from the spotlight in spite of his influential parents. Still, fans can glean a lot from his Instagram feed and sources close to his family over the years.
Connor was born on Jan. 17, 1995, and adopted by Cruise and Kidman when he was one month old. He was the second of their adopted children, following older sister Isabella Jane Cruise in 1992. For the remainder of their marriage, Cruise and Kidman’s children lived relatively private lives, and they stayed out of the spotlight as much as possible even when Cruise and Kidman split in 2001.
Videos by PopCulture.com
The custody arrangement between Cruise and Kidman was never very clear to the public, but there were rumors of tension between Kidman and her adopted son. By contrast, Connor and Cruise have often been spotted in public together, apparently happy and sharing some common interests.
Connor has dabbled in acting and has also made a name for himself as a DJ. These days, however, he seems to be keeping to himself, and pursuing his love of fishing all around the Caribbean. Here is a look at what fans know about Connor Cruise.
Cloistered Rumors
A report by The New York Post in 2006 claimed that Connor and Isabella Cruise grew up in their parents’ home in Manhattan, while a report by Hollywood Life claims that Connor grew up in Los Angeles, California. HL also reports that Connor was homeschooled and that he “didn’t set foot outside his father’s mansion until he was 10.” This last claim is unsubstantiated.
‘Seven Pounds’
Connor’s first big step into the public eye came in 2008, when he appeared in the movie Seven Pounds. He was 13 years old at the time of filming, and played a younger version of Will Smith’s character Ben. Connor co-starred with Rosario Dawson and Woody Harrelson on the movie as well.
‘Red Dawn’
Connor’s second and only other film role was in Red Dawn in 2012. He played Daryl Jenkins, co-starring with Chris Hemsworth, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Josh Peck, Josh Hutcherson, Adrianne Palicki and Isabel Lucas, among others. Since then Connor has been out of the movie industry, though it is not clear if that is by choice.
Relationship With Kidman
According to Hollywood Life, Kidman told reporters in 2007 that she had a “strained” relationship with Connor. This claim does not appear anywhere else, though in 2018 Kidman did explain why she is generally private about her relationship with her two older children. According to Hello! Magazine, she told the Hollywood Foreign Press Association: “I’m very private about all that,” hinting that it had to do with her children’s choice to practice Scientology like their father.
“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,” Kidman said. “They are adults. They are able to make their own decisions. They have made choices to be Scientologists and as a mother, it’s my job to love them. I am an example of that tolerance and that’s what I believe – that no matter what your child does, the child has love and the child has to know there is available love and I’m open here.”
According to Hollywood Life, Connor has refuted rumors of tension between himself and Kidman, and has said that they are on good terms.
Scientology
As noted above, Connor is a lifelong practitioner of Scientology, having been introduced to the faith by his father at birth. In 2019, sources close to Connor confirmed his church involvement to reporters from PEOPLE, saying: “Connor and Isabella grew up in the church of Scientology, they’ve been members since they were kids.”
The insider said that Connor and Isabella “are completely dedicated scientologists just like Tom,” adding: “Connor has been able to remain close with Tom because of Scientology…. Connor lives in Clearwater, [Florida,] which is the church’s main hub. He still deejays but he has really become a big fishing guy. He’s content with living a quieter life.” The source even said that Connor “is in a relationship with a fell Scientologist who also grew up in the religion.”
“He lives in his own home in a Scientology community. His life is deep-sea fishing. He has a lot of friends and seems very well-liked,” they concluded.
Cruise
Connor and Tom Cruise have made some public appearances together in recent years — attending sporting events and sometimes movie premieres side by side. The insider told PEOPLE that even these sightings are related to Scientology in some ways. They said: “Tom and Connor stepping out together in London was a big deal. It was the same weekend that Scientology does their annual gathering called the International Association of Scientologists (ASI). Tom has attended numerous times in the past, but this appears to be the first time Connor has gone.”
View this post on Instagram
Finally, these days most fans get their fill of Connor Cruise on Instagram, where he does most of his interacting with the public. His posts have skewed more and more towards deep-sea fishing in recent years, with occasional commentary on sports, selfies with other celebrities and promotions for DJ appearances. Connor made headlines last month with a photo of himself holding a 200-pound yellowfin on deck.
