How 'overprotective' Katie Holmes saved her daughter from Scientology: Suri, 17, blossoms into a 'smart and independent' teen after actress breaks away from controversial religion – while Tom Cruise plays 'no role' in her life

As she strolled around New York with her mother, both dressed casually in denim and boots, the smiling Suri Cruise looked like any other fresh-faced teen enjoying quality time with her mother Katie Holmes.

Despite singing on the soundtracks of some of her mother's films, 'overprotective' Katie has kept her only daughter out of the spotlight in order to enjoy a relatively normal upbringing.

But it could all have been very different if Katie's seven-year marriage to Tom Cruise had stood the test of time.

They were married for six years after tying the knot in a Scientologist ceremony in Italy in 2006. As the marriage progressed, sources close to Katie suggested she felt increasingly intimidated by the church, where Tom remains a powerful figure today.

Neither mother nor daughter are said to have had contact with Tom Cruise, with a source revealing last year that the Top Gun star plays 'no role' in his daughter's life.

She is said to be preparing for higher education and considering pursuing a career in fashion.

A source told Dailymail.com: “Suri is applying to schools everywhere. [Katie] really wants her to stay in New York so they can be close to each other. Katie is very proud of her, but is also extremely overprotective.'

The insider added that Katie was “overwhelmed” by the idea of ​​her daughter going to college, as Suri is “leaning towards fashion school.”

They revealed that Tom 'plays no part in' [Suri’s] life' – after it was previously revealed the pair haven't seen each other for years.

When the couple split in 2012, it was reported that Katie had chosen to end the couple's marriage due to fears about raising her daughter as a Scientologist – a religion that Tom is incredibly devoted to.

Her decision to give up religion, as well as marriage, caused a major rift between the former spouses, causing the relationship between Tom and Suri to become increasingly distant over the years.

MailOnline revealed in 2016 that Katie feared she would lose Suri to Scientology after watching Tom's first wife Nicole Kidman become more distant from the children she shares with him, Bella and Connor, when they stayed within the church after she was left.

Divorce documents at the time revealed that Katie Holmes would receive $400,000 from multi-millionaire Tom in the form of child support every year until Suri turned 18.

The Hollywood actor would also pay Suri's medical and dental expenses, as well as her insurance, education costs and tuition fees. The money is reportedly paid via electronic transfer.

Regarding Suri's education, the couple agreed that their daughter would not attend boarding school (which dispelled rumors that she would attend a Scientology-run institution).

Katie was given sole custody of their daughter, while Tom was given 'meaningful' visitation rights.

As Suri reaches adolescence and begins a new phase of her life, another source close to Katie told Dailymail.com: 'Being raised by a single mother in New York has made Suri who she is. Katie has always put Suri first and Suri loves her mother more than anything.

“She's a smart girl and she's turning into a very intelligent, mature woman. She has a very close group of loyal friends and knows exactly where she comes from.'

Throughout her childhood, Katie did her best to keep Suri out of the spotlight as best she could. However, since the teenager turned 16, the actress began to reveal a little more about her daughter's life.

In 2021, Alone Together featured in a trailer for a romcom starring and directed by Holmes, Suri singing Blue Moon on the soundtrack, while her mother praised her daughter as “the best.”

Holmes spoke to Yahoo Entertainment about her decision to cast her daughter as the cover singer and praised Suri.

She said, “I always want the highest level of talent. So I asked her! She is very, very talented. She said she would do it and she recorded it, and I let her do her thing.”

In the same interview, Holmes revealed that she had also enlisted Suri to sing in another film she had directed, Rare Objects.

Despite two very impressive credits to her name and the fact that she was the daughter of two of Hollywood's biggest names, Holmes insisted that for the most part Suri remained “a 16-year-old kid in high school.”

Aside from a potential singing career (with a little help from her mother), Suri is considered something of a fashionista who inspires her mother, with Holmes recently revealing that she sometimes takes accessories from her daughter.

In 2011, when Suri was just four years old, Katie Holmes told Elle that her daughter often commented on her clothes.

She revealed, “Today I'm wearing brown suede pants, and she said, 'I don't like your pants.' But then she says, “You have to wear these shoes.” Or 'That's so beautiful, Mom. Wear that.' She has a good eye.'

During a 2020 interview with InStyle, Holmes sat down to chat while wearing her then 14-year-old daughter's purple hair scrunchie.

She revealed that by then, Suri had surpassed the “girl phase” of her life and was becoming her own person.

Holmes gushed with affection for her daughter, saying she raised Suri to be independent and hardworking.

'She came out very strong, she has always been a strong personality. She picks an activity and works her butt off until she is really good at it,” Holmes described.

“Then she says, 'Okay, I'm going to try this next thing.' She is very focused and a hard worker.”

As for Holmes herself, the actress who made her debut as the reluctant but boisterous Joey in Dawson's Creek has honed her artistic flair in recent years, taking on projects including a lockdown romance film in which Suri sang.

Katie was inspired to write Alone Together after seeing the legend in the 1987 film Baby Boom.

Since her split from Tom, Katie was in a private relationship with Jamie Foxx for several years from 2013 to 2019, with the couple only revealing their romance to the public shortly before the split.

She also dated chef Emilio Vitolo and Bobby Wooten III.