It's been like a bolt from the blue. Even after they separated, she still hoped she'd be able to save the marriage. But it looks as if Tom has made his mind up that it's over. He's concerned about her and the kids. But he wants out.
Mystery still surrounds the reason for the couple's sudden split, however.
Some have suggested it was Nicole who triggered the separation by insisting she wanted out of the Hollywood power games to live back in Australia and build her own career unencumbered by the Cruise name. But most believe it was Cruise who initiated it. A source close to Cruise said yesterday that he had made the decision because he felt his career had been sidetracked after trying to divide his life between Hollywood and Australia. While he had tried to bridge the two worlds by filming the second Mission Impossible movie in Sydney, the major studios were putting pressure on him to commit to one or the other. The church is very powerful and they would not have been impressed by him being married to someone who hasn't converted, having kids not going to Scientology schools, and spending so much time outside the US where he could be such a high-profile member.