Yesterday, Katie Holmes and Jamie Foxx were photographed holding hands on a beach in Malibu, confirming that the two were in a relationship after years of speculation. In March, Grazia predicted that the couple would go public before the end of the summer, following the expiration of a five-year 'public dating' ban clause in Katie's divorce from Tom Cruise. Here, read our exclusive interview with the leader of the Church of Scientology’s father, Ronald Miscavige, in which he divulged the details of the contract preventing the couple from revealing their relationship sooner…
Ever since Katie Holmes filed for divorce from Tom Cruise five years ago, she has remained as fiercely protective about her private life as she has about the details of their marriage.
But it seems that may not have been of her own volition. Sources have speculated that a clause in their divorce has forbidden Katie from discussing their relationship, lifting the lid on his religion, Scientology, or openly dating anyone else.
The agreement – apparently implemented in Tom and Katie’s divorce in 2012 – is said to lie behind her decision to conduct her relationship with Jamie Foxx with the utmost discretion. The couple were first linked in 2013 and their romance has often been referred to as the worst kept secret in Hollywood.
Last year, Jamie’s friend, Real Housewives Of Atlanta star Claudia Jordan, appeared to confirm his relationship with Katie when she told a reporter they were ‘really happy’ before backtracking on her comments. And while the couple have only been pictured together a handful of times, Katie is said to spend time at Jamie’s mansion in Hollywood’s Hidden Hills whenever she is in LA. In January, they were reportedly seen holding hands at Soho House Miami as they celebrated New Year together.
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Such secrecy could soon be unnecessary. According to LA-based insiders, the five-year divorce clause is due to expire in July, prompting speculation that Katie and Jamie will at long last be able to go public as a couple.
Speaking to Grazia, Ronald Miscavige – father of David Miscavige, the Church of Scientology’s leader – commented, ‘Nobody knows for sure if she signed the agreement, but I know that when she left him she did date other people on the sly. I’m sure she’s eager to get her life back and not have to hide her romance any more.
‘I don’t think she saw this coming when she first got together with Tom but anyone should think twice before they even consider getting involved in Scientology.’
At the time of their split, it was reported that Katie had received $400,000-a-year in child support from Tom, which he will pay until their daughter Suri, who will be 11 next month, turns 18. It came after Katie was said to have ‘blindsided’ Tom with her decision to divorce, with sources revealing she had used a secret mobile phone to organise her separation from him – and to avoid the church, which stands accused of tracking calls.
The settlement went down as one of the fastest divorce negotiations in Hollywood history and was masterminded by Katie’s attorney father long before it became public. In total, it took just 10 days for the couple to reach an agreement, before the case could go to trial in New York.
According to Hollywood divorce lawyer Raoul Felder, who has represented the spouses of Liza Minnelli and Mike Tyson, Katie may have been denied child support if she had broken the terms of the clause. ‘Tom could have said support would stop if she habitually cohabited with another man,’ he told Grazia. ‘It may be a price she had to pay for divorcing him, and he could have drawn it up to satisfy the religion.
‘They usually agree not to harass, annoy or embarrass the other side or speak about them in a poor manner. That’s fine, but this clause is really a bridge too far.’
As for Tom? Grazia understands the actor is spending increasing amounts of time in London after apparently purchasing a secret home in Whitehall. According to insiders, he is splitting his time between the capital and Scientology’s UK headquarters in East Grinstead.
Meanwhile, it was claimed last week that he had ‘fallen’ for his Mission: Impossible 6 co-star Vanessa Kirby, who previously starred as Princess Margaret in The Crown. However, a well-placed associate quickly dismissed the claims as ‘nonsense’.
‘Katie is happy that there is distance between them while Tom is in London,’ said a second source. ‘There have been rumours about this post-divorce contract for years, and it explains why Katie and Jamie have been so keen to keep their relationship secret. But she is more than ready to move on: the marriage has cast a dark shadow over her life.
‘She’s regretting agreeing to the bizarre terms of the divorce, but she was desperate to keep custody of Suri and would have agreed to almost anything to make that possible. The last thing Tom wanted was to be further embarrassed by her discussing the delicate details of their marriage.’
But has the time finally come for Katie to lift the lid on one of the most talked-about marriages in Hollywood history? ‘Her life has been incredibly constricted for years,’ said the source. ‘But she isn’t out to get revenge on Tom. All she wants is the freedom to move on with her life. She’s elated at the prospect of that finally becoming a reality.’
READ MORE: Tom Cruise Has 'Fallen' For The Crown's Vanessa Kirby