Holmes could blend fashion, acting as she moves on
TomKat didn’t have nine lives.
Tom Cruise, 50, and Katie Holmes, 33, settled their divorce Monday, less than two weeks after Holmes stunned Hollywood with the news that she planned to divorce one of the most famous men in the business.
The speedy settlement was preceded by a statement from the soon-to-be-exes: “We are committed to working together as parents to accomplish what is in our daughter Suri’s best interests.”
By settling so quickly, Holmes and Cruise avoided a potentially nasty legal battle that could have cast even more scrutiny on their already highly watched sevenyear relationship.
Howard Bragman, vice chairman of Reputation. com and a longtime Hollywood publicist, says there are several factors that make the lightningfast settlement a little less shocking. “No. 1: There was a pre-nup. No. 2: Her father is an attorney. No. 3: It was in both their interests to resolve quickly. No. 4: They both want to move on. And, No. 5: There were not that many issues left to resolve, especially if you have a prenup in place.”
And in her second act, Holmes will most likely blend acting with fashion, says Janice Min, editorial director of the Hollywood Reporter and former editor of Us Weekly.
“My sense is, her passion is fashion. It’s going to take her a while to get her legs back in terms of being considered as just Katie Holmes,” says Min.
Beyond a love of fashion, what else could be in the pipeline for Holmes? Experts weigh in on three aspects of her life — professional, personal and romantic.
Professional: An assessment is in order.
Holmes’ career hasn’t exactly skyrocketed since hooking up with Cruise in 2005.
The former Dawson’s Creek star’s most recent movie was last year’s universally panned Adam Sandler comedy Jack and Jill, and her last hit was 2005’s Batman Begins.
“When analyzing a career, there are many, many contributory factors, not just one. Usually at the core of great success is great drive — relentless, maniacal drive combined with great talent. She may not have been that driven, we don’t know,” says veteran Hollywood publicist Michael Levine.
Personal: Don’t hide, get outside.
No need to uncover any rocks to find Holmes during this celeb split. She’s avoided the whole hiding-in-my-apartment-to-dull-the-pain approach and instead has been out and about in New York, taking her daughter Suri, 6, for very public and very photographed trips to the grocery store, for ice cream and to a children’s museum.
Bragman says the anti-bunker approach is the way to go in this situation. “When you hide, it looks as if you have something to hide from. It sends the wrong message that says, ‘I’m hiding,’” he says. “All these everyday things (she’s been doing) endear her in the hearts of people, make her look normal, and that’s what you want right now.”
Romance: Love should wait.
Like all celebrity divorces, after the legal dust has cleared, fans are eager to see newly single stars coupled up once again. And perhaps no future relationships will be more closely watched than those of Holmes and Cruise.
“She’s in the image business. People will talk and talk about her, no matter what she does. If she has coffee with a guy, people will have them involved in an affair,” says relationship expert Gilda Carle.