INSIDE THE LIVES OF TINSELTOWN’S A-LIST TWEENS
The parents, the playmates, the homes, the hobbies
THEY could have been the perfect BFFs – two girls born within weeks of each other into Hollywood royalty, both constantly in the spotlight, both privileged enough to have their every whim indulged.
Yet it’s unlikely Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt and Suri Cruise will turn out to be best friends forever – just a glance at their wardrobe alone can attest to how different they are.
At the recent Kids’ Choice Awards Shiloh, who’ll be nine years old next month, donned her usual shorts, quirky T-shirt and hoodie, whereas Suri, who recently celebrated her ninth birthday, wore a white-and-pink dress with matching nails and accessorised with a gold-chain satin handbag.
A peek into Suri’s closet would probably reveal dainty dresses and pretty pumps and Shiloh’s would be filled with bulky black boots and hand-me-downs from her older brothers.
And other than the fact they have incredibly famous parents, the family set-up of these two couldn’t be more different if they tried. Shiloh, the first biological child of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, is one of a brood of six and Suri, the only child of Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise, has only her mom and stuffed toys constantly by her side.
So although there are plenty of reasons why they could be besties there are more reasons for them not to be. We take a look at their lives and see how they’ve grown into two very different – but both gorgeous – girls.
PARENTS
SURI After her mom suddenly divorced her superstar father in 2012 Suri started to see far less of him. Tom has repeatedly come under fire for being an absent parent – at the latest count he reportedly hasn’t seen his youngest daughter in more than a year.
The actor blames work commitments – he was filming Mission Impossible 5 for months recently in London – for being unable to spend much time with her. Yet he didn’t make any attempts to see her afterwards, sources close to Katie say.
In fact, they point out, when he was in the US on a two-week break after filming on the latest in the hit franchise had wrapped he was snapped with one of his other children.
Tom was pictured with Connor, the son he adopted with ex-wife Nicole Kidman, at a basketball game in Florida.
There’s been intense speculation that Tom, who these days speaks to Katie only through an intermediary, is distancing himself from his only biological child because she’s no longer being raised in the Church of Scien- tology as Connor and his other daughter, Isabella, still are.
Tom’s ties to Scientology is rumoured to be among the reasons Katie left him – the Catholic-raised actress didn’t want her only child to be exposed to his church’s doctrines.
Suri’s relationship with her mother couldn’t be more different than her relationship with her dad. She and Katie are extremely close. They’re often snapped out and about, going to Disneyworld, fooling around with party props or indulging in girlie make-up sessions.
Katie clearly adores Suri. What’s most important to her as a parent is “letting her know how proud I am and her accomplishments mean everything,” Katie said in a recent interview. “It’s really just about her. That’s what I think is most important.”
SHILOH
There hasn’t been a photograph of Shiloh alone with her parents in years – there’s always at least one sibling with her.
In January she and her brothers rocked dark suits complete with slicked-back hair at the LA premiere of Angelina’s latest film, Unbroken, just like dad Brad.
He and Angelina have always supported Shiloh’s tomboyish tendencies and encourage all their kids to embrace their individuality.
“Some kids wear capes and want to be Superman and she wants to be like her brothers,” Angelina said after Shiloh announced she wanted to be called John or Peter after characters in Peter Pan.
“It’s who she is. It’s been a surprise to us and it’s really interesting but she’s so much more than that – she’s funny and sweet and pretty.”
Angie, who caused a storm of controversy when she called Shiloh “a blob” when she was a baby, also revealed when she offered the role of young Princess Aurora in the Disney hit Maleficent to Shiloh, the little girl
‘Suri loves dancing and singing and she’s just a joy’ – Katie
laughed. Her younger sister, Vivienne (6), eventually played the part.
“She’d never wear a dress,” Angie says. “She told me she’d prefer to play ‘Marcus’, a madeup character with horns and a bow and arrow!”
Angie, who gave a moving speech at the Kids’ Choice Awards encouraging kids to embrace being different, supports Shiloh’s clothing choices. “I want her to do what’s in her heart and what’s in her heart is to dress like that. I think it’s beautiful.”
PERSONALITY
SURI She’s been described as spoilt and headstrong – precocious even. Understandably she’s not a fan of the media and is known to shout at the paparazzi to “get out of the way” when they come too close.
In an unfortunate incident in 2013 someone who wanted an autograph was overheard calling the child a “brat” and a “bitch” as she ignored him and got into a waiting car.
“Tom never disciplines her one little bit,” a friend reveals. “Katie is the one who has to do that and it’s not good for that to be so totally one-sided.”
Even so, Katie seems to indulge her daughter a fair bit. During an appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres TV show last year she joked about Suri’s “very organised” personality.
She can’t miss out any item on her Christmas list, Katie told Ellen, “because if you screw that up that’s years and years of hearing about it and then probably therapy”.
Suri has quite specific requests, she says. “Like, ‘I want a puppy, and then I want a pink collar that has sparkles on it that says the puppy’s name. Then I want shoes for the dog . . . Then I want a purple clip.’ It’s all very detailed.”
SHILOH
She clearly isn’t a fan of the paparazzi either and is usually snapped looking warily at the cameras. When she was younger she was snapped sticking her tongue out at them. But when she’s not watching them and just having fun with her siblings or parents, she’s a carefree kid.
Her maternal granddad, actor Jon Voight, describes her as “hysterically funny, one of the goofiest, most playful people you’ll ever meet. Goofy and verbal, the early signs of a performer.”
She’s often seeing joking around with her brothers and sisters and wore a top hat with her suit to her parents’ unconventional wedding in September last year.
BESTFRIEND FOREVER
SURI With no siblings who live with her and, it would appear, few friends Suri seems to count her mom as her bestie. Katie, who once gushed about her daughter’s love of princesses, often plays dress-up with her. “Actually she loves being a princess.” She recently shared an Instagram shot of them applying make-up together, captioning it “#girltime”. Over Easter they were snapped enjoying the rides at Disneyland.
Suri also has her furry pal, Honey her pet Chihuahua, to keep her company.
She had a bit of a scare when the dog went missing soon after she got him but he was fortunately found by a puppy rescue agency.
SHILOH
It’s hard to imagine her ever having alone time what with Maddox (13), Pax (11), Zahara (10), Vivienne and Knox (6) around.
The Jolie-Pitt kids clearly have a close bond yet Shiloh seems to have a favourite. Although she models her outfits on that of her brothers, she spends more time with older sis Zahara.
Shiloh also has a furry pal, Jacques the bulldog, although it’s likely she shares him with her siblings.
HOME
SURI She lives in a sprawling six-bedroom mansion in the gated Oaks area of Calabasas near Los Angeles, which counts Khloé and Kourtney Kardashian and the Jackson clan among its famous residents.
Just after the divorce Katie and Suri lived in an upmarket apartment in New York. But last year the actress, who has primary custody of Suri, decided to move back to LA, reportedly because she didn’t want her daughter growing up in a concrete jungle and so she could once again be closer to Hollywood.
SHILOH
They’re one of the most high-profile globetrotting families thanks to Angie and Brad’s careers. Shiloh, along with her five siblings, split their time at their family’s three homes in Los Angeles, New Orleans and
‘I asked Shiloh about being Aurora; she laughed in my face’ – Angie
France and being on film sets with their parents.
SCHOOL
SURI While living in New York Suri attended Avenues, a private international school which costs $40 000 (R480 000) a year and offers everything from a rooftop playground to a gym with full-size basketball and volleyball courts.
It’s believed Katie has now enrolled Suri in one of the many good schools around Calabasas.
SHILOH
Shiloh doesn’t attend regular school. Instead, she and her brothers and sisters are enrolled in the international French schooling system, a programme called Le Lycée Français, which has schools in several cities. But the Jolie-Pitt kids are taught at home by private tutors.
A recent report claims the kids have been begging their parents to be allowed to attend regular school but Angie isn’t keen.
The Oscar winner has previously spoken about her dislike of the education system even though Brad isn’t opposed to the kids going to a regular school.
“I do think we live in a different age and the education system hasn’t caught up with our children and our way of life,” Angie said. “But we travel and I’m the first person to say, ‘Get the school work done as quickly as possible; let’s go out and explore.’
“Instead of tomfoolery in the classroom I’d rather them go to a museum and learn to play guitar and read and pick a book they love.”
HOBBIES
SURI For years Suri, who Tom once said “loves to sing and dance”, has been doing ballet, and at one stage she also did gymnastics. But she was recently snapped running on a track so perhaps she’s turning her talents to athletics.
SHILOH Before she became the soccer-playing tomboy she is today, Shiloh attended a ballet class with Zahara where she apparently insisted on wearing a pair of soccer boots! Today she prefers to play the beautiful game regularly and also loves skateboarding and zip-lining.