Tom Cruise and Ana de Armas spark romance rumors; ‘shared drive' could create strong match: expert
On the night before Valentine's Day, the 62-year-old actor and the 36-year-old actress were pictured walking through London's Soho neighborhood as de Armas carried what appeared to be takeout bags of food from a restaurant. The two stopped for photos with fans before leaving in a taxi together.
At the time, a source told People magazine the "Mission Impossible" star and the "Ghosted" actress had dined out with their agents, saying they were "discussing potential collaborations down the line." The insider claimed Cruse and de Armas "appeared to have no romantic connection" and were "just friends."
However, the duo further fueled dating speculation when they were again photographed together March 14 as they arrived at the London Heliport by helicopter at night.
While speaking with People, a source said Cruise and de Armas are collaborating on an upcoming project, but they are not romantically involved. According to the insider, director Doug Liman accompanied the two on the trip, but further details about the project were not disclosed.
However, celebrity matchmaker Alessandra Conti expressed doubts over whether the relationship between Cruise and de Armas was actually platonic, noting the two are both guarded about their private lives.
She told Fox News Digital Cruise might be particularly wary about putting a new romance on display after his highly publicized relationship with ex-wife Katie Holmes, which ended in divorce in 2012. The "Top Gun" star's previous marriages to Mimi Rogers and Nicole Kidman also played out under the glare of the spotlight.
"Since his devastating and public split with Katie, he has kept a low profile when it comes to his personal life. However, his new relationship with Ana De Armas could be his big comeback into being in a celebrity power couple," Conti said.
"As a matchmaker in Beverly Hills for nearly 13 years, it is clear that Tom was gravely affected by the public nature of his relationship with Katie and was gun-shy and incredibly private with any other potential romances since the split back in 2012."
"The fact that he was seen publicly with Ana is a huge deal," Conti added. "My celebrity clients know exactly how to keep their love lives under wraps if that is their desire. So, this is a clear indicator that he is feeling secure about the potential of this romance, though sources are saying that it is merely because they are in a film together.
"Even if they are simply working together, as a celebrity matchmaker, I believe this couple is incredibly compatible for a number of reasons and do think that this could be a lasting Hollywood match if they give it a chance to blossom."
Conti's view was shared by Damona Hoffman of "The Dates & Mates," who pointed out several similarities between Cruise and de Armas that could draw them together as a couple.
"Both are talented, high-energy actors who thrive in action-packed roles. Their dedication to their craft could make them understand and support each other's demanding careers," she said.
Hoffman said Cruise and de Armas also share other traits in common, noting the two are both "adventurous" and "driven."
"The fact that he was seen publicly with Ana is a huge deal."
"Tom is known for his passion for extreme stunts and adventure, while Ana has shown a bold and ambitious approach to her career," she said. "Their shared drive could create a strong connection."
Conti also noted the pair "both love working in the action-film space." Cruise is one of Hollywood's biggest action stars, appearing in dozens of movies within the genre and has led the "Mission Impossible" franchise since 1996.
De Armas has starred in several action films, but the duo haven't appeared in any films together – yet.
"Tom is known for being hands-on even by doing his own stunts, something that Ana has expressed admiration for in the past," Conti said. "Ana too deep dives into whichever role she is engaging with, and their passion and dedication for the action genre is an exciting compatibility indicator."
During a 2023 interview, de Armas, who rose to fame with the 2019 mystery film "Knives Out," heaped praise on Cruise as she discussed what motivated her to take on action roles.
"It's demanding and painful, and your body is hurting everywhere, but it's also very rewarding as I saw myself getting better at it," she told USA Today. "Besides, it's fun. And if I just go say my lines and someone else does the stunts, I'm missing that fun."
While speaking with the outlet, de Armas acknowledged she was "not at a Tom Cruise level yet."
"But I can appreciate what he does 100% now, and I totally get why he does it. He's so mind-blowing," she said.
Conti pointed out Cruise and de Armas both paved their own ways to success in the entertainment industry, another commonality that could bring them together.
"They both worked their way through Hollywood with strong work ethic and tenacity. Unlike many of the stars in this generation, Tom is not a nepo-baby and built his career for himself without the help of famous parents," she said. "Ana is originally from Cuba and had the challenge of breaking into the English-based industry."
Hoffman told Fox News Digital that while de Armas and Cruise have high-profile careers, they "both manage to balance charm and mystery."
"Ana keeps her personal life low key (hello new home in Vermont!), which might appeal to Tom, who values discretion despite his fame," she said.
Last year, de Armas left Hollywood behind and moved into a new home in rural Vermont. During a September 2024 interview with E! News, the actress explained what prompted her to relocate.
"Their shared drive could create a strong connection."
"I feel like, nowadays, we all want to go away from the craziness of the world," she said. "We all want to have the chance to build your own safe space. I've made that decision myself."
"I found a home where I really feel off the grid," she added. "I can collect myself and only bring there who I want to be with. I have my little cocoon there."
Like Cruise, de Armas also previously had several public romances. Her former partners include Ben Affleck, Spanish actor Marc Clotet and Tinder executive Paul Boukadakis.
However, the actress previously admitted to Elle magazine the "horrible" attention on her relationship with Affleck, whom she dated from 2020 to 2021, was a factor in her decision to flee Hollywood.
"That's one of the reasons why I left LA. Going through it confirmed my thoughts about, 'This is not the place for me to be,'" she said in 2022. "It became a little bit too much. There's no escape. There's no way out. ... It's always the feeling of something that you don't have, something missing. It's a city that keeps you anxious."
Hoffman told Fox News Digital de Armas' aversion to the scrutiny that comes with dating an A-lister could spell trouble for a potential relationship with Cruise.
"Ana de Armas ended her relationship with Ben Affleck partly because she didn't want the intense Hollywood spotlight and LA lifestyle, two things that are even more inescapable with Tom Cruise, making a similar fate highly likely," she said.
"Also, Ana's star is poised for a meteoric rise and, while Tom is still doing his own stunts now, there will likely come a time in the not-to-distant future when he's going to need to step back from that kind of hectic, demanding acting work. And I imagine he'd resent seeing his partner shine brighter in her career than him."
According to Hoffman, their different beliefs might be another stumbling block, citing Cruise's devotion to Scientology.
The actor has been a Scientologist for over 30 years, and he is one of the religion's most prominent advocates.
"Tom's deep ties to Scientology have reportedly played a role in his past relationships ending," Hoffman said. "Ana, on the other hand, hasn't shown any interest in that world, which could be a major disconnect."
While some may assume de Armas and Cruise's 26-year age difference could be another obstacle, Conti told Fox News Digital she didn't believe it would have much of an effect.
"There was a 16-year age gap with Ben Affleck, so Ana is no stranger to an age-gap relationship with an actor," she said.
"This is Hollywood, and while civilians may raise their eyebrows at a 26-year age gap, this is par for the course here," the celebrity matchmaker added. "Ana clearly is mature, and at 36 years old, her frontal lobe has been developed, so I am in support.
"Out of all of the men who she has been linked to in the past, I believe that Tom could be 'the one,'" Conti said. "As a matchmaker, I truly am rooting for Tom to find love and finally have his happily ever after.
"It is clear that he is a man who puts his whole heart into each relationship that he enters, and it can seem like an impossible mission to risk the potential of failure again. ... But if anyone can do it, it's Tom Cruise."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Phil Collins jetted across the ocean to perform in two Live Aid concerts, but it wasn't without drama
With the help of helicopters and a supersonic turbo jet, Phil Collins pulled off a series of performances worthy of a 'Mission Impossible' movie at Live Aid forty years ago. The singer and drummer participated in the benefit concerts organized by musicians Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to draw attention to a famine in Ethopia and raise money for relief efforts. Collins didn't perform on just one stage, but two – on two different continents. The Genesis frontman initially took to the stage in London at Wembley Stadium, where he performed 'Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)' and 'In the Air Tonight.' He also played played drums for Branford Marsalis and Sting. That would have been enough for most artists, but not Collins. Instead, he hopped on a helicopter to Heathrow Airport in London, boarded The Concorde to New York City, then took another helicopter to Philadelphia, where he joined superstar Eric Clapton for his set and performed three songs with Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones. (The Concorde was a supersonic airliner that allowed passengers to cross the Atlantic in under three and a half hours. It made its first test flight in 1969 and was officially retired in 2003.) Backstage after the London performance, Collins gave an interview in which he said he thought the first performance had 'gone very well, considering' and expressed his pride in participating. 'I'm very proud to be asked to do it because everybody's involved and it's just great to be a part of something like this,' he said. 'It's just too obvious to say it's for a good cause.' There was, however, some drama in regards to the second show, and how the multiple performances came about. Collins explained that both Plant and Sting had separately asked him to participate in Live Aid, with a UK-based promoter suggesting he take The Concorde in order to play both shows. But Collins explained to Classic Rock in 2021 that the second show with Led Zeppelin was less than smooth, in part because he neglected to rehearse with the band beforehand, and also due to the bandmates' strained relationships. 'By the time I got there, me and Robert and Jimmy playing together had become The Second Coming Of Led Zeppelin – (bassist and keyboardist) John Paul Jones was there too. Jimmy says: 'We need to rehearse.' And I said: 'Can't we just go on stage and have a play?'' Collins recalled. 'So I didn't rehearse when I got there, but I listened to 'Stairway To Heaven' on Concorde.' He said the end result was messy, partially due to the fact that co-drummer Tony Thompson 'had rehearsed for a week, and I'm about to steal his thunder – the famous drummer's arrived! – and he kind of did what he wanted to do. Robert wasn't match-fit. And if I could have walked off, I would have done, cause I wasn't needed and I felt like a spare part.' 'Anyway, we came off, and we got interviewed by MTV. And Robert is a diamond, but when those guys get together a black cloud appears,' Collins continued. 'Then Page says: 'One drummer was halfway across the Atlantic and didn't know the stuff.' And I got pissed off. Maybe I didn't know it as well as he'd like me to have done, but… I became the flagship, and it looked like I was showing off.' It ended up becoming a Led Zepplin reunion that Collins wrote about not wanting to be a part of in his 2016 autobiography, 'Not Dead Yet.' 'I didn't come here to play with Led Zeppelin, I came here to play with a friend of mine who has morphed back into being the singer of Led Zeppelin – a very different animal to the one that invited me,' Collins wrote. 'Now I'm caught up in the ceaselessly toxic, dysfunctional web of Led Zeppelin interpersonal relationships.' While his second performance perhaps did not go quite as Collins had hoped, Live Aid raised more than $125 million for famine relief. His transatlantic flight also included a very famous fellow passenger. 'When I got on Concorde, Cher was on it,' Collins recalled in the CNN original series 'Live Aid: When Rock 'n' Roll Took On the World.' Cher asked Collins what he was up to. 'There's a live gig in London today and in Philadelphia,' Collins said he told Cher. 'She said, 'Oh, could you get me on it?'' Hours later, Cher joined a star-studded group of artists on stage to close out Live Aid with a performance of 'We Are the World.' Mission accomplished.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Pixar's Newest Film ‘Hoppers' Asks, ‘What if You Could Talk to Animals?'
We spoke with director Daniel Chong about his debut feature-length film releasing in spring of 2026, and how he compares the process to parenting. As Pixar has built a reputation on writing its own rulebook for crafting stories that are both relevant and timeless, the question, "What if?" has been a guiding light in many of their on-screen ventures. That question looms large in the idea behind their upcoming feature film, Hoppers, releasing in theaters March 6, 2026. The premise reads: What if you could talk to animals and understand what they're saying? In Disney and Pixar's all-new feature film Hoppers, scientists have discovered how to 'hop' human consciousness into lifelike robotic animals, allowing people to communicate with animals as animals! The adventure introduces Mabel, a college student and animal lover who seizes an opportunity to use the technology, uncovering mysteries within the animal world that are beyond anything she could have imagined. Have a look at the brand new teaser trailer: Now, if you're thinking that's giving some big James Cameron's Avatar vibes, you're not wrong. In fact, Daniel Chong, the director of Hoppers openly acknowledges the influence–though he calls it just a "soft jumping-off point" for where the movie is really headed. In addition, he mentions another big film franchise that he drew inspiration from. "One of the other biggest influences for us was Mission: Impossible," Chong tells Parents. "The movie becomes a bit of an espionage movie, where Mabel is going undercover. It will lead to a lot of crazy thrills that you did not expect." Chong goes on to describe the character of Mabel as being just as unpredictable as the adventure she's on, and how viewers who are animal lovers and rule-breakers (for a good cause) should get a lot of enjoyment from Hoppers. Character and Narrative Connections As with many of the directors in Pixar's filmography, Chong's relationship to his first feature film is a personal one. Having been a story artist at Pixar before becoming a director, he says it's only natural that a lot of himself would be sprinkled throughout the story. He points to his love for animals and his fascination with how they coexist with humans as the original thematic spark behind the movie. He also reveals how he leaned on his own close relationship with his mother to inform Mabel's relationship with her grandmother in the film. "I channeled a lot of that into the movie, because that's the relationship that grounds [Mabel] in her love of nature and why she wants to protect it so desperately," says Chong. "Mabel is also a bit unhinged, and a little chaotic, and unpredictable. She's led by her passions, so [viewers] can expect some unpredictability from her." As seen in the trailer, Mabel's protective instinct should serve her well at some points and not so well at others, as she navigates a world very different from her own. Chong speaks to how the characters treading into scientific innovation leads to them crossing wires with some established rules of nature. And while the two don't always mix, there are some lessons that can come from it. "A lot of the movie is about how [Mabel] coexists, not just with other animals, but with other people," Chong notes. "[It's about] how she relates to them, and the consequences of decisions she makes, good and bad. She's learning to navigate connection more than anything; and as she does, she'll learn how to build them over the process of the story." Research and Mystery As for how he chose a beaver to be the avatar animal for Mabel's experience, Chong says it came after a lot of trial and error, but it was a decision that made a ton of sense after doing research. "They call [beavers] one of the 'ecosystem engineers'", says Chong. "During the rewinding of Yellowstone National Park, wolves were a big part of that equation, but beavers played a big role also. Once the beavers set up their ponds and lodges, all these other animals began to return to the area because the ecosystem [they helped build] restored the habitat." Chong explains how the knowledge that these "little rodents can do engineering" inspired him to make them the focal point in the movie, highlighting that even the smallest among us can make a big impact. Diving a little deeper into the research Chong and the team did for Hoppers, he talks about a trip they took to Yellowstone where they immersed themselves in the wild with the animals, just like Mabel will be. "One of the cool things they tell you as you enter Yellowstone is, 'You are now entering the animals' world. This is not your place, so you need to respect it,'" Chong recalls. "It was a really grounding experience for all of us to recontextualize our place." The film's art team also went to Colorado to actually swim in beaver ponds, with the guidance of Emily Fairfax. Ph.D, Assistant Professor of Geography at the University of Minnesota and beaver expert. While there, they took photos and learned everything they could about beaver habitats. Chong laughs, saying, "I'm glad I didn't go because I have a feeling I would not have survived. But they went the extra mile for the research, and I hope it shows in the movie." Regarding Mabel's journey in the movie, Chong teases how she may get a rude awakening when it comes to respecting animals' habitats as well. "That's the thing about the animal world–there's still so much we don't understand. There's so much mystery; and we may not ever understand animal intelligence totally. But that's the fun of the movie–seeing how that all plays out." How the 'Village' Brings Everything to Life While Chong does not have kids, and doesn't profess to understand all that the parenting journey entails, he is a "parent" to this movie. And he draws a very clear connection to both processes needing a village. "Making a movie (especially one at Pixar) is a tough journey," he acknowledges. "It takes a long time, and you're basically iterating the same story over and over and over again [to the point that] you can lose your way and lose perspective so easily." Sound familiar? "The only thing that really helps me survive this process is the support of the people around me," Chong continues. "I felt very luck to have a great team–some of them I've known for quite a long time. Having a support system I can rely on really made it more plausible, so I didn't have to cary the burden of making the movie every day." Chong says he hopes the work this village put in on Hoppers will ultimately shine through next spring. Read the original article on Parents Solve the daily Crossword
Travel Weekly
4 hours ago
- Travel Weekly
Carnival Cruise Line welcomes the first passengers to Celebration Key
CELEBRATION KEY, Bahamas -- Under a sweltering Bahamian sun on Saturday, Carnival Cruise Line hosted the first cruise passengers at its new exclusive destination, Celebration Key. Carnival president Christine Duffy called it a day more than 25 years in the making, and it began with pomp and circumstance to match. A Bahamian band paraded the pier from the Carnival Vista to the shore, and Carnival brand ambassador/chief fun officer Shaquille O'Neal made an appearance. "This truly is just the beginning," Duffy said during opening remarks. "We will have visits from 20 Carnival cruise ships from 10 different U.S. homeports calling here." On the Record: Carnival president Christine Duffy Following Duffy's welcome, a burst of fireworks and color exploded from the island's towering sandcastle structure, which then provided confirmation of functioning fire alarms. That was followed by the official ribbon-cutting. O'Neal visited the destination's basketball court, shooting some of its first hoops and placing his hands in a mold, which will be cemented. When they visit, guests will be able to see how large their hands are compared to Shaq's. Carnival anticipates 2 million guests in Celebration Key's first year and up to 4 million annually by 2028. The 68-acre accessible portion of the property is segmented into five portals and includes a 350 million gallon freshwater pool, the 10-story sandcastle structure with two waterslides, beach access and a pay-to-access beach club section with a pool. The project was a $600 million investment, and as Duffy brought up Carnival Corp. CEO Josh Weinstein during her remarks, she smirked, saying, "Josh, thank you for $600 million." Weinstein immediately quipped, "And it's going to make us $6 billion." A Bahamian band paraded the pier at Celebration Key's grand opening. Photo Credit: Teri West Celebration Key can currently support two ships at a time. Cruise guests may opt for a complementary lunch from a food truck or for 25% off an entrée at one of the island's restaurants. Cabanas and villas of varying sizes are available to rent throughout. Matilda Patterson and her family opted for a cabana set back from the water in the kid-friendly Starfish Lagoon section, which she said they rented for $399. They were pleased with the fruit, chips and salsa and beverages included as well as the hospitality on the island. "Everyone's been so friendly," Patterson said. "They seem so happy we're here."
