Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes Divorce
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ high-profile divorce came as a surprise to some. The duo burst into a public love life with an oft-mocked appearance Cruise made on Oprah, which saw the actor hopping on couches and pumping his fists. But now their split has opened up new interest into how Scientologists handle divorce.Reuters

After five and a half years of marriage, celebrity couple Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are getting divorced.

Five days before Cruise's 50th birthday, Holmes filed divorce papers in New York, People magazine reported.

The 33-year-old actress' attorney, Jonathan Wolfe, confirmed the divorce to the magazine.

"This is a personal and private matter for Katie and her family. Katie's primary concern remains, as it always has been, her daughter's best interest," Wolfe said.

Holmes filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences. She is also seeking sole custody of the couple's six-year-old daughter Suri, Reuters quoting a source with knowledge of the situation.

According to sources, Cruise is currently busy shooting for a movie in Iceland and the divorce filing from wife Holmes came as a complete surprise to him.

"Kate has filed for divorce and Tom is deeply saddened and is concentrating on his three children. Please allow them their privacy to work this out," Cruise rep issued a brief statement.

Bertram Fields, Cruise's attorney, who has represented him in various other legal matters, is not handling his divorce case.

Fileds confirmed the news that Holmes had filed for divorce but he declined to give any further details on the crucial matter. "Tom wants to be very private," Fields said.

This is Holmes' first divorce and third divorce for the "Mission Impossible" star. Tom married Mimi Rogers in May 1987 which lasted for almost three years. He walked down the aisle again by marrying actress Nicole Kidman in Dec. 1990, but they got separated in Feb. 2001.  

The couple, dubbed as TomKat by media, began dating in April 2005 and month later Cruise declared his love for Holmes on The Oprah Winfrey Show jumping up and down on Winfrey's sofa.

The couple announced in Oct 2005 that they were expecting their first baby. The couple got married on Nov. 18, 2006 at the 15th-century Odescalchi Castle in Bracciano, Italy, in a Scientology ceremony after welcoming their first daughter, Suri, in April that year.