Nicole Kidman, took her two children, Isabella, 14, and Connor, 12, to the Kids’ Choice Awards last night. Nicole heads to Australia this week, but the children live with their father, Tom Cruise, and probably won’t accompany her for the filming of her new movie down under.
Source: Just Jared
I am not criticising but at what point did Tom become the primary parent to the kids? I must have missed it. I don’t understand why Nicole doesn’t have shared custody of them?
Please correct me if I am mistaken.
- Elisha Rose on
I just find it odd that she doesn’t seem to spend hardly any time with the kids these days.
They are always with Tom.
I would go nuts having someone else take care of my kids on a daily basis,and seeeing them only once in a while, but that is just IMO
Hmmmmmmmmm
- Christy on
am i the only person who seems to think that connor is tom’s biological child? that child looks exactly like tom..it’s crazy how uch he resembles tom/
- Scherriea/The Bahamas on
I was thinking the same thing as others….when did Tom get full custody and why doesn’t Nicole want shared custody with the kids. Of course I could have completely missed something and this isn’t the actual scenario… It just seems a bit odd to me.
- Gabbie13 on
I also agree that I think the custody arrangement here is very strange, particularly because Nicole lives in Nashville, across the country from her children in LA. Even if she doesn’t have full custody of them, you’d think she would want to be closer to them so that she could see them more often.
- Lauren on
Tom probably pressured her into signing the aggreement giving him full custody, looking back it seems that their divorce was a ton easier for him than her. I dont know whether to beleive the headlines on US magazine or Star but it makes me wonder just how controlling he is and was. Also, she does work more than Tom does and last week or earlier this week in an interview with Keith Urban he states that he hardly ever sees his step children.
- kelsey on
When did Tom get full custody? When they got divorced the custody of the kids was split exactly 50/50.
- Grace on
It really does not all add up? Think about it? Nicole has expressed how much she loves her kids and how she wants to have kids in the future but she is hardly ever around. I agree, that you need to take the headlines with a large grain of salt but maybe there is something in them. I remember when Nicole married Keith the children were not allowed (by Tom) to participate in the ceremony (bridesmaid yes) but not actually sign anything or give away rings and he sent his sister to watch over the kids in that regard. It would be tough for Nicole to have her kids with someone reporting back to Tom. To me its all very strange…. I just hope, whatever the custody arrangement, that the kids are happy.
- Elisha Rose on
My parents divorced when I was eight, and in the divorce papers, my parents are SUPPOSED to have joint custody. My father has never cared whether he sees us or not. When my mom realized he didnt give a crap about me or my sister, the three of us moved to california. My dad goes back and forth between florida and Venezeuela, and even though I’m 21 now, my sister and I are lucky if he cares to see us once a year.
The court can say one thing, but the parents can do whatever they want.
- MuffThumb on
The ages of the kids are actually 12 and 14….
- smitty on
Scherria, I have always thought Connor looks like Tom.
Also, maybe on paper Tom and Nicole share joint custody of the kids but for some reason(s) Nicole is hardly with them. I don’t care how controlling Tom may or may not be, if Nicole wanted to spend more time with her children she would find a way. I really believe she chooses not to.
- Jessica on
Jessica: Just because we don’t see Nicole in public with her kids a lot does not mean that she doesn’t spend a lot of time with them. She may or may not, who knows. Perhaps she just spends time with them privately. She has mentioned in interviews that she tries to spend time when them in places where the press won’t be because she prefers to keep them out of the spotlight. I admire her for that.
- Grace on
Tom and Nicole’s children are not homeschooled, they attend Beverly Hills high school, where Tom and Katie have been spotted at their sporting events. Their father lives there, so it makes since for them to live there as well, so they can remain in school. Also, Nicole has said time and time again that she prefers to keep her kids out of the spotlight, so when she does see them, it isn’t a paparazzi event. In regards to Keith saying he doesn’t see his step-kids often, I think that is because he was in rehab for 3 months.
- Colleen on
Grace, You said it best. Who knows? I just don’t believe she spends a lot of time with her kids no matter what she may say and for that reason I do not admire her.
- Jessica on
I noticed that whenever someone asked why Nicole is rarely seen with the kids, people give either one of these three reasons:
1. She wants to protect the kids’ privacy, one went as far as saying that Nicole does go to the games but kept a low profile. This really strange because if she went to those lengths to protect the kids’ privacy, why does she take them to high profile events like the front row of a Knicks game, the Oscars, and this one? Sure, they’re age appropriate and the kids would have fun but it’s like ordering a Big Mac and wash it down with Diet Coke.
2. Tom is craaaaazy. No local celebrities came to Vanilla Sky’s Australian premiere because Tom was the devil who hurt “Our Nicole” but he was later seen on her brother in law’s yacht with him and Connor. Considering how close Nicole’s family is, if he forbids her to see the kids I doubt they’d interact at all.
3. Nicole spends a lot of time on set and the rest in Australia with her family. Aren’t the kids her family too? She didn’t have a problem moving to Nashville full time and going on tour with Keith.
Wow, this is long. Anyway, in conclusion, I’m not saying OMGZ NICOLE IS A BAD MOTHER or anything because I don’t read or watch Nicole’s interviews that much and who knows what’s going on behind closed doors, I’m just saying that the reasons people give don’t make sense.
- stephanie on
The fact that they had a shared custody to begin with doesn’t mean that they have to continue to have a 50/50 custody later. Parenting and custody agreements change quite often, depending on circumstances. Either parent can ask for a change if there is a good reason for it and it will be in the best interest of the children. They probably share legal custody (both have equal legal rights to the kids) but Tom seems to be the parent for residence/schools etc. I doubt she sees them often or we would know something about it. I don’t buy the “she protects her kids from paparazzis” story–if so, how come the press can always get the pix of her and Keith, even in rehab and on a remote island somewhere but they can’t get one photo of her with the kids? I’m not saying she’s a bad mother but she sure gave up her time with the kids without a fight. She has money and fame, she could have made a stink if Cruise put pressure on her. She chose not to. I will never understand that, particularly when we’re talking about turning your kids over to Scientology. BTW, she doesn’t live in Nashville. They haven’t seen her there in months.
- millie on
Stephanie; The reasons some of us gave did make sense – but they are not the reasons you are claiming were given. I said that I think she tries to keep them out of the spotlight as much as possible. That doesn’t mean that I think she keeps them in a bubble and never takes them out. Your second example of seeing Tom with Nicole’s family: Perhaps her family is trying to keep the peace with Tom for the benefit of the children. And your third example makes no sense. I don’t even know what your point is on that one.
- Grace on
millie: The press has gotten pictures or Nicole with her kids, so your example doesn’t really follow. And Nicole does live in Nashville, but obviously she goes on location for movies and so she’s not always there.
I’m not sure why so many are so quick to say she gave up her kids. You don’t know that. All we know about her is that there are some pictures of her with her kids, and tons of pictures of them with their father (a man who seems to work very hard to get attention).
- Grace on
As others have said, who know what is really going on. I agree that she does not seem to spend much time with them. The paparazzi follow her everywhere, and the kids when a parent comes to their games like Tom does, and she just isn’t there.
That said, I’m not going to judge her for it. If she lives mostly in Nashville and/or Australia, is it really good for the kids to be going off their all the time so she keeps her part of shared custody? Kids need stability more than anything else. Maybe she is doing the best thing for them by providing them that stability and not just barging into their lives whenever it works for her schedule. Maybe it is a huge self-sacrifice for her to do so.
- lulululu on
now i remember Nicole having the kids alot when they were younger, well more then Tom did… But we all know things change… I have 2 little brothers from my moms 2nd marriage… after she and my step dad divorced they had shared parenting… When the boys were younger they stayed mostly with my mom.. But as they got older they stayed with their dad more (better schools)…. They still see my mom all the time, but they want to stay at their dads because that’s were all of their friends are….
I think it’s the same thing for Nicole & Tom’s kids… We all know how active they are in school… Plus lets face it they are now teenagers, and no matter how much you love your parents when you’re that age your friends and school tend to come first….
- CC on
I wasn’t being specific to just this board and post.
You really don’t see anything off with it? Celebrities like Reese Witherspoon, Ben Affleck, Gwyneth Paltrow have always been vocal about their children’ privacy, they still got photographed a lot but you don’t see them bringing the kids to celebrity events. Of course I’m not saying she should keep them in a bubble, but a trip to Universal Studio or a holiday would’ve sufficed.
As for the second, if he did treat her half as bad as it’s been reported, I’m surprised his head is still attached. They could just settled on being cordial.
Number three didn’t make sense to me either but believe me, I’ve heard it more than once. I’ve even seen it printed in a magazine.
This is not about Nicole, per se. I’m a fan of her as an actress, I’ve never had a problem with her or her parenting, I think she’s doing the best she can juggling her work and her family, I don’t see anything wrong with her bringing the kids to those events.
I’m just questioning the theories people come up with just so she doesn’t come out as the bad guy. Especially where I live, here in Australia she’s practically a saint. If she killed a kitten they’d probably say the kitten was begging to be killed and she was just being helpful.
- stephanie on
I just think Tom is more open about his time with his kids. He wants everyone to see him out and about being a good parent, whereas Nicole is more subdued about the whole thing. I know her kids have visited her on sets and such recently. I think they’re being mature about the whole thing, Nicole is travelling a lot at the moment and Tom isn’t, so it’s good for the kids to be in one place.
And honestly I’m sure the kids wanted to go to the awards, it’s not forcing them into the public limelight if they want to be there
- Laura on
nicole kidmans fan need to stop making excuses for her and blaming tom for her being seen with her kids that much. from evident it appears that tom is the more hands on parent even before the katie holmes relationship there have always been pic of tom with his kids, there all relocate on set when he is making a film and i think he has the final say on their upbring.
http://www.tomcruisefan.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1201&start=0
- funmi20 on
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