Ana de Armas was the picture of joy and vitality during a solo outing in Santa Monica on Thursday, just days after news broke of her split from Hollywood icon Tom Cruise.
A New Chapter Begins
The 37-year-old Bond girl appeared in high spirits, showcasing her toned stomach in a matching black sports bra and leggings ensemble. She completed the athletic look with a brown bomber jacket, white trainers, and socks, initially styling her hair in an effortless ponytail before letting it down on her way to the gym.
Her buoyant demeanour and the way her hair blew in the wind with arms outstretched uncannily channelled the iconic meme of Nicole Kidman, who was photographed in a similar state of elation after her divorce from Cruise was finalised back in 2001.
The Spark That Faded
According to reports from The US Sun, de Armas and the 63-year-old Cruise have ended their nine-month romance after realising the 'spark had gone'. A source close to the couple confirmed the amicable nature of the split.
'Tom and Ana had a good time together but their time as a couple has run its course,' the source revealed. 'They are going to remain good friends but they aren't dating anymore. They just realised they weren't going to go the distance.'
The insider emphasised the mature handling of the situation, adding, 'The spark had gone between them but they still love each other's company.' Crucially, their professional relationship remains intact, with the source confirming, 'She's already been cast in his next film, so they will continue to work together.'
Echoes of the Past
The parallel to Kidman's famous moment is particularly poignant. The 58-year-old Australian actress was seemingly photographed raising her arms and screaming with joy after her divorce from Cruise was finalised, creating a series of photos that have become an iconic internet meme for over two decades.
However, in a curious twist from January of this year, Kidman denied the picture represented 'real life', telling British GQ, 'That's not true... That was not me. That was from a film.' She did not specify which film, leaving fans to speculate.
The romance between Cruise and de Armas reportedly blossomed after they 'spent every day together' while training for intense underwater sequences for their thriller, Deeper. The film, set to be directed by Doug Liman of Edge Of Tomorrow fame, has now been put on hold.
Reports have indicated that de Armas has been 'in a funk' following the dual blow of the split and the film's pause. A source told the Daily Mail, 'Ana thought this year would be very different so she is disappointed,' but clarified, 'she is not crying at home.'
The pair were last publicly seen together in July, when they went official with their budding romance. De Armas's previous relationships include Manuel Anido Cuesta and Tom's pal, Ben Affleck.
This split inevitably draws comparisons to Cruise's divorce from Kidman. They met in 1990 on the set of Days of Thunder and were married for 12 years before Cruise filed for divorce in 2001, leaving Nicole in a state of 'utter shock'. They adopted two children together, Bella, 31, and Connor, 29.
Reflecting on the split years later, Kidman said, 'I thought our life together was perfect. It took me a very long time to heal. It was a shock to my system.' She admitted she was 'totally smitten' and 'would have gone to the ends of the earth for him,' but later realised she was 'naïve' to think he was her happily ever after.
