In a heartwarming display of lasting Hollywood friendship, Tom Cruise continues his unique birthday tradition with former co-star Dakota Fanning, two decades after it first began.
A Tradition That Stands the Test of Time
The 30-year-old actress, who starred alongside Cruise when she was just 11 years old in the 2005 sci-fi blockbuster War of the Worlds, recently confirmed that the 63-year-old actor still faithfully sends her a 'really nice' pair of shoes every birthday. Fanning made the delightful revelation during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live, where both host Andy Cohen and guest Brittany Snow expressed fascination with the long-running gesture.
When Cohen asked, 'Tom Cruise still sends you shoes on your birthday?' Fanning responded with a simple, 'Yes he does.' The conversation continued with Snow probing about the type of footwear and whether Cruise had adapted to her changing shoe size over the years. 'It has changed over the years,' Fanning confirmed, to which an amazed Snow replied, 'He's got your new size and he's adapted.'
The Origins of the Shoe Tradition
The tradition began during the filming of Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds, based on the H.G. Wells novel, where Cruise and Fanning played father and daughter surviving an apocalyptic alien invasion. For her 11th birthday during production, Cruise gifted Fanning the highly coveted Motorola Razr cellphone she had been openly desiring.
As Fanning explained during a previous appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, the shoe tradition emerged during the film's press tour. 'I loved shoes when I was little, and I started to be able to fit into really small adult shoes when I was on the War of the Worlds press tour so I was very excited about them,' she recalled. 'From that birthday on he always sends me shoes.'
Beyond the Birthday Tradition
During her WWHL appearance, Fanning also discussed her experiences with celebrity dating app Raya, expressing that she's 'over it' and criticising the platform's emphasis on adventurous profiles. 'My peeve with it also is their logline, bio thing saying how adventurous you have to be,' she shared. 'Want a woman who will climb a mountain with me and then go get a coffee, like walk to the beach. I don't want to do any of that.'
The actress has previously been romantically linked to several partners, including British model Jamie Strachan from 2013-2016, commercial real estate broker Logan Markley from 2016-2017, and New Englander Henry Frye from 2017-2018. However, it's her enduring friendship with Cruise that continues to capture public attention, demonstrating that some Hollywood connections truly stand the test of time.
