Is this the next woman to fall into Tom Cruise's trap?
‘We know ’Mission Impossible’ as a film series, but it actually perfectly describes Tom Cruise's love life as well. A few flings and three failed marriages are proof that a relationship with him is basically a lost cause. Especially his last marriage, where a contract was supposed to prevent a trip to the pillory, didn't give him the best reputation; his belief in the Church of Scientology doesn't really help either. Yet Cruise has managed to snag a woman again: the Cuban actress Ana de Armas. But who is this perhaps future Mrs. Cruise?
Who is Ana de Armas?
The 37-year-old Ana de Armas was born in the Cuban capital Havana. As a child, she has no access to the internet or DVDs and is only allowed to watch TV briefly on weekends. Smart as she is, she sneaks over to her neighbor's house to watch movies. At home, she reenacts entire dialogues, and by the time she is twelve, she knows for sure: she wants to be an actress. Two years later, she starts training at the National Theater of Cuba and is already acting in various films. At eighteen, she moves to Madrid to further develop her acting career. There, she quickly becomes popular, but De Armas wants more. She leaves for a few months to New York to learn English, with a language coach and by endlessly watching ‘Friends’. In 2014, she permanently moves to LA, and from that moment on, things take off: from ‘Knock Knock’ (2015) and ‘Knives Out’ (2019) to ‘No Time to Die’ (2021) and her most recent role in ‘Ballerina’. And as if that wasn't enough, new projects are already on the agenda... with Tom Cruise.
Ana de Armas and her impressive list of exes
Like Cruise, De Armas is no stranger to the dating world and the marriage boat. Even before her move to the US, she starts a relationship in 2010 with Marc Clotet, a Spanish model and actor. A year later, they marry, but by 2013, that marriage is already over. Once in America, her first Hollywood romance begins; not yet with an actor, but with agent Franklin Latt, now manager of Pedro Pascal. De Armas is accused of using the relationship for her career, but she quickly manages to debunk those rumors. Again, an engagement comes about, but this time the white dress stays in the store.
Her most talked-about relationship so far? That with Ben Affleck. They meet at the end of 2019 on the set of ‘Deep Water’ and make no secret that the spark immediately flew. The couple goes into quarantine together, on double dates with Matt Damon, and De Armas meets his children. However, at the beginning of 2021, their romance comes to an end; and we all know who Affleck goes back to afterward. Her most recent relationship is with Manuel Anido Cuesta, the stepson of Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez. This causes some criticism and is said to have ended in early 2025, but De Armas is not alone for long.
What is going on between Ana de Armas and Tom Cruise?
The night before Valentine's Day, the actors are spotted together for the first time during a dinner in London. Suspicious timing, you might think, but according to People Magazine, it was purely business: a discussion about a later collaboration for the film ‘Deeper’. A month later, they are seen together again, this time at London Heliport; again, purely business. But when they are spotted together again a month later, the rumor mill starts turning a bit harder; you don't just go for a walk and have dinner with a colleague. This also applies to their presence at David Beckham's birthday, where they wanted to leave as inconspicuously as possible, and a vacation to Spain. An official statement never comes, but a hand-in-hand walk in De Armas's hometown proves to be the final evidence: all that time together for their next project led to more.
A wedding à la Mission Impossible
Now that their relationship seems quite certain, there is even talk of a possible wedding. Cruise is said to have asked his legal advisor to draft a marriage contract to protect his reputation and fortune, about 600 million dollars. A lesson from the past: his marriages to actresses Mimi Rogers and Nicole Kidman did not end smoothly, and especially with Katie Holmes, there were significant legal issues. Such a contract may not be a romantic start to your marriage, but De Armas seems to have no problem with it. The couple is said to want to marry this year, completely in Mission Impossible style. Maybe in space or skydiving, as long as it's anything but ordinary. Despite all the rumors, the actors themselves still reveal little about their relationship and are hardly seen in public. The future of their film Deeper is now uncertain; but whether that means anything for their relationship is still a question. So it remains to be seen whether they will actually step into the wedding rocket.
