Anticipated Cruise Holmes Child Custody Battle Avoided
Posted on Jul 15, 2012 12:00am PDT
While fortune and fame has its perks, it has downsides, too. We suspect
that a lot of our readers here in Georgia would find the lack of privacy
and the scrutiny of the public wearing. When dealing with emotional turmoil,
privacy is necessary. Unfortunately, those in the limelight are rarely
allowed this chance.
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes know this feeling, as news of their divorce
and possible child custodybattle has been splashed across every paper
in Georgia and across the country. Seemingly unaware of the problems in
his marriage, Cruise was reportedly taken by surprise by both the divorce
filing and the request for sole custody made by his soon-to-be-ex.
Married for five years, the couple seemed happy enough. There have been
reports that Cruise's absolute dedication to the Church of Scientology
pushed Holmes over the edge. She apparently does not feel the same affinity
for the religion as Cruise. And it is rumored that Cruise's depth
of allegiance played a large part in Holmes's decision to seek sole
custody of their daughter, rather than joint custody.
We may never know for sure, however. Earlier this week, attorneys for both
Holmes and Cruise confirmed that the couple has already settled their
divorce. They don't offer any details over how the custody issue has
been handled. They say only that all issues have been resolved.
At the same time, a statement issued by a Cruise representative says the
couple is committed to respecting each other and supporting each other
in their roles as parents as they work to determine the best interests
of their daughter, Suri. That at least suggests that some level of joint
custody has been reached.
Seeking sole custody of a child during divorce can be a tough battle; often
couples agree on joint custody, instead. In a custody battle, the court's
driving concern is the best interests of the child and joint custody tends
to be the preferred model. That condition also appears to have been the
dominant feature in the swift Cruise-Holmes divorce agreement.