USA: Baby Cruise makes public debut on cover of Vanity Fair magazine

Actor Tom Cruise's infant daughter made her debut on Wednesday (September 06) on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine. Suri, who was born on April 18, 2006, is pictured on the cover with Cruise and mom, actress Katie Holmes. The dark-haired baby is featured in a 22-page photo spread with pictures taken by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz. The photos put an end to speculation that had swirled in the tabloids about why baby Suri had remained out of the public eye for so long, including rumours questioning the child's existence. "I think it's one of those cultural moments where we waited so long for a photo and God love them they waited this long to do a good photo and I was so curious so I cam out this morning and yeah, it was one of the first things I wanted to do," said Hollywood, California resident Renee Zitterstedt as she purchased a copy of the magazine. For some checking out the magazine at the World Book and News stand in Hollywood, it was as if a member of their family had given birth. "I think it's beautiful, God has truly blessed them with the baby girl, that's just lovely," said L.A. resident Tamela Griggs. Suri was born after months of non-stop publicity generated by the courtship of Cruise and Holmes, which burst into the open in May 2005 when the actor giddily professed his love for the actress during a notorious couch-hopping appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." A month later, Cruise announced he had proposed marriage to Holmes at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, which was followed later by Cruise's statement that his fiancee had embraced his faith in the Church of Scientology. For all his manic behaviour, fatherhood seems to have softened some of the public antipathy towards him. "Well I think Mr. Cruise is a proud parent like most dads would be with their new-born child. He's no different than anyone else in that regard. The guy may be a movie star but he enjoys his kids and loves his kids like everyone else," said local Dwayne Williams. Everyone else seems to love this particular new-born as well, according to Diz Mcnally, manning the cash register at the magazine stand. "It (the magazine. came in early this morning and we've already sold 400 copies of it. 400 copies. Here's the little baby -- isn't she cute? Yeah, it's going great and this is just the beginning of the day." Cruise made headlines again last month when Viacom Inc. Chairman Sumner Redstone revealed that his Paramount Pictures studio was severing ties with the actor's production company after 14 years, citing the star's off-camera behaviour.

ITN Source | September 14, 2006

Tags:. .fair. .daughter. .spread. .else. .towards