Suri Cruise looked overjoyed after receiving her diploma from LaGuardia High School on Friday.
While attending her high school graduation, with her mom by her side, the 18-year-old daughter of Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise, who is expected to attend Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh this fall, looked absolutely beautiful as she celebrated her latest milestone, without her father present.
For the ceremony, which took place at the United Palace Theatre in the Washington Heights, the teen wore a long white dress under a bright red graduation robe, open-toed heels and her long hair down.
For the special occasion, her mom, 45, opted to rock a yellow long sleeve shirt and matching pleated pants.
Suri’s Graduation Booklet displays her name as Suri Noelle.
Katie Holmes and daughter Suri Cruise were spotted at Suri’s high school graduation in New York City on Friday
While attending her high school graduation, with her mom by her side, the 18-year-old daughter of Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise, who is expected to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh this fall, looked absolutely beautiful as she celebrated her latest milestone, without her father present
For the ceremony, which took place at the United Palace Theatre in the Washington Heights, the teen wore a long white dress under a bright red graduation robe, open-toed sandals and her long hair down
This marks another example of Suri opting to use her mother’s middle name in place of father’s last name, Cruise.
On Saturday, Cruise was spotted attending Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, according to ET.
Despite her dad’s absence, Suri was surrounded by loved ones and classmates, who she could be seen exchanging friendly hugs with following the ceremony.
Suri’s high school is LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, often referred to simply as LaGuardia, which is a public high school specializing in teaching visual arts and performing arts.
Suri, whose famous father has had no part in her upbringing, has always been determined to forge her own way.
She applied to a host of colleges with the artistic teen ‘leaning towards’ studying fashion.
Carnegie Mellon’s School of Design is one of the oldest and most highly ranked programs in the country.
Now, with her acceptance into its hallowed halls, a notably chic mother and a wardrobe said to be worth $5million, Suri is off to the best possible start if that is her chosen path.
One insider told DailyMail.com: ‘She is a smart girl, and she is turning into a very intelligent mature young woman. She has a very close group of loyal friends, and she knows exactly where she comes from.’
Suri and Katie were seen sharing a sweet hug outside Manhattan’s prestigious United Palace Theatre
For the special occasion, her mom, 45, opted to rock a yellow long sleeve shirt and matching pleated pants
Katie and Suri’s resemblance to each other was uncanny
Suri’s high school is LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts
Suri rocked a pair of Converse high tops for her big day
Suri is expected to attend Carnegie Mellon’s School of Design which is one of the oldest and most highly ranked programs in the country
She applied to a host of colleges with the artistic teen ‘leaning towards’ studying fashion
Katie looked sophisticated chic in her summer ensemble
Suri’s Graduation Booklet displays her name as Suri Noelle
But though Holmes will surely be proud of her daughter’s stellar achievement sources say she is ‘overwhelmed’ at the thought of sending her little girl off to college.
Speaking recently, one told DailyMail.com: ‘Katie takes great pride in her but is also extremely overprotective.’
Perhaps it’s little wonder given that, for the past 11 years, Holmes has effectively raised Suri solo.
Sixty-one-year-old Cruise’s only input to his daughter’s life has been financial and he hasn’t been seen with his daughter since 2013, after Holmes quit both the marriage and the Church of Scientology – the religion to which Cruise is so devoted.
According to their divorce settlement, Cruise agreed to pay Holmes $400,000 a year until Suri turned 18 and will continue to pay for her college fees as well.
Under the terms of their agreement, though he may be physically absent from his daughter’s life, he has and will continue to cover, ‘medical, dental, insurance, education, college and other extracurricular costs.’
But despite having little if any relationship with her dad, Suri is, according to sources, a happy and well-adjusted teen who has loved growing up in New York City.
Katie and Tom married in a Scientologist ceremony in Italy in 2006 when the Dawson’s Creek actress was 27 and the Mission Impossible star was 44.
Tom Cruise was spotted attending Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in London while Suri graduated; (pictured in 2008)
One insider told DailyMail.com: ‘She is a smart girl, and she is turning into a very intelligent mature young woman. She has a very close group of loyal friends, and she knows exactly where she comes from’
Though Holmes will surely be proud of her daughter’s stellar achievement, sources say she is ‘overwhelmed’ at the thought of sending her little girl off to college
Suri is almost as tall as her Hollywood star mom
A source told DailyMail.com: ‘Katie takes great pride in her but is also extremely overprotective’
The gorgeous mother-daughter duo took over the sidewalks
However, during the six years they were married sources close to Katie suggested she felt increasingly intimidated by the church, in which Tom remains a powerful figure today.
When the couple split in 2012, it was reported that Katie had chosen to end the couple’s marriage over fears about raising her daughter as a Scientologist – a religion that Tom is incredibly dedicated to.
Her decision to quit the religion, as well as the marriage, caused a major rift between the former spouses.
Tom and Suri’s relationship become increasingly distant over the years.
MailOnline revealed in 2016 that Katie feared she would lose Suri to Scientology, after seeing how Tom’s first wife Nicole Kidman became distanced from the children she adopted with him, Bella and Connor, when they remained within the church after she left.
It was reported that Katie’s final straw came when members of the Church of Scientology moved into the couple’s home.
Ron Miscavige, the father of Scientology leader David, who himself renounced the religion, told DailyMail.com that there is a ‘toxic’ policy of ‘disconnection’ operating within the church – which is something Katie feared would be implemented to keep her away from her daughter.
Speaking to the website in 2016, five years before he passed away, Ron (who was estranged from David) explained that the disconnection policy sees Scientologists cut off contact with any family member who leaves the church.
He claimed it happened to him, not only with son David, but also with his two daughters, Denise and Lori.
Suri appeared to be in high spirits as she shared a laugh with her mom
Suri flashed her stunning smile as she appeared to enjoy the conversation with friends following the ceremony
The famous mom and teen share the same winning smile
Katie appeared at ceremony with her parents, Martin and Kathleen Holmes
Katie added a chic bag and set of necklaces to the mix
The Dawson’s Creek alum hit the Big Apple pavement in a set of designer heels as she held the graduation program
Suri embraces her mom as they pose for a photo together
He claimed members of the church’s staff, known as Sea Org, moved in with Cruise and Holmes.
The move was to make sure the organization’s most valuable celebrity was being properly taken care of.
‘That didn’t sit so well with Katie, of course, and it hurt the marriage,’ he said. ‘She and Tom had big differences about the way life should be lived.’
He added Katie was concerned about the prospect of raising Suri in the church.
Although breaking free from the Church and divorcing its most influential member was a risky business, Katie Holmes had a secret weapon – her divorce attorney father, Martin Holmes.
People magazine reported Katie turned to Martin for advice before making any moves to split from Tom and that he ‘helped orchestrate his daughter’s sudden split’ from the actor.
‘Marty is very rigid – it’s his way or the highway,’ a Toledo attorney who has worked with Martin told the magazine.
‘Marty believes there are only two sets of rules: the rules of the court and his rules, and he carries himself that way.’
When Katie and Tom split in 2012, it was reported that Katie had chosen to end the couple’s marriage over fears about raising her daughter as a Scientologist
The principal of Suri’s high school is Deepak Marwah
On Saturday, Cruise (pictured in April) was spotted attending Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, according to ET
He was among the many stars in the audience as Swift took the stage at Wembley Stadium over the weekend
Katie was granted sole custody of their daughter while Tom was allowed ‘meaningful’ visitation rights.
However, Tom has not been seen out in public with his daughter for around a decade, and sources have claimed he now has little involvement in her life.
The last photo of the Top Gun actor out and about with his daughter was a trip to Disneyland in 2012, the year his divorce from Katie was finalised.
That same year, the Hollywood titan was reported not to have seen his daughter for more than 100 days, between a holiday they took in August and Thanksgiving in November.