As a devout Swiftie, Tom Cruise hoping to form a special friendship with Taylor Swift – but her camp are keeping watch

She blazed into the UK this month on the British leg of her behemothic worldwide tour, bringing the country to its knees and sparking a sense of national togetherness fit for a royal wedding. And, if you’ve ever doubted just what star wattage Taylor Swift wields, you only had to look at the roster of VIPs who showed up to watch her performing live.

Honestly, it was a veritable Who’s Who of famous faces who descended upon London’s Wembley arena to witness the Eras Tour – with Prince William, joined by Prince George and Princess Charlotte, Sir Paul McCartney, Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan, Salma Hayek, and Cara Delevingne all taking to the stands to declare themselves a Taylor fan.

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And standing front and centre among them was – perhaps – the most adoring Swiftie of the bunch. Step forward Tom Cruise, who looked happier than he did the day he famously jumped on Oprah Winfrey’s couch. We’re told that Tom, who has been living in London over the past few years while working on the Mission Impossible franchise, was delighted to be included in Taylor’s British brigade of VIP guests. And he’s hoping this is just the start of a beautiful, and mutually beneficial, friendship.

“The invite to Taylor’s concert meant so much to Tom,” says an insider close to the movie star, 61, who was seen in Wembley’s VIP section sharing jokes with Taylor’s boyfriend, American football player Travis Kelce, dancing along to Taylor’s biggest hits,and even trading friendship bracelets with fans. “He’s really buzzing and had the best time watching her perform, and also getting to hang out with Travis. He’s been floating ideas of how they can all collaborate on projects, and is also offering to introduce them to some of his favourite people and places in London. As always with Tom, he’s very intense and excitable – he has this way of sweeping people up into his personal universe and not taking no for an answer.”

While Taylor, by 34, has the world at her feet, there’s no denying that Travis, also 34, is still looking for certain doors to be opened in his career – which makes Tom an excellent connection to have. The Kansas City player has been open about his desire to transition into acting in the future, and has reportedly said he hopes to emulate the career of wrestler-turned-Hollywood superstar Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. To that end, having Tom on his side could help facilitate some showbiz connections, especially as Tom – despite his colourful personal life – is still widely considered to be the greatest action star of all time. We’re told that Travis had “stars in his eyes” when he met Tom, and Tom, in turn, “couldn’t have been more thrilled”. Judging by the pair’s very friendly interactions on the night of Taylor’s gig, with Travis lovingly putting his hands on Tom’s shoulders at one point as they laughed together, it seems like they got on like a house on fire.

TOM CRUISE AND PRINCE WILLIAM AND LONDON’S AIR AMBULANCE CHARITY GALA DINNER IN 2024 ©GETTY

As for Taylor, we’re told she’s just as happy to be making friends with the famous actor. Still, her camaraderie apparently comes with certain caveats. It’s no secret that, in his more ardent days, Tom was actively trying to recruit famous faces to join his beloved Church of Scientology. Not only was his devotion to the church reportedly to blame for the breakdown of both his marriages to Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes, who both did not wish to adhere to the pseudo religion’s edicts and were duly labelled “suppressive persons”, but it’s also believed to have driven wedges between other famous friendships he’s previously fostered. Despite being one of David and Victoria Beckham’s best friends when they moved to the US in 2007, Tom was later believed to have fallen out with the famous couple after they refused to join Scientology. Our source tells us that Taylor’s camp are keeping an eye on Tom, and what strings may come with his friendship – religious or otherwise – despite the fact that, so far, he doesn’t seem to have any other ulterior motive.

“Tom’s ties to Scientology are bound to make people in Taylor’s circle a little nervous,” says our source. “But, by all accounts, he’s got no agenda when it comes to religion anymore – he’s past all that. He’s still personally devoted to Scientology, but his primary concern these days, aside from his career, is expanding his social network in the UK and beyond. Everyone in his circle agrees this push to get closer to Taylor seems to be more a case of Tom just wanting to be popular, as opposed to him trying to recruit her, or anyone close to her.”

It certainly seems like there’s been a sea change in the way that Tom has conducted his personal life in recent times – which has helped him reingratiate himself with friends he’d previously alienated. In April, he was the MVP guest at Victoria Beckham’s 50th birthday party – wowing fellow revellers with his energetic dance moves and confirming reports that he’d finally buried the hatched with the Beckhams. That in itself suggests he’s cooled down his fervour when it comes to proselytizing his religion.

TOM CRUISE, KATIE HOLMES, VICTORIA BECKHAM AND DAVID BECKHAM AT THE 2008 MET GALA ©GETTY

And despite still being estranged from his daughter, Suri Cruise, who graduated from high school just one day before he was pictured at Taylor’s concert, it seems like Tom has worked hard to repair other fractured relationships from his past. Having broken up from his last girlfriend, Russian socialite Elsa Khayroya, in March after just four months together, the actor is reportedly feeling far more philosophical about what he wants out of life. Rather than trying to enlist everyone into his type of thinking, he simply wants to forge meaningful relationships and have all the fun he can have along the way – and, luckily for Taylor and Travis, that means making them his new BFFs.

“Not only is Taylor a class act, but she surrounds herself with people that Tom rates very highly,” our insider explains. “Yes, she’s popular with the younger crowd, but she’s also mature enough to have older friends in her circle, so Tom’s convinced he’ll fit right in. He’s making all sorts of plans to make her and Travis his new besties.”

We can just picture it now: another Top Gun movie, only this time, Travis joining Tom as his new wingman, soaring through the skies, their friendship bracelets rattling in the wind, as Taylor’s voice sings some power ballad in the ether. Sounds like a hit to us.