Holmes may be ready for battle, but it's sad for Suri

Despite the wealth, fame and oddness, no one enjoys seeing parents go to war over a child
    • The Guardian,
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The actress Katie Holmes has finally woken up to the fact that for ever is a long time. She married Tom Cruise five years ago, even though she knew he was an immortal being from another planet, dedicated to a process of "auditing" to improve his "dynamics" and rediscover his true nature, or "Thetan". They'd already had a much-photographed daughter, Suri, who is now six. One can only presume, since inter-species breeding is unusual, either that Holmes is also one of these immortal beings, or that Cruise, after all, is only human. Whatever.

Anyway, Holmes doesn't want her daughter to be raised as a Scientologist, for some cranky reason, and instead wants her to be a Catholic. Basically, the parents are in agreement that Suri has an immortal soul, but have irrevocably clashed over how best to realise her delicate potential for eternal existence. On a less spiritual note, there are also five houses to be divided up, with the New York brownstone reportedly "filled" with photography by Robert Mapplethorpe, presumably in some kind of counterintuitive tribute to the joys of heterosexuality.

Holmes has moved out of there into an apartment of her own, which hopefully suggests she's not too bothered about the division of material assets.

It isn't seemly to gawp at the disintegration of other people's relationships, especially when children are involved. But, as Scientologists are fully aware, the desire to seek out gossip is all too human. The top men in the organisation are said to be very anxious about the onslaught of publicity that the break-up is inspiring. Marty Rathbun, who used to be a leading Scientologist and now helps people who want to get out, reckons this will be "the biggest nightmare in the Church of Scientology's history". Few are rushing to gainsay him.

Rathbun supported and advised Cruise during his divorce from Nicole Kidman. After Kidman moved to Australia, their adopted children, Isabella and Connor, lived with Cruise and have been raised within the cult that in the US, but not the UK, is recognised as a religion.

Holmes is aiming to be awarded full custody of her daughter. No doubt she feels she has good reason. But it is awful, the thought of seeing any loving father, however odd, having access to his child limited. In the end, despite all the wealth, fame, glamour and weirdness, it's pretty sad and wretched stuff.

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