Tom Cruise is house hunting in the New York suburbs. Or rather, mansion and estate hunting, according to both tabloids. He’s got Bedford, NY and Greenwich, CT to comb through–that’s where the celebs live. Ron Howard, who directed him “Far and Away,” is a long time Greenwich resident. “ER” star Anthony Edwards is up there, too. But Tom lives in California. His whole family is there, especially his mother, who he dragged away from her life and husband in Florida in 2006 to come be Suri’s nanny and Katie Holmes’s watchdog. Plus, the New York area isn’t really Scientology-friendly. They’re around, but New Yorkers don’t have much interest in them. That’s a Hollywood thing, where people have a lot of time on their hands. We’re too busy.
In most divorce cases, it’s almost impossible for one spouse to up and move to another city. Forget about 2000 miles away. I know very wealthy people who’ve remarried and couldn’t move their kids from, say, Chicago to New York because the other parent was still in the Windy City. Cruise already owns a very large apartment on East 13th St. There’s also a rumor that he and Katie bought a big ol’ townhouse on West 12th St. about three years ago. Moving to a suburban estate means a full time staff and security. He’s got the money, but still…In this divorce, Holmes got her way. With nary a word of discussion or argument she’s managed to bring Cruise all the way to New York and disrupt his life.
If you were a cynic you might ask, What the heck does she have on him? It must be pretty good. Otherwise, he could certainly have argued that as an actress, Holmes–who lived and work in L.A. for years–could find gainful employment on the west coast. And what about the their home in Montecito, California, the Bedford Hills of Santa Barbara. Tom already has a huge estate. Realtors out there must be chomping at the bit to get their hands on that listing.
And one thing Tom might not get quite yet. In Los Angeles, stars can live their lives in peace if they just stay away from hot spots. Yes, there’s intrusive paparazzi, but only if you’re looking for them. New York is a tabloid town, where people eat and live cheek by jowl. You will be seen, even if you’re Jackie O or Greta Garbo. Good luck living in peace.