You know how Hollywood loves to surprise us with unexpected celebrity pairings? Well, here’s one that’ll blow your mind: Tom Cruise and Cher were actually a thing back in the ’80s! Yeah, you read that right. The Mission: Impossible star and the legendary “Believe” singer had a pretty steamy romance despite their 16-year age gap.
Picture this: it’s 1985, Cruise’s just 23 and riding high on Risky Business success, while 39-year-old Cher is already an established icon. Their brief but passionate relationship from 1985 to 1986 was one of Hollywood’s best-kept secrets.
And get this: Cher later revealed that Cruise made it into her “top five lovers” list! But if they had such amazing chemistry, what went wrong? Let’s dive into this fascinating love story that could’ve changed Hollywood history.
How Tom Cruise and Cher’s Unlikely Romance Began
Tom Cruise in Risky Business (1983) – Credits: Warner Bros. | Cher in Suspect (1987) – Credits: TriStar Pictures
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So how did these two mega-stars even cross paths? It all started at what was probably the most talked-about wedding of the ’80s: Madonna and Sean Penn’s Malibu ceremony in August 1985. But here’s the twist: their real spark didn’t happen until their second meeting. The magic actually happened at the White House (yes, really!). Cher spilled the tea years later to Daily Mail, explaining,
A bunch of people who were dyslexic were invited to the White House, and Tom and I are both dyslexic. We didn’t go out till way later, but there definitely was a connection there.
Talk about bonding over something personal! At this point, Cruise was still the hungry young actor we’d seen in Risky Business, while Cher was already a seasoned pro who’d conquered both music and movies. But age difference? Totally irrelevant when there’s chemistry! Cher later described Cruise as incredibly shy, sharing how
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he said he felt like such a boob in school and nobody talked to him
(via Cosmopolitan). She even told a sweet story about a dinner date where a waitress from his old school suddenly wanted his attention because he was famous. Sometimes vulnerability is the sexiest thing, right?
The Depth of Their Connection: More Than Just a Fling
Now, before you think this was just some casual Hollywood hookup, think again! When Oprah asked Cher about their “date,” she dropped this bombshell:
That was a long date — I lived in his apartment
(via New York Post). Hold up, she moved in with him? That’s serious relationship territory! During her legendary 2013 appearance on Watch What Happens Live, Cher got super candid about their chemistry. She admitted their relationship was
Pretty hot and heavy for a little minute
and called Cruise “a great guy” and “lovable” (via Page Six). When Andy Cohen asked the million-dollar question about where Cruise ranked among her lovers, Cher didn’t hesitate:
He was in the top five. It’s not a long list. It’s just a good list
(via PEOPLE). Damn, that’s quite the endorsement! What makes this relationship so fascinating is how different their career stages were. Cher was already a legend with decades of experience, while Cruise was still proving himself. Yet they found this incredible connection through their shared struggles with dyslexia and their absolute dedication to their craft.
Cher has consistently gushed about their time together, telling Oprah that Cruise could’ve been a “great big romance” if things had worked out differently. The what-if factor here is just mind-blowing!
The Inevitable End: Why Busy Schedules Destroyed Their Romance
Cher in Burlesque (2010) – Credits: Screen Gems, Sony Pictures Releasing | Tom Cruise in Top Gun (1986) – Credits: Paramount Pictures
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Here’s where the story gets heartbreaking. Despite all that chemistry and genuine affection, their relationship hit a wall that even Hollywood magic couldn’t fix: their insane work schedules. The final blow came when Cruise landed his role in Martin Scorsese’s The Color of Money. Cher explained the exact moment everything fell apart:
It was after ‘Risky Business’ and right before ‘The Color of Money.’ I couldn’t go to Chicago and that was kind of the straw that broke the camel’s back
(via HuffPost). The movie started filming in Chicago in January 1986, just months after their White House encounter in October 1985. Talk about terrible timing!
This wasn’t about falling out of love or some dramatic Hollywood breakup; it was pure logistics. Both were at crucial career moments where compromise seemed impossible. Cher has said they “remained friends” and still speak positively about Cruise, though she admits she’s confused by his later Scientology involvement. As she told the Daily Mail in 2018,
I don’t get what he does, that whole Scientology thing.
Looking back, this relationship represents one of Hollywood’s biggest “what ifs.” If they hadn’t been so career-focused, we might’ve had a completely different timeline where Cher became Mrs. Cruise instead of Mimi Rogers the following year. Sometimes even the strongest connections can’t survive the brutal realities of A-list success.
| Date | Event | Details |
| August 1985 | First Meeting | Met at Madonna and Sean Penn’s wedding in Malibu |
| October 1985 | Real Connection | Bonded at White House event for people with dyslexia |
| Late 1985 | Relationship Begins | Started dating; Cher moved into Cruise’s apartment |
| Early 1986 | The End | Broke up when Cruise had to film The Color of Money in Chicago |
| 1987 | Moving On | Cruise married Mimi Rogers |
| 2008-2013 | Public Reveals | Cher publicly discussed their relationship on talk shows |
What do you think about this surprising Hollywood romance? Could Tom Cruise and Cher have made it work if they’d prioritized love over their careers? Drop your thoughts in the comments below, we’d love to hear your take on one of the ’80s most unexpected love stories!
