Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes: a relationship played out in front of the cameras

© ARMANI / HANOUT/EPA/SIPA

How they met
Tom and Katie met in 2005 and had the mother of all whirlwind romances - they moved in together after just a few months. Katie broke off her angegement to her Dawson's Creek co-star Chris Klein, Tom proclaimed his love for her to anyone who was willing to listen, and they weren't shy about showing their passion for each other on the red carpet either...     

Secrets 
The couple have a stormy relationship with the media, with many crying publicity stunt and overexposure, but the amount of tabloid inches dedicated to them shows no signs of diminishing. The tabloids dubbed their relationship a publicity stunt, aimed at promoting The War of the Worlds (the beginning of their high-profile courtship coincided with the promotion of Tom's film). And with a 16-year age gap, many thought Tom was controlling Katie and forcing his controversial Scientology beliefs onto her. Incredibly, even after the birth of their baby daughter Suri on 18th April last year, rumours were circulating that Suri didn't exist, that Suri was Chris Klein's baby, that Katie had to endure a silent Scientology birth, that she was being kept prisoner by Tom, that she was forced to convert to Scientology...Tom and Katie kept the weekly magazines waiting with baited breath for the first photos of their baby, eventually selling the rights to Vanity Fair 4 months after she was born. And with parents like Tom and Katie, Suri is, unsuprisingly, the cutest baby in the world (Shiloh included), with her big blue eyes and dark hair.       

Why they're so in love
A true Hollywood couple, Tom and Katie are in love and don't care who knows it. Remember that incident when Tom jumped up and down on Oprah Winfrey's sofa proclaiming his love for Katie in front of millions of TV viewers? Smitten, yes. Cheesy, perhaps. Overexposed, definitely. But there's no denying that Tom and Katie's big fat Italian wedding was the celeb event of the year. Tom finally married Katie, after months of speculation, on 18th November at a medieval castle in Bracciano. Guests included Jennifer Lopez, Will Smith, Victoria and David Beckham and Jim Carrey, and the lavish affair is reported to have cost $2.5 million.

Love 'em or loathe 'em, there's no doubt the Cruises make one beautiful couple.