Dakota Fanning Reveals Special Birthday Tradition with Tom Cruise
Dakota Fanning shared a rare personal story about receiving a special gift from Tom Cruise every year on her birthday. The actors first worked together in the 2005 alien invasion film War of the Worlds, where Fanning played Cruise’s daughter.
The Beginning of a Long-Lasting Tradition
The Uptown Girls star explained that the tradition started when she turned 12. Knowing her love for shoes and her excitement about finally fitting into adult-sized footwear, Tom Cruise began gifting her a new pair of shoes every birthday.
“He sends me beautiful shoes, it’s a tradition that started, I think, on my 12th birthday.”
“I loved shoes, and I just had started fitting into adult-sized shoes, and so I was really excited about it. And so for that birthday he gave me shoes, and he’s kept the tradition going for 20 years.”
Details from the Interview
During an interview on the Today show, Fanning revealed this unique gift practice continues to this day. When host Craig Melvin asked if Cruise gifts her designer shoes like “Louis Vuitton” or “Prada,” she responded simply:
“Nice.”
Summary
For two decades, Tom Cruise has celebrated Dakota Fanning’s birthday with a thoughtful tradition of gifting her shoes, highlighting their enduring friendship and his attention to her interests.