Dakota Fanning shares touching birthday tradition with Tom Cruise
American actress Dakota Fanning has revealed a heartfelt tradition she shares with Tom Cruise, who sends her a special birthday gift each year. The two first worked together in the 2005 sci-fi film War of the Worlds, where Fanning played Cruise’s daughter.
The origin of the tradition
Fanning explained that the tradition began when she turned twelve. At that age, she was thrilled to finally fit into adult-sized shoes, something Cruise noticed and decided to honor with a thoughtful gift.
“He sends me beautiful shoes, it’s a tradition that started, I think, on my 12th birthday,” Fanning said during her interview on the Today show. “I loved shoes, and I had just started fitting into adult-sized shoes, so I was really excited about it. For that birthday, he gave me shoes, and he’s kept the tradition going for 20 years.”
Keeping it classy
When host Craig Melvin asked what brands Cruise sends, jokingly suggesting “Louis Vuitton? Prada?”, Fanning simply smiled and replied, “Nice.” The star noted that Cruise has continued this kind gesture consistently for two decades, making it a sweet reminder of their long-standing friendship.
Author’s Summary
Fanning’s story highlights a two-decade friendship sustained by Cruise’s annual gift of shoes, a small yet enduring symbol of thoughtfulness and connection.