Actress Hayley Atwell has finally broken her silence on rumors surrounding her relationship with actor Tom Cruise. Today, at the age of 41, the Marvel Studios star is a costar with the action star in ‘Mission: Impossible: Reckoning Part 1’ (2023). The first reports of the alleged romance between the two began during filming of the feature film in 2020.
Atwell spoke about the rumors in an interview with British newspaper The Independent. She branded the gossip surrounding the topic as “strange” and “dirty” and said she considers Cruise, 19 years her senior, an “uncle”.
2 of 7 Hayley Atwell and Tom Cruise on the set of Mission: Impossible 7 in Rome Photo: Getty Images Hayley Atwell and Tom Cruise on the set of Mission: Impossible 7 in Rome Photo: Getty Images
In recent years, the international press has reported that Cruise and Atwell started dating in 2020 while filming Settlement. They broke up in September 2021 and experienced a revival between May and June 2022.
For example, she accompanied the actor to the launch event of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ (2022) and to matches of the 2021 Wimbledon tennis tournament. They were spotted together at the end of a private session of ‘Mission: Impossible’ 7′ and then exchanged kisses at the film premiere in Australia. However, Atwell is engaged.
3 of 7 Tom Cruise and Hayley Atwell at the 2021 Wimbledon Tennis Tournament Photo: Getty Images Tom Cruise and Hayley Atwell at the 2021 Wimbledon Tennis Tournament Photo: Getty Images
The actress’ engagement to musician Ned Wolfgang Kelly came to light last April when he shared a photo of himself lying in bed with the nowfiancé in a hotel room in the city of Venice. The two would be together for at least a year.
4 of 7 Hayley Atwell in the photo publicizing her engagement Photo: Instagram Hayley Atwell in the photo publicizing her engagement Photo: Instagram
When asked by the Independent what she had to say about her relationship with Cruise, Atwell said, “I would say, ‘Ahhh, there are these weird, nonsensical, kind of dirty, kind of repulsive rumours, I had nothing to do with it.’ ‘ Why do people project or project onto me a relationship with a colleague and boss? It is uncomfortable.”
“When I spoke to him about it, he said to me, ‘I know exactly who you are. I know you. And that’s all that matters. “It doesn’t matter what people think of you if you have integrity and understand your own values.”
5 of 7 Actress Hayley Atwell in a scene from Captain America (2011) Photo: Reproduction Actress Hayley Atwell in a scene from Captain America (2011) Photo: Reproduction
Atwell, interpreter for British agent Peggy Carter in Marvel films, recently composed the cast of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) as Captain Carter, an alternate version of Captain America in a parallel universe.
6 of 7 Tom Cruise and Hayley Atwell exit a private cinema in London’s Soho Photo: Getty Images Tom Cruise and Hayley Atwell exit a private cinema in London’s Soho Photo: Getty Images
Cruise, however, is silent on the rumors surrounding the alleged relationship. It was recently reported that the actor was upset with his boyfriend Lewis Hamilton for being “overtaken” in his efforts to win over singer Shakira.
7 of 7 Shakira and Tom Cruise together at the Miami Formula 1 GP Photo: Getty Shakira and Tom Cruise together at the Miami Formula 1 GP Photo: Getty
The international press reported that the actor was faced with a “wounded ego”. A source close to Cruise told the Chron that the actor believed he and Shakira “had incredible chemistry and took it for granted that the two would start dating soon.”
Watch the trailer for the seventh film in the Mission: Impossible series below: