How Ana de Armas and Tom Cruise’s ‘Working Relationship’ Turned to ‘Flirty Attraction’

THE RUNDOWN

• Tom Cruise and Ana de Armas were seen holding hands.
• The pair started out with a working relationship, but it became something more.
• Sources say Cruise finds her “incredibly smart and beautiful.”

Rumors that Tom Cruise and Ana de Armas might be dating swirled for months after they were seen together in London and then on a yacht off the coast of Spain. Sources maintained that the pair were simply working on various projects together, but at the end of July they were photographed holding hands.

A source speaking to Entertainment Tonight this week says that there was truth to the story that Cruise and de Armas shared a “working relationship,” however “their connection grew stronger.”

“Over time, it became clear that what they have goes beyond just friendship or a working relationship,” the source explained, saying they were working on projects together, especially the upcoming thriller, Deeper. Spending time together led to something more.

⁠“Tom thinks she’s incredibly smart and beautiful. Ana has always enjoyed their time together and the flirty attraction between them,” the insider added.

Other sources have hinted at a deepening relationship leading up to their hand holding reveal.

On May 14, a source told Us Weekly that Cruise was “super smitten” with de Armas and had “developed” feelings for her.

“They’ve gone out on some dates, and it’s very low-key,” the source claimed. “It’s in the early stages, and he’s been courting her.”

A source told People on July 18 that de Armas was single, though it had been rumored that she was dating Manuel Anido Cuesta, the stepson of Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez. That same day, another insider described de Armas’s connection with Cruise.

“[They] have a special work relationship,” the source said. “Tom is crazy hardworking, and she’s very excited to work with him. She calls it an opportunity of a lifetime.”

The source added that as she has been preparing for Deeper, Cruise has been “an incredible mentor to Ana. She has nothing but amazing things to say about him.”