The Official Tom Cruise/David Beckham Bromance Timeline

The two superstars had a very public and very endearing bromance after they first met in 2003.

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After Katie Holmes filed for divorce from Tom Cruise last week, everyone speculated about the reasons for the split. A blind item about a “celebrity couple” is widely assumed to be about Cruise’s relationship with David Beckham:

This celebrity couple is close to a final agreement over how everything – including the child/ren – is going to be divided in the divorce. However, the wife’s legal team is having her keep one chip in her pocket for the divorce trial. If the husband’s team tries any last-minute maneuvering, the wife is not afraid to reveal an incident where she (along with their child/ren) caught her husband in bed with a family friend of theirs. The friend is a professional athlete. In case you’ve been wondering why the couples rarely get together for more than an hour and a photo op – this is the reason.

We wondered whether the evidence — such as it is — would bear out these assumptions. Here’s what we found.

2. 2003: Their Budding Bromance

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How or where Tom Cruise and David Beckham met is a bit of a mystery. One possible link is Penelope Cruz, whom Tom was dating at the time. The pair were in the U.K. to promote Cruise’s film The Last Samurai, which could have provided ample opportunity for an encounter with the footballer.

But after Beckham flew Cruise to Spain to watch him play in a Real Madrid game in the summer of 2004 it was clear that the two had become fast friends.

It should be noted that the pair wasn’t photographed together early in the relationship. (The two are seen above in 2008 in New York City.)

3. February 2005: Beckham Names His Son After Cruise

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In Grant Wahl’s 2009 book The Beckham Experiment, it was revealed that Becks named his third and youngest son, Cruz, after Tom.

“I must admit, when we met Tom, I remember turning around to Victoria and saying ‘Cruise is a great name, but we could spell it different,’” Beckham told [Grant].

(Above, Beckham pictured with his son Cruz during a day of shopping in LA.)

4. November 2006: Cruise’s Wedding to Holmes

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Towards the end of Beckham’s stint with Real Madrid, Tom and Katie married in Rome. Becks and Posh were invited to the event and spotted arriving in Italy prior to the wedding — though David could not attend the ceremony due to prior commitments with his soccer team.

Becks and Posh were photographed pulling up to the luxury hotel Hassler Roma where the couple stayed on November 17, 2006. The couple’s presence added to the media frenzy surrounding TomKat’s wedding.

This is first significant outing for the two couples and the beginning of the media’s love affair with spotting them together.

5. April 2007: The Beckhams Move Closer to the Cruises

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When David signed with the LA Galaxy soccer team, he confided in Tom about the decision. According to The Beckham Experiment, Beckham asked Tom “certain things about living in L.A. and what the experience could be like.” The advice was influential in swaying David to sign with the team and move his family stateside.

The move to Los Angeles also caused a media frenzy as the friends became closer. It was widely reported that Posh and Becks bought a home just five minutes away from Tom and Katie. She’s seen above giving a tour of their new home to TomKat.

6. July 2007: The Two Couples Mix Business With Pleasure

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Shortly after his arrival in the U.S., Becks signed with CAA and hired Rogers & Cowan to handle his public relations. These were the same companies that represented TomKat at the time. According to The Beckham Experiment, Becks even hired Tom’s physical therapist to work extra hours with him at home.

TomKat (along with Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith, pictured above) hosted a welcome party for Posh and David. The Hollywood event cemented the two couples as “It BFF’s” and the four were photographed everywhere together in the following year.

7. 2008: The Honeymoon Period

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The following year, Tom and Katie became regular staples at the L.A. Galaxy games, sitting with Posh in the stands. Becks would attend Tom’s film premieres. TomKat hosted the couple at their home in Telluride, Colorado. The four spent Thanksgiving together in New York City. Becks, Posh and Tom were spotted (above) leaving Tom’s apartment for Katie’s Broadway debut in All My Sons. All of this documented by the press, which could not get enough of spotting the foursome spending time together.

8. July 2009: The Relationship Cools

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The bromance seemed to have peaked in 2008. The following year, Tom and Becks were hardly spotted together. TomKat still attended L.A. Galaxy games, as seen above during a July 2009 match with Milan. But there are very few photos of the two couples taken outside the soccer arena from this point forward — they didn’t seem to be socializing together anymore.

In September of 2009, Tom began production on Knight & Day — his return to the big screen after a few years spent hanging out with Becks, Posh and Katie. Meanwhile, David was loaned to Milan, where he temporarily moved shortly after the end of Galaxy’s regular season. Outside of a few career shifts that drew the men physically apart, it’s unclear why the friendship suddenly became quiet.

9. 2010: The Separation Seems Permanent

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During the entirety of 2010, Becks and Cruise were not photographed together in public, and neither commented on their friendship. Katie and Posh weren’t even seen together. Whether strategic or not, the situation at that time seemed icy.

10. March 2011: A Chance Encounter

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After not being photographed together in nearly two years, Tom and Becks bumped into each at a Lakers basketball game. Both appeared to be on father-son outings and their greeting was friendly but muted.

It was the only time the two had been spotted together since 2009.

However, Tom still displayed his affections from afar. During a press tour for Mission Impossible — Ghost Protocol, he told reporters he’d love to turn Becks into an action star.

11. February 2012: Their Final Meeting

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The last time TomKat and Becks and Posh were photographed together was in 2012 at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party. Posh wore her typical scowl for the media and embraced Katie, but David looked a little caught off guard by the camera and/or the run-in with Tom.

Becks and Posh have yet to comment on Katie’s divorce from Tom but it’s doubtful they’ll get into the fray. The blind item was enough to get people talking about their relationship and what may have caused David’s distance from Tom. The question now, is who will get the footballer and his wife in the split?