Tom Cruise split from his Russian socialite girlfriend in order to avoid issues with her outspoken oligarch ex, a source tells Page Six.
Following news that Cruise and Elsina Khayrova were dating, her ex-husband — the colorful international diamond trader, Dmitry Tsvetkov — gave a long interview to the Daily Mail detailing their marriage and warning Cruise to “keep his eyes and wallet wide open.”
A source tells us that the article worried the very private star’s team.
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Elsina Khayrova / Instagram
“He’s filming and can’t be shooting and have her husband saying stuff every time he is mentioned in the press,” a source told us. “They just didn’t want to deal with the ex husband coming up with something nasty to say every few weeks.”
Tsetkov — who reportedly prefers the term “tycoon” over oligarch — also somewhat unusually continuously fanned over Cruise during the interview, calling him his “favorite actor,” stating he has seen “Eyes Wide Shut” a whopping 30 times (and also loves “Rain Man” and “The Firm”), and added that he talked with a Hollywood producer pal about having Cruise play him in a movie about his life.
“I told the producer that the only actor who could play me is Tom Cruise,” quipped Tsetkov to the UK outlet. “We’re about the same height and weight and I would be honored if that could happen. I couldn’t think of anyone better to play me than Tom. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to meet him one day to discuss this project.”
Cruise has been making headlines as he currently films his eighth “Mission: Impossible” movie. The actor, 61, who known for doing his own stunts, was most recently seen sprinting through London for a scene.
elsina_k/Instagram
The Sun reported that Cruise and Khayrova had split in late February with a source telling the outlet, “There are no hard feelings between them and, for Tom, their relationship simply ran its course.”
The wealthy Russian socialite is the daughter of a Vladamir Putin ally, Russian politician Rinat Khayrova.
Tsetkov, who has British citizenship and was reportedly on the Kremlin’s most wanted list in 2020, claims to have survived assassination attempts.
In the Daily Mail article, he also said he spent over $12 million on clothes and approximately $2.5 million on handbags for his ex during their 11 year marriage. He also claimed he lost nearly $200 million in the divorce.
Their split made international headlines as millions were in dispute, including a mansion in Surrey, England, five London apartments, a Bentley and a Ferrari, plus Cartier jewelry and artwork by Renoir and Chagall.
“Irrespective of whoever she’s with, Tom Cruise or anybody else, they should be aware that she likes the finer things in life and has expensive and luxurious tastes,” he told the publication.