Tom Cruise to Sue Tabloid over "House of Horrors"

The Tom Cruise - Katie Holmes divorce was the talk of the town. But now Tom Cruise has other issue to tackle with. Tom has threatened to sue tabloid the National Enquirer for a cover story that brands him an "abusive monster". "THE ABUSE - PUNISHMENTS - HUMILIATION...Katie's tortured life exposed," reads the cover.

The legal threat comes after Cruise's shock split from wife Katie Holmes less than two weeks ago. The tabloid, emblazoned with a bold "Inside Tom's House of Horrors!" cover headline, claimed Holmes endured a "tortured life" of punishments and humiliation with a controlling, abusive Cruise.

The Enquirer also said the couple's six year old daughter Suri was forced to live in a small, windowless room for six months. An outraged Cruise had his lawyer Bert Fields fire off a letter blasting the "disgraceful and lurid" story to Enquirer publisher American Media, The Hollywood Reporter has reported.

Cruise is demanding the Enquirer retract the story and it's "lies" which his lawyer says will cost the actor hundreds of millions of dollars of professional and personal damages. "Mr. Cruise is certainly not a "monster." He is a caring father, a hardworking actor and, above all, an honest, decent man," the letter said, adding that Suri slept in a nursery - with a window - adjoining the couple's bedroom.

Cruise has been dogged by rabid speculation over his personal life, especially over his devotion to Scientology, ever since Katie Holmes blindsided him by filling for a divorce. Holmes was given sole custody of their daughter this week, in a move widely seen as an attempt to stop details of Cruise's private life being dragged though the media.

Nicole Kidman helped Katie Holmes "Escape" Her Marriage

The Katie Holmes - Tom Cruise split have been the headline the past few days. New circulating the net about how Katie Holmes "escaped" a marriage apparently going nowhere - and the strange religion so associated with Tom Cruise. 

But the new talk in town is that Katie Holmes got a little help, from an unlikely person, a person that was once very close to Tom Cruise. That person is Tom Cruise's ex, Nicole Kidman. It appears now the Aussie actress helped Katie Holmes in her plot to leave Tom Cruise and the church he ascribes to. That's no small feat, considering Scientology is notorious for payback. Stories abound of parents being cut off from children, defectors being tailed by Scientology goons etc. 

"They've spoken over the last few weeks, " a source said, on the heels of that quickie divorce. The timing lines right up, considering that the couple went official with their split June 29. "Nicole has been supportive, saying she's been through it too and to hang in there," the confidante continues. Holmes may have used a disposable cellphone to secretly phone Kidman, Cruise's second wife.

According to reports the 33 year old mom of 6 year old Suri used throwaway mobiles to plot the divorce. That way, Holmes allegedly went undetected by Cruise and Co. It worked, as insiders have widely reported that Cruise was blindsided by Katie leaving him. There's been no "ex-hating" here from the start. Apparently, Homes has been chummy with Kidman since 2006 - the year Katie took the dive with Cruise. "She has been a private friend not many people know about," the insider said.