Maybe Katie’s Not Such A Victim, But Suri Certainly Is

Remember how I wrote this about Katie being a victim of a cult? I’m possibly reneging. According to an interesting new article in New York Magazine breaking down the marriage of what used to be TomKat, Benjamin Wallace theorizes that Katie Holmes wasn’t necessarily brainwashed by Tom Cruise, but instead was brainwashed by fame. One of his theories? Her building.

The building has a privacy-friendly underground garage, but so do dozens of other buildings in the city, and Holmes hasn’t even been taking advantage of it. If she wanted, she could exit the garage in a car with dark windows, and paparazzi would never catch a glimpse of her or Suri. Instead, every day, when she’s left the building for errands or meetings, she has promenaded out to a waiting car, in full view of photographers. Nor, when on foot, has she used the side entrance on 25th Street: She’s been stepping out right into the paparazzi maw for the sake of trivial grocery shopping.

Maybe Katie just doesn’t want to be holed up in a building all day long! It’s possible, okay. Either way, I’d like to personally admit that I got caught up in their split for the same reason we all have. You know, the Stars! Just Like Us! connection? She’s getting a divorce. Just like us! She’s a single mom. Just like us!

Of course it’s possible that she had enough. That she indeed got a whiff of the much-talked about Scientology boat SeaOrg and wanted to call the marriage off. But as Wallace writes, if we dismiss Katie (as all of the tabloids have) as the poor soul who got swept away, or the brainwashed sap or, now, as  the fame hungry bitch, we’re taking away her agency. Meaning: we’re taking away who she is as a person.

So let’s assume Katie Holmes–who was a highly successful actress before marrying Tom Cruise, and to be a successful actress in Hollywood takes a certain kind of type-A aggressive personality no matter what they want you to believe–simply wants out. It’s no longer working for her. The career. The Scientology. Whatever. She’s using the public–just as he does–to create a story line that she wants you to believe.

Okay, so let’s move past the willing and able mother and move onto the 6-year-old daughter, Suri. This girl is being touted and taken about, possibly for the sake of both of her parents. US Magazine’s coverage of another Kate (not Holmes) screamed “LOL! Kate Hudson Gets Caught Up In Tom, Suri Melee!” just last week. Apparently Kate Hudson was staying at the same hotel as Tom Cruise and while paps were waiting for Suri, Kate Hudson fell into the paparazzi trap. Triple LOL!!!

Ugh.

Here’s the real question. Why am I clicking? Why are we all clicking? Mary Elizabeth Williams of Salon pleaded with readers to leave Suri (and Sylvester Stallone’s son, for that matter) alone, writing about the relentless news cycle of gossip and that odd intersection of celebrity children. She writes:

“Compassion,” isn’t a word generally associated with gossip, or contemporary culture in general, come to think of it. It means to share in the suffering of others — rather than wallow in it.”

But can’t we find some compassion as parents to reject this kind of obsessive coverage?

Maybe the first step is with me getting off the Katie is a victim train. The only real victim here is Suri. At least for the time being.

(Image: Ahmad Elatab/Splash/Lainey Gossip)