Tom Cruise to File for Divorce After Letting Katie Holmes "Play the Media" First

Tom Cruise has remained conspicuously silent throughout the mania surrounding his divorce from Katie Holmes, but that doesn't mean he isn't mapping out a legal game plan.
The star's lawyer, Bert Fields, has confirmed to the BBC that the 50-year-old is planning to file for divorce but, for the moment, has opted to let his estranged ex "play the media" before making any moves.
MORE: Inside Katie Holmes' New NYC Apartment!
"Tactically we can't say where Tom will file a divorce case and if he'll be seeking joint custody of Suri," Fields said.
He added that they've decided to let Holmes take the spotlight first before filing their own counter divorce case.
"We are letting 'the other side' play the media until they wear everyone out," Fields explained, "and then we'll have something to say."
Although it appears the couple could be gearing up for a contentious battle, with custody for 6-year-old Suri front and center, Fields reiterated that Cruise is disheartened by the turn of events.
"It's not Tom's style to do this publicly," Fields said. "He is really sad about what's happening."

Holmes, 33, filed for divorce on June 28 in New York City and is seeking sole custody of Suri. Speculation has been mounting that Cruise could file a counter divorce case in California and seek joint custody, but, per the BBC, Fields wouldn't confirm those reports.
The opening salvo for their legal showdown comes on July 17, when Holmes is set to appear in front of a family court judge in New York City for an order-to-show-cause hearing, allowing her to request a speedy temporary order before Cruise's legal team has a chance to respond.
In the meantime, Holmes has decamped to a posh downtown Manhattan apartment with Suri, and the two have been spotted out and about the city with pals.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes to Divorce; Actress Files For Sole Custody of Suri

Now that's a celebrity breakup we did not see coming today. After more than five years of marriage, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are getting a divorce.
While many of us were skeptical when they first got together and Tom was proclaiming his love for her on Oprah's couch, the divorce still comes out of left field.
"This is a personal and private matter for Katie and her family," says Holmes' attorney Jonathan Wolfe, confirming the TomKat split Friday.
"Katie's primary concern remains, as it always has been, her daughter's best interest."

After a relatively brief courtship, the Rock of Ages star, 49, married the former Dawson's Creek star Holmes, 33, in an Italian castle in 2006.
They have one daughter, six-year-old Suri.
No reason was given for the impending Tom Cruise-Katie Holmes divorce, but the couple has not been seen in public together since February.
This was Holmes' first marriage and the third for Cruise, who previously was married to Nicole Kidman, with whom he has two adopted children, and Mimi Rogers.
It is unclear if divorce papers have formally been filed, but Tom and Katie are believed to have a prenuptial agreement, and are worth at least $275 million.
Obviously, Tom's earnings comprise the bulk of that, but Kate will no doubt receive a significant settlement. Here's wishing both the best in this tough time.
UPDATE, 2:11 EDT: Katie filed for divorce in New York on June 28, citing the catch-all "irreconcilable differences." She makes no mention of the prenup.
She is asking for sole legal custody and "primary residential custody" of Suri and for a "suitable amount" of child support, plus a division of property.
According to TMZ, Tom "did not see this coming" and there is some "nastiness" going on here, as evidenced by Katie's move to get sole legal custody.