Katie Holmes Foreshadowed Tom Cruise Split in Magazine Interview

A week ago, Katie Holmes filed for divorce from Tom Cruise, allegedly blindsiding the actor after five years of marriage.

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But it wasn't a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing.

In THR's report on Holmes' flight from her marriage -- and Cruise's controversial religion, Scientology -- experts weighed in her seemingly sudden exit. Karen De La Carriere, who was once one of the most powerful executives in Scientology, said "she had to have planned this very carefully, right down to using disposable cell phones and laptops to throw people off her trail. It had to have been a very cloak-and-dagger operation."

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And in a interview with Elle magazine that took place six weeks before her divorce filing in New York City, Holmes might have hinted at what was to come.

"He has been Tom Cruise for 30 years," she says in the publication's August issue. "I know who I am and where I am and where I want to go, so I want to focus on that."

Holmes, who hooked up with Cruise during a whirlwind, couch-jumping courtship when she was 26, feels differently about life at age 33.

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"It's like you’re trying too hard to figure everything out," she says of her 20s, adding: "I definitely feel much more comfortable in my own skin. I feel sexier. I'm starting to come into my own. It's like a new phase."

By the look of photos of Holmes and daughter Suri, 6, out and about in NYC this holiday week, the former Dawson's Creek actress is making this transition with a smile on her face.

At the same time, a custody battle over the little girl looms: while Holmes seeks sole custody amid indications she doesn’t want her daughter raised a Scientologist, Cruise -- who turned 50 on Tuesday -- is said to be taking action to move the case to California, where he'll request joint custody of Suri.

Twitter: @ErinLCarlson

Email: erin.carlson@thr.com