Suri Cruise

She may or may not be voicing Knut the polar bear in a new movie about the ursine specimen, but Suri Cruise looks destined to be an entertainer.

Not only is the 21-month-old a fan of the Spice Girls, but according to mother Katie Holmes, she has also become a fan of American Idol.

Holmes â€" who is getting panned by critics for her comedy Mad Money â€" told Ryan Seacrest about Suri's American Idol passion on his radio show.

When Seacrest said he could probably hook the Cruise clan up with some tickets, the soft-spoken Holmes said, "I would be very grateful."

Holmes did not comment on whether Suri believes current Idol hopefuls Kady Malloy, Kristy Lee Cook and Carly Hennessy are all ringers.

Maybe Suri Cruise will audition for American Idol herself one day.

For now, Katie has her hands full with baby Suri, who is "is growing fast and talking more and more. I am constantly surprised."

She probably felt the same way about that Tom Cruise Scientology video.

Katie Holmes appeared on Good Morning America this morning. She was there to promote her new movie, Mad Money.

But Mrs. Tom Cruise couldn't help but gush about Suri Cruise, as well:

On Suri growing up so fast: "Now she's talking all the time. So she's saying, ‘Who's that? Who's that?' We were at FAO Schwartz last night. We got in, running around, eating ice cream and playing with all of the toys. And Tom and I were playing with a lot of the toys ourselves. It's fun for adults. You get carried away."

On starring in Mad Money: ""I love, you know, working with a female director. A movie with all of these women. The three of us really got to know each other in the hair and makeup trailer. We had about 2½ hours every morning. We talked about movies, fashion, motherhood, designing. We listened to Queen Latifah's new album ['The Sisterhood']."

Some people just beg for nine-figure lawsuits.

New assertions that Tom Cruise has risen to the second-in-command of the Church of Scientology and that some believe Suri Cruise is the product of a sperm donation from Scientology's late founder L. Ron Hubbard are among the bizarre claims author Andrew Morton makes in "Tom Cruise, An Unauthorized Biography."

The book, set for publication in the U.S. on January 15, also claims Tom Cruise's next mission is to recruit David and Victoria Beckham into the church, and that the church threatened to blackmail Nicole Kidman by revealing graphic details of her sex life with Cruise if she spoke out about Scientology after their divorce.

According to the UK's Daily Mail, Morton says Cruise's staff is all scientologists vetted and hired by the church, and Scientology leader David Miscavige ordered staff to plant a field of wildflowers at a Scientology base after Cruise confided in him his fantasy to run through a field of flowers with Katie Holmes.

The new book also alleges that Scientology officials exert enormous influence over Tom Cruise's personal relationships and career decisions, and says that although it is not officially stated anywhere, Cruise is the de-facto second-in-command of the entire Church of Scientology, its #2 behind Miscavige.

But the most shocking claim in the book, according to the Daily Mail, is Morton's preposterous account of how little Suri Cruise, 20 months, was conceived.

Morton compares Suri Cruise's conception to the horror film Rosemary's Baby and claims that members of a "fanatical" sect of Scientologists known as "Sea Org." believe Katie Holmes was impregnated not by Cruise, but with a sperm donation from dead Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.

Tom Cruise's longtime attorney, the Hollywood power lawyer Bert Fields, has vehemently denied the book's claims, calling it a "pack of lies."

"It's a boring, poorly researched book by a man who never talked to anyone involved in Tom Cruise's life or anyone close to him," Fields said.

Morton is best known for his 1992 expose about Princess Diana. His bio of Cruise is not being published in the United Kingdom, interestingly, due in part to the U.K.'s libel laws, which are considered stricter than U.S. laws.

So it's no surprise that Hollywood is now interested in turning Knut's life into an animated feature - starring one of his most famous visitors.

Last year, Katie Holmes visited Knut with daughter Suri Cruise, while Annie Leibovitz - who took Suri's first pictures - photographed Knut for Vanity Fair.

According to German newspaper B.Z., producer Ash R. Shah and his production firm, The Animation Picture Company, have offered $5 million for the rights to Knut's life story. And he's already thought about a potential star.

"I am envisioning the heartwarming relationship between Knut and his caretaker, Thomas Doerflein, at the center of the movie," Shah said.

"Suri Cruise could speak the English voice of Knut."

A movie producer sees a fit with Suri Cruise and polar bear Knut, both adorable critters born in 2006. Suri will have to learn to talk before voicing Knut, of course.

The would-be producer went on to discuss Knut's appeal.

"With his friendly character, he's serves as an ambassador for the Earth's growing problems - climate change and the melting polar ice caps. A movie about Knut would affect people all over the world," Shah told the paper.

Heiner Klös, the curator at the Zoo Berlin, confirmed that the $5M request was received, but he didn't like that the press was already involved.

"We received the offer and we are giving it due consideration," he said. "When we have come to a decision, then we will handle the matter discreetly."

Suri Cruise had no immediate comment.

Hey, you gotta beat the crowds.

The Hollywood Gossip Celebrity of the Year finalist Suri Curise decided to go shopping this weekend, and dragged along her usual baggage - her mom Katie Holmes, who has recently been noted for adopting Suri's bob hairstyle.

Then again, when you've got the cutest celebrity baby on the planet, why not try to ride her coattails a little! We're eagerly awaiting Suri's major movie debut...

Suri Cruise with Kate, as Tom Cruise calls Holmes, shoppin' 'til they drop.

Mom and daughter hit the Grove shopping center in Hollywood, Calif., where they scored some goods at (fittingly) Pottery Barn Kids on December 7.

As 2007 draws to a close, it's time to reflect and pay tribute to the stars who made this a year to remember. On that note, The Hollywood Gossip is announcing its 10 finalists for its first annual Celebrity of the Year award.

They've given us their best, their worst and, in a more than a few cases, their naked pictures. Now it is time for us to give a little something back with this special feature, because without these celebrities, we are nothing.

Without further delay, we present Celebrity of the Year finalist #10 ... Suri Cruise!

Perhaps the world's most famous celebrity baby, Suri Cruise inspired fascination ever since being born into this cruel world - and shrouded in mystery - in 2006. But she really came into her own in '07 ... and not just because she can walk now!

Despite massive attention given to her uber-famous parents, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes (aka TomKat), Suri has stayed relatively free of the limelight and is growing up fast - into what appears to be a very happy, effervescent little girl!

Preppy and wide-eyed, Suri Cruise looks up at her folks.

When she's not dabbling in Scientology, taking in Spice Girls concerts or hanging out with friends like Romeo Beckham, Suri engages in typical 1-year-old activities such as napping a lot. Jet-setting around Europe really tires her out!

Suffice it to say, Suri Cruise not only completes TomKat (to borrow a classic Jerry Maguire quote) she completes us here at The Hollywood Gossip. And we have a feeling the youngest of our Celebrity of the Year finalists is just getting started!

Celebrity baby extraordinaire Suri Cruise spiced up her life, if you will, taking in a private concert with the recently reunited Spice Girls.

Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes and their one-and-a-half-year-old daughter took in a show with the group during a surprise visit in L.A. as they rehearsed.

According to the Spice Girls' official website:

"Tom and Katie enjoyed an impromptu audience with the girls and were treated to an exclusive performance, while [Suri Cruise] danced along to the music."

The TomKat clan at a Spice Girls rehearsal: Very cute stuff.

Said Holmes' pal, Victoria Beckham, a.k.a. Posh Spice:

"[My husband David Beckham] and I are great friends with Tom and Katie. It was lovely of them to come down to rehearsals, a nice surprise. Katie has told me that she used to be a big Spice fan, so it was great for her to meet the other girls."

No word on whether the whole TomKat clan went over to peep the sub-par Dancing with the Stars after the Spice Girls rehearsal.

This photo is from a little ways back, but we couldn't resist. How cute is Suri Cruise? And would you believe her friend here is Romeo Beckham (a brother of Brooklyn and Cruz Beckham and son of Victoria and David Beckham)?

We sure do love us some Suri Cruise. She'd probably be our favorite celebrity baby of them all. As for the lady in this photo, that's Katie Holmes, of course.

Her new movie, Mad Money, Holmes is hardly the picture of perfect family life. She plays a free-spirited woman, Jackie, opposite Queen Latifah.

We think TomKat is bonkers just like everyone else, but we have to admit, we love us some Suri Cruise. She's one of our favorite celebrity babies!

We also love (or at least respect) the fact that Suri Cruise pics come up relatively infrequently compared to, say, Jayden James. People love bashing the beliefs of this Hollywood family, but its priorities definitely seem to be in line when it comes to Suri Cruise and whatever privacy they can give her.

After spending four months in Berlin, where Tom Cruise was shooting his new movie Valkyrie, the TomKat clan returned to the states late last week. Peep it...

TomKat: Back in the United States of Scientology America and loving it.

Sources say that Tom Cruise is planning on returning to Berlin on October 24, possibly along with Katie Holmes, for a screening of the Robert Redford drama Lions for Lambs, in which he stars along with Redford and Meryl Streep.

Suri Cruise is pumped up.

Look at her arms raised triumphantly on the latest cover of Us Weekly. What does she have to be happy about? The fact that her parents actually keep her shielded from the press a lot of the time (unlike, say, Jayden James)?

Well, there's no question that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' adorable little daughter leads a charmed existence. But just how big a role does TomKat's controversial religion play in the life of Suri Cruise on a daily basis?

Suri Cruise - who was fed a mixture of barley water, milk and corn syrup instead of formula and breast milk - is too young for classes at the Scientology Centre, but the 18-month-old is constantly surrounded by believers, including her nannies.

Additionally, Katie Holmes, 29, and Tom Cruise, 45, reportedly have a hard time saying no to little Suri Cruise. But it's not simply because they're pushovers.

"It's all about being positive and supportive," says a friend. Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard advises parents to "try to be a child's friend." As for discipline, one former member tells Us that Scientologists do not scold their children, but rather explain that bad behavior is the "wrong action."

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, says their pal, are lenient and do not like to give Suri Cruise too many rules: "Suri pretty much does whatever she wants, whenever she wants. If she fusses before bed, they let her stay up later. If they want her to go swimming and she cries, they take her out. If she whines about food, they'll ask what else she wants to eat. They always want to please her."

In other words, they're pretty standard parents. Who would have guessed.