Tom Cruise's most surprising ex-girlfriends - from Cher to Sofia Vergara

Tom Cruise has had a lot of girlfriends over the years, from his high school sweetheart up to Hayley Atwell. And everyone remembers his most famous partners: Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, and of course Katie Holmes.

However, many don't know that he has dated some pretty surprising characters over the years, such as Cher or Melissa Gilbert from 'Little House on the Prairie.' Even though Cruise tries to keep his private life for the most part, well, private, several of his conquests have spoken up about what it was like dating Tom Cruise. Click on to learn all about Tom Cruise's surprising dating past!

In June 2022, The Sun reported that Tom Cruise (59) and Hayley Atwell (39) were no longer a couple. The pair supposedly started dating in November 2020.

Ok! Magazine reported that the duo had spent a lot of time together at Cruise's apartment in London while filming 'Mission Impossible 7.' A source who spoke to The Sun said, "They really got on well – and they're obviously both very good-looking Hollywood stars so it made for a good match."

Even though the couple ended their romantic relationship, it seems that they plan on staying friends. Another insider told The Sun at the time, "Their filming schedules are very full-on, and Tom has a number of other commitments coming up and is always shooting around by private helicopter and jet so it just ran its course. But they're still happy to work together. It's a shame, but just one of those things. They still get on well."

In 1983, thanks to 'Risky Business,' Tom Cruise was HOT, and everyone wanted a piece of him... well, at least so he thought... According to Heather Locklear's interview in 2013 on 'Chelsea Lately,' the actress didn't find Cruise's dance moves much of a turn-on. Ouch!

In the interview, Locklear gave the dirt on her date with Tom Cruise. The story goes that after a joint audition, the pair really hit it off, so they decided to go out together. Locklear said, "So we went out, and we went dancing." Unfortunately for Tom, that's when Heather Locklear kind of got turned off... when Tom broke out his dance moves!

Heather said, "You know, er, Risky Business where he does that dance in his underwear and does the splits? We were dancing in a club, and he went into that. You just kind of stand there, and you don't know what to do. Do you dance around him? Do you? So, I was like, I'll just sit down." Umm yeah, we can't say we blame her... AWKWARD!!!

After Tom Cruise's break-up with Penelope Cruz, who reportedly ended the relationship with Tom because she was not interested in joining the actor's church, The Church of Scientology, Cruise looked for a new leading lady.

Since Tom is held in very high regard in the Scientology community, the church decided to assist him in his search. Among those on the potential "Mrs. Cruise" list were the up-and-coming actress Sofia Vergara and even Jennifer Garner, according to an article that Andrew Morton, author of 'Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography,' wrote for The New York Post.

Sofia Vergara was a stunning 33-year-old actress, and she had no idea she was being set up with a Hollywood superstar when Will Smith invited her to a pre-Oscar party. Tom Cruise knew she would be attending and quickly swooped in on the actress when she arrived.

According to Andrew Morton's book, 'Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography,' Cruise turned on the charm big time in a campaign to win Sofia over. Morton wrote, "She was dazzled by Tom’s megawatt smile and amused by the blizzard of phone calls, flowers and chocolates that followed their first meeting."

However, the catch with Tom Cruise is that you need to also be into Scientology to be with him. It was this requirement that would send Sofia Vergara running. According to Andrew Morton's book, Tom took Sofia to the Scientology Center to meet church leader David Miscavige, who basically grilled poor Sofia. Morton claims that this was a process to see if Sofia Vergara would be an acceptable third wife for Tom.

Perhaps if Tom Cruise had known that Sofia Vergara was a devout Catholic, he would not have even bothered dating her. Andrew Morton wrote: "She was fundamentally terrified of Scientology," a friend told me. "She sincerely believed that she would be struck down by God and burn in hell if she joined."

Image: meme based on 'Modern Family,' ABC

Sofia Vergara has never really spoken much about her time dating Tom Cruise, and when The Daily Beast asked the actress about it, she said, "Let's keep it that way! I don't want to talk about that!"

Many years ago, when Tom Cruise was still known by his birth name, Tom Mapother, the young, struggling actor dated a very successful actress that we would never associate with Mr. Mission Impossible. Tom Cruise dated Melissa Gilbert, the star of 'Little House on the Prairie'!

Melissa Gilbert played young Laura Ingalls on the feel-good family show, but was hooking up with Tom Cruise at the same time! Gilbert appeared on Bravo's 'Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen' and opened up about the pair's past together.

While on the show, Melissa was asked about the rumor that the pair had dated and if it was true. The actress responded, "That is true. Actually, when I dated him, he was Tom Mapother still. It was when he first moved to Los Angeles, and I think I was 16."

Pictured: Rob Lowe, Melissa Gilbert, Michelle Meyrink and Tom Cruise

When the show's host, Andy Cohen, asked Gilbert for more details about the relationship, Gilbert said, "I did not have sex with him. We made out, but, honestly, there was no sex."

However, Andy Cohen wasn't satisfied and needed more information from Melissa Gilbert. At Cohen's insistence, Gilbert admitted, "He was a good kisser. But you know, he was just like a struggling, starving actor, and I was working. I actually bought him his first set of dishes."

Now, this is by far one of the strangest pairings we have EVER seen in Hollywood - Tom Cruise and Cher! Yes, this is for REAL!!! According to The Daily Mail, Tom Cruise and Cher met in 1985 at Sean Penn and Madonna's wedding.

Pictured: Cher on her way to attend Madonna and Sean Penn's wedding. (Next to her: Josh Donen)

Young Tom Cruise was just 22 years old at the time and only a few years into his acting career, whereas Cher, at 38 years old, was already a massively successful show business veteran.

Pictured: Tom Cruise at Madonna's wedding.

An article written in The Washington Post claims that a spark was struck at the pair's second meeting at a White House event two months after Madonna's wedding.

Pictured: Cher and Tom Cruise at the White House event in 1985.

Cher spoke to the Daily Mail and claimed the spark was instantaneous; however, the pair "didn't go out till way later." Even so, once the duo began to date, things got serious rather quickly, according to Cher. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2008 on the 'Oprah, Cher, Tina' television special, Cher gave the talk show host quite a few details about her relationship with Tom Cruise.

Cher told Oprah, "Oh, that was a long date. I lived in his apartment. So that was long. You know what? He was so wonderful, and I was so crazy about him, and he was so different. He was a shy boy; he didn't have any money."

Pictured: Cher and Tom after one of her concerts in the 2000s.

Later in 2013, during a game of 'Truth of Cher' on 'Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen,' Cher was asked, "Who was your all-time best lover?" Cher bashfully answered a general, "I've had just the greatest lovers ever." However, Andy Cohen wouldn't let Cher off so easy and asked: "Where did Tom Cruise rank on that list?" To which Cher responded, "He was in the top five."
Not too shabby Tom, not too shabby at all!