Tom Cruise sues magazine for $50 million

Tom Cruise has launched a $50 million (£31 million) defamation lawsuit against US magazine 'Life & Style' over an article which claimed he'd abandoned his daughter Suri following his split with Katie Holmes.

The story was published in July, and featured the headline 'Suri in Tears: Abandoned by Her Dad'.

[Related story: Scientology denies 'bride audition' claims]

Cruise's long-time lawyer Bert Fields called the story 'a disgusting, vicious lie', and filed the suit at the US District Court in Los Angeles.

A statement from Fields read: “Tom doesn't go around suing people. He's not a litigious guy. But when these sleaze peddlers try to make money with disgusting lies about his relationship with his child, you bet he's going to sue.

Referring to the magazine's publisher Bauer Media, Fields added: “These serial defamers are foreign owned companies with their global headquarters in Hamburg. They take money from unsuspecting Americans by selling their malicious garbage.

“Having to pay a libel judgment may slow them down. Tom will undoubtedly give the money to charity. He always has.”

It's the second time this year that Cruise has taken issue with a magazine article surrounding his personal life.

In September, a feature in 'Vanity Fair' which was also decried by Fields claimed that auditions were held by the Church of Scientology to find a partner for the actor following his split with Nicole Kidman, though no legal action followed.

Cruise split with Holmes, his wife of five years, in June.