Tom Cruise rekindles romance with Hayley Atwell – a surprise arrival at Top Gun: Maverick premiere

TOM Cruise has rekindled his romance with Brit Hayley Atwell — a surprise arrival at last night’s Top Gun: Maverick premiere.

Gallant Tom, 59, was on hand to help Kate Middleton navigate steps at the red carpet — and told how similar he was to Prince William.

Sources say Hayley’s last-minute decision to attend the star-studded event in London’s Leicester Square shows how close she and Tom have become again after separating last year.

The Captain America star, 40, stunned in a black, cropped evening gown at the first UK showing of the blockbuster sequel.

A source said: “She’s purely there to support him. It’s a big step for them.”

Kate, 40, wowed in an off-the-shoulder Roland Mouret gown, while William, 39, wore a pair of velvet slipper-style loafers with a blue fighter jet embroidered on the toes — a nod to the new flick.

The follow-up to the 1986 original sees Tom reprise his role as ace pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell.

And the Hollywood A-lister last night spoke of his ties with ex-air ambulance pilot William. Tom said of the royal, who like him was wearing a tuxedo: “We have a lot in common. We both love England, and we’re both aviators, we both love flying.”

Co-stars there last night included Jennifer Connelly who plays Penny Benjamin, and Jon Hamm (Beau “Cyclone” Simpson).

And Tom expressed his delight to be back on the red carpet, saying: “I love what I do, I’ve always enjoyed it and I’m enjoying it even more now. Particularly after the last couple of years, just to have an event like this is extraordinary.”

He and Hayley met on the set of the seventh Mission: Impossible film and started dating in 2020 — becoming Tom’s first long-term relationship since he split from ex-wife Katie Holmes in 2012. 

The Sun revealed they had separated last September and were “just friends”. However they are now in regular contact again.

A source explained: “Things had cooled off but they’re now back in touch quite a lot and appear to be growing closer again.

“It was Tom’s first relationship for a while and he did seem very fond of Hayley. 

“So it isn’t surprising things might not be as over as they first seemed. A bit of time apart has changed everything and brought them closer together in the end.”

Tom’s increasing fondness for Hayley was understood to have been a major factor in his eagerness to settle in the UK long-term.

One scene in the Mission: Impossible film saw Hayley, playing newcomer Grace, handcuffed to Tom’s character Ethan Hunt. But photos also showed the couple holding hands for real in between filming scenes in Rome. At the time a production source said: “Tom and Hayley hit it off from day one.

“Lockdown, and all the difficulties that came with it, brought them even closer and they’ve become fairly inseparable.”

Tom and Hayley’s split was the last in a string of mishaps during a stressful filming schedule.

The Mission: Impossible movie was hampered by delays and shutdowns while Tom was recorded berating crew who failed to adhere to Covid protocols.