Dakota Fanning, 30, Reveals a Sweet Reason Why Tom Cruise Sends Her a Birthday Gift Every Year

Throughout her more than 20 years career, Dakota Fanning has collaborated with numerous esteemed Hollywood actors. Fanning opened up about her experiences working with such actors as Denzel Washington and Robert Pattinson. Among the many anecdotes she shared, one of the most heartwarming was about her time working with Tom Cruise in 2005’s War of the Worlds.

Tom Cruise gifted Dakota Fanning her first cell phone.

Fanning revealed that Cruise, whom she considers a lifelong friend, has been sending her a birthday gift every year since 2005. In a recent interview for Harper’s Bazaar Fanning shared that her first mobile phone came as a present from Tom Cruise. The actress revealed that her co-star in War of the Worlds gave her a Motorola Razr for her 11th birthday.

“Oh, my God, I was so excited,” she recalled this moment. However, Fanning admitted it might not have been the most practical gift, confessing that she didn’t have anybody to call or text at that time. “You know, I was 11,” she quipped, before adding, “But I loved having it. I loved it. I felt so cool.”

And the gifts didn’t stop at the iconic flip phone.

When Fanning joined Andy Cohen on the engaging show, Watch What Happens Live, she fondly revealed that Cruise didn’t stop his funny tradition. “He has sent me a birthday gift every year since I was 11 years old,” she disclosed, “Beautiful gifts.”

Now, more than a decade later, Fanning sometimes wonders if it will stop. “I always think, ’Oh, when I’m 18, he’ll probably stop. Oh, 21, he’ll stop.’ But every year. It’s really kind.”

Of course, Cohen asked Fanning to divulge what these “beautiful gifts” were, and surprisingly enough, the answer was fairly sensible, with Fanning revealing that “It’s usually shoes.”

It was not the only gift Dakota received from a Hollywood celebrity.

Dakota Fanning shared memories about a gift she got from her Dreamer co-star Kurt Russell. “Kurt Russell gave me a horse,” she said.

Reflecting on her experiences working with big names like Cruise and Russell since childhood, she mentioned that she didn’t feel intimidated, “Because I grew up familiar with being around people who would be considered ’intimidating’ kind of, I think it might’ve numbed that side of me a little. When you’re 8 years old, you’re sort of just getting to know a person as a person and not thinking about all of the other stuff, you know?”

Fans urge Tom Cruise to get anti-aging procedures, as he is deemed unrecognizable at 61. Click here to see photos.

My Husband Said ‘My Win, My Money’ despite the Fact That I Pay All the Bills – Turned Pale Coming Home One Day

I thought my husband and I were on the same page, but when he suddenly won a lot of money, he changed towards me. I decided to teach him a valuable lesson about what partnership and marriage mean!

A woman watching a man celebrate by throwing money in the air | Source: Pexels

A woman watching a man celebrate by throwing money in the air | Source: Pexels

John and I, Emma, have been married for two years. I earn more than him, which means I cover all our expenses, including the rent for our house, groceries, and other major bills.

This generally means I deny myself a lot of things, like new clothes or study courses that I really wanted to attend, so we can get by, and John pays for almost nothing.

A woman waving her card while looking at a laptop with her partner | Source: Pexels

A woman waving her card while looking at a laptop with her partner | Source: Pexels

On top of that, my husband likes playing the lottery, and we had this deal where I’d chip in $20 weekly for his hobby, thinking it was a fun little support thing. However, he recently actually won big, like $50,000 big!

A man holding lottery tickets | Source: Flickr

A man holding lottery tickets | Source: Flickr

Since I’ve long desired to pursue acting courses that I couldn’t afford before, I mentioned how he could give me about $1,500 from his winnings to make my little dream come true.

A man sitting in front of a laptop counting money | Source: Pexels

A man sitting in front of a laptop counting money | Source: Pexels

But his laughter filled the room, a sound that once brought me joy now twisted into a melody of mockery. My heart shattered into pieces like a broken vase when I heard him say:

“Emma, darling, you must be joking. My win, my money. Surely, you can’t think you’re entitled to a penny of it?”

A man insisting on something during a disagreement with a woman | Source: Pexels

A man insisting on something during a disagreement with a woman | Source: Pexels

The hurt from his words cut deeper than I expected. “John, it’s not about entitlement. It’s about us, about supporting each other as partners. I’ve supported us for so long, denying myself the smallest luxuries while paying for everything. Is it so wrong to ask for this one thing?”

His face hardened, the joviality replaced by a cold detachment. “Support, Emma? That was your choice. This win is mine. I don’t see why I should have to spend it on your whims.”

An angry woman shouting and gesturing with her hands | Source: Pixabay

An angry woman shouting and gesturing with her hands | Source: Pixabay

I stood there, hurt by his words, disbelief mingling with a rising fury. “WHIMS? John, for two years, every cent I’ve earned has gone into this life, our home. And now, when fortune finally smiles on us, you call my dreams whims?”

The silence that followed was oppressive, a tangible force that seemed to push us further apart. His next words were a whisper, yet they landed like a blow.

“If you can’t understand that, maybe we’re not on the same page after all.”

A man insisting on something during a disagreement with a woman | Source: Pexels

A man insisting on something during a disagreement with a woman | Source: Pexels

It was a declaration of war, a line drawn in the sand. The days that followed were a tense ceasefire, each of us retreating into our corners, nursing wounds, and resentment.

The day he left to visit his brother, something in me snapped, and I eventually decided, “Oh, so we’ll play by your rules.” I decided to teach him an important lesson by taking advantage of his absence.

The house, once a symbol of our shared life, now felt like a prison of my own making. And so, I freed myself, taking every piece of it I could claim as my own.

A woman smiling while surrounded by boxes | Source: Pexels

A woman smiling while surrounded by boxes | Source: Pexels

When he came home in the evening and opened the door, I literally saw his face turn pale when he realized that all the things I bought for our house had disappeared somewhere!

He dropped everything he had in his hands, and you could see the shock coursing through him when I implemented my plan and he saw the hall!

“What is this, Emma?! Where is everything?”

A man reacting in shock | Source: Pexels

A man reacting in shock | Source: Pexels

I faced him, the weight of my decision grounding me. “It’s simple, John. I’m just playing by your rules. Since I paid for everything, and I will now be living in another house, I took it all with me. My win, my things!”

You should have seen his face. He was trying to tell me something, somehow to interrupt me, but I saw that he didn’t have a single argument.

His attempt to argue was almost pitiful. “You can’t do this! This is our home!”

“Our home?” The words were bitter on my tongue. “No, John, it’s just a house, and you’ve made it very clear that what’s yours is yours alone. So, I guess what’s mine is mine. Enjoy your winnings.”

A couple disagreeing | Source: Pexels

A couple disagreeing | Source: Pexels

My response seemed to infuriate him further as he started shouting about how I didn’t dare take things from our house. He also dug his heels in deeper, insisting he could buy whatever he wanted with his money, could pay the rent by himself, as I didn’t need to spend another cent, and so forth.

Not interested in hearing him rant further, I chose not to spend another minute listening to him. I turned on my heel, leaving him standing in the shell of what used to be our life together.

The door closed with a finality that echoed through the empty rooms, a stark reminder of the cost of greed.

A woman walking away from a house | Source: Pexels

A woman walking away from a house | Source: Pexels

The silence from him in the days that followed was a balm to my wounded heart as I found refuge at my mother’s place, where all my things were.

But when the apologies came, they were desperate, tinged with the realization of the magnitude of his mistake. The path to forgiveness was arduous, paved with late-night conversations and tears, a journey of rediscovery and reconciliation.

An upset and remorseful man talking to someone on the phone | Source: Flickr

An upset and remorseful man talking to someone on the phone | Source: Flickr

“We lost ourselves, Emma,” he whispered one night, his voice cracking with emotion. “I lost myself in that win, forgot what mattered most. You, us, our dreams together.”

It was a new beginning, a chance to rebuild on the ruins of our past. The journey wasn’t easy, fraught with challenges and moments of doubt. John really needed to learn this lesson, and I was proud to realize that he had.

But in the end, it was our story, a testament to the power of love, understanding, and the strength to forgive that helped us start healing.

A couple embracing while the man prepares a meal | Source: Pexels

A couple embracing while the man prepares a meal | Source: Pexels

In the following story, a husband wins the lottery and ends up losing everything. Here’s how:

Once upon a sunny afternoon, a man we’ll call Michael, found his life turned upside down — not by a twist of fate but by the golden ticket of a lottery win. Now, picture Michael, a mix of elation and shock, phone pressed to his ear, breaking the news to Emily, his ex, who’s been the family’s unwavering lighthouse through the stormiest of weathers.

A man celebrating something | Source: Freepik

A man celebrating something | Source: Freepik

The air was thick with irony; the man who once caused drama and heartbreak with his affair was now a millionaire! Fast-forward to the plot twist, where Michael, in an unexpected move, decides to hand over the entire windfall to Emily and their kids.

Why, you ask? Perhaps a gesture of atonement, or a late realization of where his true treasures lie. But ah, the drama unfolds further when Rachel, the other woman turned current partner, catches wind of this! Let’s just say, she wasn’t thrilled!

A couple arguing outside | Source: Pexels

A couple arguing outside | Source: Pexels

Cue the tension, as Rachel’s not about to let this slide without a fight! What’s her weapon of choice? Blackmail, with a pinch of revenge, threatening to spill a family secret that could shatter their son’s world. The stage was set for Michael’s ultimate test — a choice between safeguarding his newfound fortune or protecting his son’s innocence.

In a turn of events worthy of a soap opera, Michael chooses the latter, sacrificing his wealth and home to silence Rachel’s threats. This grand gesture doesn’t just close the chapter on his relationship with Rachel but opens a new one with Emily, but not as lovers rekindled.

A man, child, and woman posing together for a selfie | Source: Freepik

A man, child, and woman posing together for a selfie | Source: Freepik

And there you have it, folks, a tale not just of winning millions but of rediscovering what truly matters. In the end, Michael learned that the real jackpot wasn’t the cash but the chance to right his wrongs and strengthen the bonds of family.

A feel-good finale if ever there was one, reminding us all that sometimes, the greatest wealth lies not in our wallets but in our hearts.

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

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