Star is reportedly dating the ex-wife of an assassination-threatened Russian tycoon who wanted the actor to play him in film about his life

Hollywood’s most bankable star was reportedly seen ‘canoodling’ with Elsina Khayrova, whose divorce from Dmitry Tsvetkov was finalised in the summer CREDIT: Blitz Pictures

A Russian tycoon who survived assassination attempts in the UK discussed Tom Cruise playing him in a movie – only to discover that the Hollywood actor was reportedly dating his ex-wife.

Dmitry Tsvetkov was embroiled in a divorce battle with his wife Elsina Khayrova, the daughter of a reputed political ally of Vladimir Putin. A High Court judge concluded she was “guilty of sustained duplicity”, including lying over possession of a handbag collection that was worth almost £1 million.

But in a twist that any movie script writer might think too far-fetched, Ms Khayrova has emerged from the condemnation of the High Court judgment, delivered in the summer, to become allegedly romantically linked to Cruise, Hollywood’s biggest and most bankable star.

The Daily Mail reported on Wednesday that Ms Khayrova, 36, was “spotted canoodling” with Cruise, who at 61 is 25 years her senior. “They were inseparable, clearly a couple. He seemed to be besotted with her,” the Daily Mail reported, quoting a witness at a party they attended in Grosvenor Square in central London on Saturday night.

Ms Khayrova is a former model and the daughter of a senior Russian politician said to be an ally of Putin

Her ex-husband said he learnt of the alleged relationship when friends began contacting him after the article was published online. He said it was all the more surreal because he had previously had discussions about turning his life story into a film.

“After the judgment in August, a friend of mine who is a producer in Hollywood said ‘why don’t we do a movie?’ It would be about the three assassination attempts, about the divorce. And I said ‘fine but only if Tom Cruise can be the actor’. When I was at school in Russia the guy was so popular. I have enjoyed his movies and he is a great actor. I would make the movie like Mission: Impossible because that is how it’s happened to me.”

He said Cruise was his height and weight and while older – by about 20 years – he would “love him to play me”.

Mr Tsvetkov, a diamond trader and art collector, who lives on an estate in Surrey, said he hoped Cruise was going into the alleged relationship with his “eyes wide open”, a reference to a film Cruise made with his ex-wife Nicole Kidman called Eyes Wide Shut.

Mr Tsvetkov says Cruise is his height and weight and while a little bit older, he would ‘love him to play me’ in a movie CREDIT: Rii Schroer

But he said the claim of a relationship was a welcome distraction. “Nobody is speaking to me about Russian sanctions,” he said. “Now it’s speaking to me about her and him.”

Mr Tsvetkov has been living in fear for his life and was officially notified by UK authorities of an assassination attempt thought to emanate from historic business dealings in Russia. Both Mr Tsvetkov and his ex-wife were born in Russia but have dual UK citizenship.

Ms Khayrova, a former model, is the daughter of Rinat Khayrov, who was a senior politician in the Russian Duma and said to be an ally of Putin.

During divorce proceedings, a High Court judge concluded Ms Khayrova lied about a handbag collection worth almost £1 million CREDIT: David M. Benett/Getty Images

The couple split in 2020 and the divorce finalised in the summer. Mr Tsvetkov continues to live in a mansion on the Wentworth estate while his ex-wife retained a sizeable property in Knightsbridge. It is thought that her home is close to where Cruise reportedly stays when in London.

Cruise is the biggest box office star of his generation, starring in the Top Gun and Mission: Impossible movies. He began acting in 1981 when he made his film debut in Endless Love.

He’s been nominated for three Academy Awards throughout his career and was nominated for Best Actor in 1997 for Jerry Maguire and in 1990 for Born On The Fourth Of July. He was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Magnolia in 2000.

Cruise was married to actresses Mimi Rogers from 1987 to 1990, Nicole Kidman from 1990 to 2001 and Katie Holmes from 2006 to 2012. The devout Scientologist is a father of three; he shares daughter Bella, 30, and son Connor, 28, with Kidman, while he shares daughter Suri, 17, with Holmes, from whom he was divorced 15 years ago.

The Telegraph attempted to contact both Ms Khayrova and Cruise for comment.