April 17, 2008

Been in a grocery store checkout line lately? Then you've probably noticed it's been a relatively slow period, tabloid-wise, with reality TV "stars" and dieting divas populating the glossy covers.

But this week two outlets try a different tack by offering dueling exclusives on the same story, namely the purported problems plaguing Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes -- problems the couple adamantly denies.

"It's over!" blasts the front of In Touch. "Katie is fed up with being the perfect wife!"

According to the mag, the actress "wants her life back," and occasionally "longs for the days when she could go to the supermarket in sweatpants, instead of always dressing up as Mrs. Tom Cruise."

Then there's Star, which opted for this subtle headline over a photo of Tom and Katie's be-bobbed, button-cute daughter: "Trial Separation -- The Fight for Suri."

The tab believes Holmes, who has been in talks for a role in the Broadway production of Arthur Miller's "All My Sons," wants to spend time in Manhattan with Suri, much to Cruise's chagrin.

"There's no way he'll allow it," alleges a source. "He just doesn't want Katie -- or Suri -- out of his sight for long. He told her that if she goes to New York, fine, but he goes with her."

Star even quotes Suri as saying, "Mommy, don't cry," which is an impressive display of sympathy for a kid about to celebrate her second birthday.

When contacted for comment, Cruise's rep scoffed at the tabloids' claims of marital discord.

"The allegations made by Star Magazine and In Touch are completely untrue," the actor's rep tells MSN Entertainment. "Tom and Katie have a strong and solid marriage. Both are supportive of each other personally and professionally."

What's more, adds the mouthpiece, "One only need look at the Internet to find numerous photos of them enjoying their time together."

A quick check shows that on March 29, the couple was snapped smiling as they exited Beverly Hills, Calif., steakhouse Cut. A couple of weeks before that, they were seen leaving the same eatery with Forest Whitaker and his wife, Keisha. And it was Cut again on Feb. 27, when the Cruises dined with pals Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith.

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise leave Cut Steakhouse in Calif. on Feb. 27

Meanwhile, the New York Daily News says the "Dianetics"-devoted twosome has recently spent some time apart, but only because work on their massive Los Angeles estate has yet to be completed.

Insiders tell the paper that the renovations prompted Katie and Suri to wing over to the family's Telluride, Colo., compound while Tom remained in Los Angeles on business, holing up in plush lodgings at the Church of Scientology's Celebrity Centre.

By the by, even the positive TomKat coverage tends to have an air of dubiousness, as evidenced in this week's OK! magazine, which breaks down what the party for Suri's big 0-2 might entail (she hits the milestone on April 18).

"Katie is so excited -- she's taking care of every last detail," an insider enthuses to the mag. "You can count on special things like individual place settings and festive bunting. And when Katie plans a party, she plans a party!"

Granted, getting one's own plate and utensils always makes for a successful soiree, but the "festive bunting" (think rows of little flags) is sure to push things over the top.

OK! posits that "the invite list for the bash will be strictly A-list" and goes out on a limb to declare that, unlike every other 2-year-old's birthday party, this one "will be full of presents and sweets."

"Suri is particularly fond of toy animals and ice cream from FAO Schwarz [in New York]," says the magazine, "so it wouldn't be unlike thoughtful Tom to have some flown out by private jet for the affair."

Next: Gigantic Rock, Played Out Baby Talk?