Tom Cruise eyes Cotswolds mega-mansion as locals push back
The Mission: Impossible star has reportedly sent his assistant to scout a multi-million-pound home in the affluent English countryside, drawing wary responses from residents and a constellation of other celebrity arrivals.
Tom Cruise is reportedly weighing up a purchase of a mega-mansion in the Cotswolds, with his personal assistant dispatched to find a suitable multi-million-pound property in the affluent region that attracts billionaires, politicians and celebrities, The Mail on Sunday reports.
Locals have reacted coolly to the prospect of the actor joining the area’s celebrity cohort. A number of residents described the development as an 'American invasion,' and some said stars do not integrate with the community, instead favouring private communities and upmarket pubs. One disgruntled resident of Charlbury said: 'We call it the American invasion. Tom Cruise will be yet another American celebrity who won’t integrate in the community.' Another added: 'the stars don’t speak to us' and they eschew local pubs for more upmarket hostelries such as The Bull in Charlbury.
Beyond Cruise's reported bid, the Cotswolds has already attracted other high-profile newcomers. Ellen DeGeneres recently moved to the area, and Beyoncé and Jay-Z are purchasing a dilapidated barn in the village of Wigginton, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
Cruise is currently dating 37-year-old Cuban actress Ana de Armas, whom he met last year while filming in Oxfordshire. The couple have kept their relationship largely out of the public eye, though they spent the summer holidaying in Spain and were spotted attending an Oasis concert in July.
The piece also notes other high-profile presence in the region, including a visit by Vice President JD Vance to the hamlet of Dean in August. His two-week trip prompted road closures, police checkpoints and sniffer dogs, and residents protested, telling him to ‘go home’ and to ‘Make Charlbury Great Again.’
The Beckham family already has a footprint nearby, living in a converted multi-million-pound farmhouse in Great Tew, not far from the Soho Farmhouse club. Cruise has prior ties to the circle, having been a guest of honor at Sir David Beckham’s 50th birthday dinner at Core in Notting Hill, a venue that has become a hub for the area’s celebrity crowd.
Cruise’s presence in the Cotswolds would join a roster of notable homeowners and visitors who have gravitated to this stretch of the Oxfordshire countryside. The actor already maintains a £35 million penthouse in Knightsbridge and owns multiple mansions in Beverly Hills, underscoring a pattern of high-value real estate across his portfolio. He and de Armas have spent time apart from filming schedules, with reports of summer travel and appearances together, though representatives have kept comment limited.
Whether Cruise will press forward with a formal bid remains unclear, and no public statement has been made. The Mail on Sunday notes that Cruise was approached for comment but had not issued a response at the time of publication.