Tom Cruise's 'surprising' reason to befriend Taylor Swift explained

Tom Cruise may have found an unexpected way to get even closer to Taylor Swift but Hollywood insiders think there’s more to the friendship than just football and fun.

The Mission Impossible star, 64, recently joined Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce at a Kansas City Chiefs game before appearing on the Kelce brothers’ podcast while promoting his upcoming movie Digger.

Now, sources told Rob Shutter that Cruise’s new connection with the power couple could also give his film career a boost.

“Tom knows exactly what he’s doing,” an insider shared. “Taylor is the center of popular culture. Being in her orbit instantly puts Tom in front of a younger generation that knows his name but may not necessarily buy a ticket to his movies.”

That could matter when Digger arrives in October. Unlike another Top Gun or Mission: Impossible sequel, the film is an original project, making its release a bigger gamble.

Taylor reportedly sees the whole thing differently.

“She’s flattered,” the source noted. “This is Tom Cruise — one of the biggest movie stars on the planet. Now he wants to hang out with Taylor and Travis. She thinks it’s hilarious and fun.

The insider adds that Swift understands the Hollywood game and apparently doesn’t mind if both sides benefit.

“Taylor isn’t naïve. She knows Tom benefits enormously from being photographed with her,” the insider explained. “But she grew up watching stars like Tom. There’s something surreal about Tom Cruise suddenly wanting into her world.”

And as one source puts it:

“Tom doesn’t accidentally end up in the most photographed box in America,” the source laughed. “He knows exactly where the cameras are — and right now, Taylor is the biggest camera magnet on earth.”