March 22, 2007

Has the "amazing" and all-around "magnificent" love between Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes hit a snag just four months after they promised to stick together until L. Ron Hubbard calls them home?

So claims Us Weekly in its coy cover story headlined, "Crying Over Tom's Threats: Inside Katie's Prison," featuring a picture of a glum-faced Holmes, 28, holding 11-month-old cutie-pie Suri.

Among the problems purportedly plaguing the former starlet: "Her secret calls for help -- and why Tom's screening her phone"; "his threats to take her credit cards"; and his micromanagement of her long-dormant career.

This latest round of TomKat tabloid speculation comes on the heels of pregnancy burblings (denied) and rumors of tension over Holmes' impending return to work, with Cruise, 44, reportedly planning to smother join her on the Louisiana set of "Mad Money."

According to Us, a disconsolate Katie has been leaning on her friends, especially the flimsy, Ginsu-sharp shoulder of pal Victoria Beckham, when her hovering husband, who at their wedding vowed to provide her with "tender happiness and frills, a pan, a comb, perhaps a cat," lets loose his type-A tendencies.

"Katie has been crying over the phone," says a Beckham snitch. "She's frustrated. Tom is denying her every single thing."

Mrs. Cruise's last tearful tête-à-tête with Victoria, recalls the mole, "was maybe a month ago. They talked for two hours."

Of course, it's just as likely the shopping buddies and frequent fashion show attendees engaged in a marathon gab session about the designer footwear Katie purchased during one of her many trips to Barneys, her apparent retail refuge from her in-law-filled home.

TomKat insiders, meanwhile, are brushing aside the rumblings of trouble, saying all is well in the newlyweds' insulated world.

Still, Us believes even the erstwhile Posh Spice has experienced a touch of Tom's so-called "domineering" ways.

A "source close to" Cruise claims he's waged a "relentless" but unsuccessful telemarketing campaign to turn Victoria and soccer star hubby David Beckham on to the many spiritual delights to be found in E-meters, "Dianetics," Thetan-clearing and a galactic overlord named Xenu.

"Victoria is sick and tired of Tom being on her back about Scientology," alleges the spy. "Victoria is an old-fashioned British woman who believes in God. She finds it quite rude that Tom is bugging her so much. Not too long ago, Tom left 18 messages in one hour to get them to join the church."

(And yes, we, too, have a wee bit of trouble believing that Posh took time from her busy schedule of grooming, mansion-shopping for her family's impending move to Los Angeles and not eating to note her messages so meticulously, but moving on ...)

The insider explains that the "old-fashioned" Mrs. Beckham, who maybe realizes her life is already quite fabulous without throwing a new religion into the mix, is no fan of the hard sell: "When she says no, she means no."

Cruise's rep, however, takes issue with the characterization that his glibness-hating client, who, apropos of nothing, set up a Scientology tent on the set of "War of the Worlds" as "a gift to the crew" (as his sister described it), is some kind of pushy proselytizer.

"This is completely false," he insists to Us. "Tom does not and never has encouraged anyone to adopt Scientology."

In related news, Brooke Shields is explaining how she ended up at TomKat's media-swarmed November nuptials after their whole postpartum depression kerfuffle, and even proves her familiarity with the rumor-plagued pair by calling Holmes by her shortened, Cruise-approved moniker.

"I've known Tom since I was 15," the actress tells Life of her onetime "Endless Love" co-star. "I don't think I let anyone down by reconciling [with him]. I never changed my beliefs. So when Kate called me herself to invite us to the wedding, it would have felt like a slap to say no."

Stresses Shields, "Our daughters were born the same day in the same hospital, so they're connected, too. We went because we're friends, and it was an unbelievable event. And now we can go on with our lives."

Next: Romance Report: Carmen & Joan, Jess & John