Tom Cruise Returns To The Oprah Winfrey Show

"[It] was a moment, and it was real," Cruise says about his animated profession of love for Katie Holmes, in the interview to air on Friday. "I just felt that way, and I feel that way about her," he continues. "I can't even articulate it, to be honest. That feeling, that connection. Just who she is and what she means to me."

Cruise also opens up about Holmes and private moments with his family. Here are some of the highlights from the first part of his interview. (The second part – filmed in Winfrey's Chicago studio – is scheduled to air on Monday, May 5.)

• On Connor and Bella's impressions of Holmes: "Kate shows up with cupcakes. The cupcakes are there, and they all looked at me like, 'This is cool. Can we eat these cupcakes? This lady's cool.'"

• On rumors about his relationship with Holmes: "That's laughable to me. You just know that [tabloids are] trying to sell it and spin it."

• On Connor and Bella reading tabloid reports about Cruise:"They love me, so they know. They've grown up with that, and I'm sure there are things that they don't like, and you go, 'Okay, that happened, things go wrong, but don't live in it. Don't live in that because today is a new day and there's plenty of tomorrows. They're good people, my children. I'm proud of them.I don't want them to worry. They know I'm there. No matter what, I'm always there."

• On dressing like Santa to surprise Suri: "I open the door, and I'm giving my best, 'Oh, merry Christmas! Oh, look at this little girl,' and Suri looks at me, and she says, 'No – Dada!' So that night, we were putting Suri down. Kate says, 'How was it? Did you like it? What did you think of Santa?' And Suri was really sweet, she looks up, and she goes, 'Dada Santa.'"

• On whether Cruise has been misunderstood: "Listen I, I feel like definitely things have been misunderstood, and there are things I could have done better. But then there's also that world where you go, 'Oh, it's been spun to such an extent.' "

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