According to Us' cover story (below), he traveled from Iceland, where he's been shooting the new film Oblivion, to the United States early July 3.
If things had gone according to plan for Cruise, he'd have celebrated hitting the half-century mark in Iceland with wife Katie Holmes by his side.
But since Katie filed for divorce out of nowhere last week, he was forced to make a last-ditch effort to save the relationship, only to be rebuffed.
While Holmes, 33, was MIA from Rock of Ages premieres and other events, "he begged her to come to Iceland for one last try at reconciliation," the insider says.
Holmes, motivated by fears of Scientology corrupting their daughter Suri, had been secretly plotting to file for divorce and move into her own NYC apartment.
She refused to go, and the pair had a "huge fight," the source explains.
Although Cruise was aware that things were tense and severely estranged with Holmes, "he was confident he could talk her out of it and keep her with him."
Holmes seeks sole legal custody of Suri, 6, and clearly filed in N.Y. State as a means of achieving that goal, as its courts are more likely to award sole custody.
There's a prenup in place, but regarding custody, it looks like a nasty split is on the horizon. Here's hoping they can work it out quietly and under the radar.
In other Cruise news, you can see him in the new Jack Reacher trailer.
