Tom Cruise and Ana de Armas love affair is CONFIRMED in intimate new photos as insiders spill on his big next step… with the approval of an A-list ex

Tom Cruise and Ana de Armas confirmed their rumored love affair as they flew into London together this week days before her 37th birthday.

In exclusive photos obtained by the Daily Mail, Hollywood icon Cruise, 62, who has been linked to Armas since Valentine’s Day this year, looked giddy as he piloted a helicopter into the UK capital with the brunette actress by his side.

Armas – who was last known to be dating Manuel Anido Cuesta, the stepson of Cuba’s president – flashed a smile and her toned legs in a pair of mini short as she clutched her pet dog. A pal helped walk another pouch on a lead.

Armas donned a pair of shades and sports sneakers, appearing to go make-up free for the off-duty outing.

Meanwhile Top Gun star Cruise flaunted his action-man credentials as he landed the chopper and showed off a buff frame in a tight tee and jeans.

Cruise has been getting serious with Armas in recent weeks, the Daily Mail has learned, with one of his A-list exes even granting approval for the unlikely romance.

Tom Cruise and Ana de Armas confirmed their rumored love affair as they flew into London together this week days before her 37th birthday 

In exclusive photos obtained by the Daily Mail, Hollywood icon Cruise, 62, who has been linked to Armas since Valentine’s Day this year, looked giddy as he piloted a helicopter into the UK capital with the brunette actress by his side 

Armas donned a pair of shades and sports sneakers, appearing to go make-up free for the off-duty outing

It can also be revealed that Cruise will be taking the starlet to the 78th Cannes Film Festival in a fortnight. His new movie Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is slated for a star-studded premiere on May 14 at the Grand Théâtre Lumière.

It is not yet clear if Armas will walk the red carpet with Cruise.

As for that A-list approval, it is understood that another Spanish actress, namely nelope Cruz – who dated the actor from 2001 to 2004 – is ‘happy’ that her ex-boyfriend has found new love.

Cruz, 51, and Armas have been friends ever since they co-starred in the 2019 movie WASP Network.

‘Ana has said that Penelope is happy for her, she approves,’ an insider told the Daily Mail. ‘They know each other from the movie and also they have friends in common in Madrid from when Ana lived there for a while.’

Tom makes Ana feel safe and that is very important to her,’ the insider added. ‘She was flipped out by the fans and stalkers when living in Venice Beach so she moved to a remote part of Vermont.’

De Armas plunked down over $7 million for a sprawling six-bedroom home in the Green Mountain State in 2022. 

‘She loves being away from the crazy,’ added the source.

‘She has been traveling with Tom to busy cities like London, but he always makes her feel safe because he is thoughtful and he has a ton of security. He never puts her at risk, she is completely taken care of when she is in his company.’

Meanwhile Top Gun star Cruise showed off his action man credentials as he landed the chopper

The beauty wore a pair of shades and appeared to go make-up free for the outing.

Ana looked radiant as she jetted into London with Cruise by her side

Cruise fistbumped an air traffic controller as he arrived

Ana looked stunning as she prepared to ring in her 37th birthday

The beauty wowed as she stepped out with Cruise again

The Oscar nominee wowed as she arrived into the heliport

Cruise showed off his toned frame as he walked off

The insider thinks they will have a long relationship as Ana does ‘not like to party’ and prefers quiet nights at home just like Cruise. 

Meanwhile another sources adds that the pair are ‘taking it day by day’ and that Ana ‘does not give her heart away easy.’

‘Ana has a thing for older men and Tom fits the bill of her type. The proof is in the pudding.

Being affectionate with someone is not something that Ana would do for a role.,’ the source adds.

Cruise and Armas were spotted together on Sunday, when a fan claimed to bump into the pair at the cinema in Leicester Square, London.

Penelope Cruz, who dated Tom from 2001 until 2004 after they co-starred in Vanilla Sky, is ‘happy’ that the Oscar nominee is romancing de Armas (pictured in 2001)

de Armas was last known to be dating Manuel Anido Cuesta , the stepson of Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez in a controversial union – pictured December 2024 

After sharing a snap with the movie star, he told their followers that he had seen Cruise with de Armas in the cinema. 

He penned: ‘What a dayyyyy! Watched the best movie of the year (6 sinnersmovie – the hype is real, go watch it!!

‘Walked out of the toilet to come face to face with @tomcruise and Ana de Armas!’ 

While de Armas made no mention of the outing, she liked Cruise’s post about his night at the cinema. 

He shared a solo snap with the Sinners movie poster, writing: ‘Congratulations Ryan [Coogler], Michael [B. Jordan], and to the entire cast and crew. Must see in a cinema and stay through the end credits!’ 

De Armas was previously linked to Cuesta in late November, with the pair stepping out for a loved-up stroll in Madrid the following month,

Despite receiving massive backlash over her new relationship, the actress, who fled Communist Cuba at age 18, did not shy away from engaging in some PDA with her new man. 

Since going public with their romance, the Oscar nominee has been criticized by her compatriots and others who accuse her of dating the son of a dictatorship that she fled from.

Díaz-Canel Bermúdez was handpicked by Raul Castro and ‘chosen’ in an election in which there were no opposition challengers allowed.

Diaz Canel has overseen the collapse of Cuba’s economy and continued the Castro doctrine that allows no opposition parties or protests against the ruling party. Like the Castros before him, he has been accused of overseeing massive human rights abuses.

He is Cuba’s first leader in six decades not surnamed Castro, after Raul Castro went into semi-retirement following his stint as president. He had taken over from his brother, Cuba’s revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, in 2016.

Before that she dated Tinder executive Paul Boukadakis.

Cruise and de Armas’ low-key outing comes after Cruise and de Armas were mobbed by fans during their Valentine’s evening out. 

Before that the pair was seen arriving to a heliport in London together. 

At the time a source told DailyMail.com that they are not romantically involved. The insider insisted that the dates were strictly business as the actor is eyeing up Ana for future projects.

‘Everything with Tom and Ana is innocent. They are hanging out to talk about future movies that they could do together,’ the insider said.

‘One of those ideas is the Days of Thunder sequel that Tom wants to get off the ground. It is currently in its infancy.

‘He’s talking [to Paramount] about and It’s going to be what comes together first in terms of a script. It depends on the idea and, ultimately, the script.’

Both stars have big summer movies this year: Cruise’s upcoming Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning hits theaters May 23, and de Armas’ Ballerina, a continuation of the John Wick franchise, is in theaters June 6.

Cruise will work with director Alejandro González Iñárritu’s on his 2026 film, his first English-language project since The Revenant.

 The film will reportedly follow ‘the most powerful man in the world’ as he ’embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s savior before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything.’

De Armas is also up for Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, based on Taylor Jenkins Reid’s bestselling 2017 novel.

While speaking with Entertainment Tonight, the Eden star said she would play Evelyn Hugo.

‘I think one of the things I love about acting and my career is to be able to do everything,’ de Armas said. ‘You have to try all the things you can. You can’t just always eat the same thing.’

De Armas was last linked to Manuel Anido Cuesta, the stepson of the President of Cuba, with the pair photographed kissing during a night out in Madrid, Spain, in November 2024.

The actress faced immense scrutiny online over the relationship at first.

She was savaged by her compatriots and others who accused her of dating the son of a dictatorship that she fled from.  But they did not let the public outrage stop them from stepping out together for a loved-up stroll in Madrid weeks later.

The couple held hands and looked perfectly in sync in similar outfits as they went for a walk together in mid-December. 

De Armas has stayed tight lipped on the romance, but many people took her Valentine’s Day outing with Cruise as a sign that she and Manuel had split.

Meanwhile, Cruise was last linked to Russian socialite Elsina Khayrova. 

Cruise was first linked to Khayrova, who is the ex-wife of oligarch Dimitry Tsvetkov, in December 2023, but the pair were said to have called it quits in February last year.