Shakira Fans Freaking Out Over Report Tom Cruise is Interested in Her

Tom Cruise apparently wants to court Shakira in what could be a new romance -- but her fans are having a hilarious reaction to the news ... STAY THE HELL AWAY!!!

Page Six came out with a story Tuesday, claiming insiders are saying Tom is "extremely interested in pursuing" her -- this after they crossed paths Sunday at Formula 1's Miami Grand Prix ... where they were photographed looking chipper, not to mention talking a lot.

According to the outlet, there's some chemistry between them -- so, it would seem they hit it off ... enough so for him to send her flowers post-meeting, which he reportedly did.

Of course, both of them are single and unattached at the moment ... especially Shakira, who just went through a nasty public split with her longtime partner and soccer star Gerard Pique -- who cheated on her with a younger, less-famous woman ... who he's currently dating.

Not just that, but Tom and Shakira aren't too far off in age -- she's 46 and he's 60 ... and they're both in the upper echelon of stardom. Plus, as PS notes, she's not taller than him.

On paper, you'd think they'd be a great match, but Twitter certainly doesn't like the pairing ... and they're making it known in droves. Users are screaming into the void in hopes Shakira will hear them. The message being ... please don't get mixed up with this guy, Shak.

One tweeter wrote, "SHAKIRA! LISTEN TO ME! HE'S TRYING TO RECRUIT YOU INTO SCIENTOLOGY! DON'T GO OUT WITH HIM! LISTEN TO ME!  SHAKIRA!!" Another chirped, "'Get away from her' and 'stay away from her' trending because there are reports tom cruise wants to date shakira is sending me." Obviously, in reference to the collective freak-out.

The reason they don't want her to date Tom, it seems, has to do with his past relationships -- as well as his connection to Scientology. Bird app folks feel like those 2 things haven't historically meshed very well ... especially when he's involved with high-profile women.

His ex-wife Nicole Kidman's iconic reaction to her divorce from Tom being finalized in 2001 comes to mind ... when she was seen rejoicing outside of a law office, which was telling.

With that said, we feel like it's kinda unfair to Tom to mock him like this ... and maybe even for Shakira too. Fact is, they're both grown and probably up to speed on each other's reps. So, if Shakira feels inclined to test the Cruise waters -- she should.

All aboard???