Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes

Katie Holmes filed for divorce primarily over Tom Cruise's fierce ties to Scientology, fearing that Tom would drag Suri deep into the church ... sources connected with the couple tell TMZ.

Our sources say ... Katie has never been fully committed to Scientology, even though she has had ties with the church. We're told the couple had been arguing over Suri -- that she's now of the age where Scientology becomes a significant part of her life.

Sources familiar with the split tell us Katie is filing for sole legal custody -- as we first reported -- specifically because she does not want Tom to control decisions relating to religion.

Sources have told us that the divorce is NOT about money -- we're told Katie doesn't need Tom's money ... because she has plenty of it ... and will be well taken care of under the terms of the prenup.

To give you an idea of how fierce Tom's ties to the Church are -- a video featuring the actor discussing what Scientology means to him leaked onto YouTube in 2008. You gotta watch the whole thing.

Katie Holmes is the one who filed for divorce and Tom Cruise was "blindsided" by Katie's legal move ... TMZ has learned.

We know Katie filed the divorce docs in New York on June 28, citing "irreconcilable differences." She is asking for sole legal custody and "primary residential custody" of the couple's 6-year-old daughter, Suri.

We also know Katie is asking for a "suitable amount" of child support .. this according to the divorce docs.

Katie also asks for a division of property in her divorce docs, although we know there was a significant prenup that is based on California law. Katie makes no mention of the prenup in her filing.

We're told Tom is "very sad" and "did not see this coming." He was spotted wearing his wedding ring just this week while filming in Iceland. Interestingly, Katie also wore her ring this week.

We're also told there is some "nastiness" here, evidenced by Katie's move to get sole legal custody.

Tom's rep has released a statement saying, "Kate has filed for divorce and Tom is deeply saddened and is concentrating on his three children. Please allow them their privacy to work this out."

Katie's divorce petition was filed anonymously, without names.

11:05 AM PT -- Katie filed the papers -- and Tom was "blindsided." Katie wants sole legal custody and "primary residential custody" of Suri.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are getting DIVORCED ... after 5 years of marriage.

Katie's attorney, Jonathan Wolfe released a statement saying, "This is a personal and private matter for Katie and her family."

TMZ has learned Katie filed the docs in NYC ... and wants SOLE custody of Suri.

We're told Tom and Katie have a prenup. The net worth of both Tom and Katie is around $275 mil, but clearly Tom raked in most of that.

For what it's worth, Katie did not attend any of the "Rock of Ages" premieres.

Tom and Katie have one child together, Suri, who is 6-years-old.

49-year-old Tom has 2 children from his previous marriage to Nicole Kidman. He was also married to actress Mimi Rogers from 1987 to 1990.

Cruise and 33-year-old Holmes were married in November 2006 in a lavish ceremony held at an Italian castle. The split was first reported by People.com.

Tom has been spotted in Iceland this week where he's been shooting a movie called "Oblivion."

Katie and Suri have been spotted in NYC all week. Katie was still wearing her wedding ring.

Update #1 -- Sources tell TMZ ... Scientology was a major factor in Katie's decision to pull the plug on the marriage.

Update #2 -- Tom and Katie were HOLDING HANDS in Iceland just 2 weeks before Katie filed for divorce ... more proof Tom was truly "blindsided" by Katie's decision to end the marriage.

Tom Cruise was married to Mimi Rogers in the '80s, Nicole Kidman in the '90s, and for the last five years to Katie Holmes.

Question is ...

Tom Cruise was called out ... CHALLENGED ... on the dance floor at the wedding of a BILLIONAIRE'S SON -- but after the clash ... only one man walked away victorious.

Tom and Katie were in Palm Springs this weekend celebrating the wedding of Sandy Modic and David Ellison.

David is the executive producer on "Mission Impossible -- Ghost Protocol" ... and also happens to be the the son of Oracle CEO Larry Ellison ... the 3rd richest man in the United States.

Tom was just hangin' out when one of Ellison's friends declared DANCE WAR ... and Tom accepted.

So, we gotta ask ...

Cops swarmed Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' block in Beverly Hills yesterday -- armed with a full arsenal of heavy artillery, including assault rifles -- and we're told ... it was all over some missing tools.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, cops were called for an alleged burglary at a nearby construction site -- on the same block as T&K -- and police descended in full force.

We're told cops paid a visit to the surrounding homes -- including the Cruises' -- but came up empty.

Tom Cruise really put the squeeze on his wife Katie Holmes last weekend in L.A. -- copping a SNEAKY feel of her ass at a Katy Perry concert -- and TMZ has obtained the hands-on footage.

Katie got the pat-down Sunday night at Nokia Theater -- and we're told, Tom's hand remained steadfast for most of KP's performance.

Side note: never invite Tom and Katie to your party ... we're told the couple's entrance delayed the concert a solid 15 minutes.

Tom Cruise was secretly videotaped as he spilled his guts in Scientology confessional sessions, and those tapes became fodder for Scientology cocktail party humor ... this according to a high-profile and former high-level member of Scientology.

Mark Rathbun says in his blog, he recorded Cruise during the confessional sessions and Scientology guru David Miscavige read the transcripts at parties, "joking and laughing" at them.

Rathbun says the video was "well-concealed" in the VIP auditing room, per orders of Miscavige. Rathbun says Miscavige ordered him to prepare transcripts of the sessions. Then, according to Rathbun, Miscavige would hold late night whiskey parties, reading the transcripts and laughing out loud.

Sitting courtside at the Lakers game, Tom Cruise said hello to both Chris Brown and Kobe Bryant last night.

Not pictured: Cuba Gooding Jr., probably seated in section 310.

"You want the deuce? You can't handle the deuce!!!"

The plaintiff, Michael Davis Sapir, claims Cruise, attorney Bert Fields and jailed private investigator Anthony Pellicano conspired to spy on him.

There is a long history between Cruise and Sapir. In 2001, Cruise sued Sapir for $100 million after Sapir claimed to have video evidence that Cruise "engaged in a homosexual relationship." That lawsuit settled later that year. In the settlement, both parties issued a statement saying that no such tape existed.

In the latest suit, filed Friday in L.A. County Superior Court, Sapir claims Pellicano illegally wiretapped his phone during the time the 2001 lawsuit was active.

Sapir claims in the suit that Cruise, Fields and Pellicano were all in cahoots.

Sapir is suing for $5 million, minimum.

Bert Fields tells TMZ, "The allegations are absolute garbage. We did not even hire Pellicano to work on the Sapir case."

No immediate comment from Cruise's rep. Pellicano is in the pokey.

Kidman, who was promoting "Nine" on "The Andrew Marr Show," was asked about her ex-husband Tom Cruise's religion -- which Marr said some people called a "bullying cult." His words, not ours.

Surprisingly, Kidman wasn't game for that Q and immediately shut him down.

Cruise launched himself off the building for an upcoming movie he's shooting in Austria -- in which he's doing just about all of his own stunts.

During the shoot, Tom is literally dangling on the side of the building, connected only by a few cables.

Then again, he's not your average SP.

Tom manned up and took the crazy plunge for a movie he's filming in Boston yesterday.

Now this is some real risky business.