BBC News Online: Entertainment: Showbiz

Cruise speaks out on Cruz

The couple met on the set of Vanilla Sky

The newly-divorced 39-year-old star compared the 26-year-old star of Captina Corelli's Mandolin to screen legend Audrey Hepburn, and said: "She's beautiful."

Interviewed for Vanity Fair magazine, Cruise also defended his, religion, Scientology, which was rumoured to have played a part in the breakdown in February of his marriage to actress Nicole Kidman.

There were claims Kidman wanted to bring up their two adopted children, Isabella, eight, and six-year-old Connor, as Catholics.

Cruise told the magazine of his feelings for Cruz, with whom he first appeared in public in July, at the Los Angeles première of Captain Corelli's Mandolin.

"Cruise and Cruz - I thought: 'My God, I'm your boyfriend. You're my girlfriend,"' he said.

"She's incredibly romantic, and yet real."

He said Cruz had an "effortless" quality.

"You look at Audrey Hepburn. She had that kind of elegance and yet was accessible."

Cruse told Vanity Fair he did not want to dwell on his relationship with Kidman or disclose the reasons for the couple's sudden split.

"She knows why, and she is the mother of my children, and I wish her well,'' Cruise said.

"I don't care if it piques people's interest.

"Honestly people should mind their own damn business and get a life of their own.

"My personal life isn't here to sell newspapers.''

The actor vigorously defended his religion, Scientology, which he said had kept him on the straight and narrow since he was 24 years old.

"I started reading books on it and I thought "God, this makes sense'," he said.