Tortured Past of Tom Cruise’s Bisexual Actress ‘Gal Pal’ Revealed: Depression, ‘Chronic’ Loneliness — and Battles with Sexuality and Disability Bullies
Tom Cruise’s rumored new love interest has spent years battling disability bullies..
Aug. 13 2024, Published 12:30 p.m. ET
They have been spotted beaming on VIP helicopter rides and backstage at a Bruce Springsteen gig.
But RadarOnline.com can reveal behind the dazzling grin of Tom Cruise’s rumored new love interest festers decades of pain over her disability, anxiety, loneliness and sexuality.
We broke the story in July Cruise, 62, had made actress and singer Victoria Canal – who turned 26 on August 11 – his new “best pal” after he met her at this year’s Glastonbury Festival, where she sang on stage with Coldplay.
Our exclusive snaps showed Cruise giving Canal the VIP treatment with a ride on his private helicopter in July.
RadarOnline.com also revealed how the Born on the Fourth of July star had dropped $230million on a luxury London penthouse as he bases himself in the UK like Victoria.
It was reported days ago Cruise had also flown the musician to the set of Mission Impossible 8 and also the Twisters premiere.
But as the rumor mill he is dating the one-armed musician spiraled to fever pitch among the actor’s fans, Canal has now spoken out on Instagram to deny there’s anything romantic to their relationship.
She posted: “Guys, this is literally bonkers, but apparently the tabloids think I am dating Tom Cruise. I’m deceased. Let’s just stop this in its tracks – I’m sorry to bum u out but I am not dating the man, albeit a lovely person & artist.
“Lol never thought I would have to clarify that out loud in my life. y’all. if you’re gonna write me up @pagesix use a better picture damn. huge perk: first time I’m Spanish-American singer Victoria Canal and not one-armed pianist whose name remains unmentioned!!!! there’s always a win somewhere, thanks Tom.”
Her post – seen below – carried echoes of past confessions we can now reveal in which Canal admitted how she has been left scarred by having to cope with society as a disabled “queer” musician.
Canal – who has managed to make a name for herself as a guitar and piano-playing singer-songwriter despite being born without a right forearm and hand due to a condition called amniotic band syndrome – opened up about her past pain in one of her frankest ever interviews in 2022.
She said about living with a disability: “I’m not ashamed by any means. However, I have no say in how much it overpowers the music, in what people want to talk about.
“When I listen to other artist’s interviews, they’re asking about the recording process and the songwriting.
“And, for me, it’s always like, ‘What’s it like being a disabled person?’ It’s always centered around that.
“I don’t closely identify with my disability, it’s a part of my body, but what does that have to do with my music? It’s almost like a mindf---.
“It’s like being gay and being an artist. What matters other than maybe the pronouns you use in a song towards someone?
Canal, Bruce Springsteen and Cruise pose for a picture backstage at one of the Boss’ shows in another night out for the singer and actor.
“What does your sexual orientation have to do with your artistic craft? It might influence it in some way but what’s important is the artistry.”
Canal also raged she felt artists are “always defined by one thing”, adding: “Whether it’s getting criticized for being gay; or Lizzo for being a proud, body positive woman; Harry Styles for dressing more androgynous.”
The singer – who was born in Munich and has lived in Shanghai, Tokyo, Barcelona, Madrid, Dubai, and Amsterdam – also said “queerness” was “super-complicated” as she feels “obviously queer artists haven’t been represented enough”.
She said: “You’ll see playlists on Spotify that are like, ‘Music made by queer people.’ And the same thing goes for disability, but I just wish we lived in a world where none of it mattered, like a neo-futuristic world where whatever body you are, you’re not lumped in with these people and these people, but also you don’t have a disadvantage because you look a certain way.
“And the fact is, we live in a world right now where you are still disadvantaged for looking a certain way.”
Canal last year told the Gay Times how she proudly went on stage while supporting Hozier and declared to fans: “I’m gay.”
Canal was born without a right forearm and hand due to a condition called amniotic band syndrome.
She added in her 2022 chat with Why Now when asked to describe the impact her disability has had on her: “It affected me most in the way that people saw me and treated me, rather than the way that I feel, capability-wise.
“I just had no control over it. You just feel a little less desired, a little less pretty, less popular, and you have no control over what your body looks like. You have this body and then because of whatever body you showed up in, the world decides how to treat you, and I think that’s the tragedy of it.
“I think, as someone who grew up with a physical difference, I was always the odd one out in some way.”
Canal also admitted even though she has a “really extroverted” side she “was always, and still am, a very chronically lonely person”.
When asked if her music was a “bit of a ‘f--- you’ to the people who previously rejected you”, Canal admitted: “Yeah, people who picked on me and called me disgusting.
“The amount of times that I was called disgusting because of my difference as a kid… but that’s not my driving influence anymore. My driving influence now is I’m obsessed with music. And I just want to be around it all the time. And I want to be around people who are better than me, so I get better.”
Sources claimed Cruise was in 'denial' about sweating through his clothing.
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Canal also opened up about her relationship with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, 47, who ended up getting her on stage at this summer’s Glastonbury after she got in touch with him online as a joke.
She added: “He asked me about my arm, too. He said, ‘How does that feel to be interviewed about all the time?’
“And, honestly, sometimes it sucks – to be so excited about something, and then the headline comes out, and it doesn’t even say my name. It says ‘One-handed’, whatever. That can be really frustrating.
“I was saying sometimes I’m worried I only am where I am because of my difference – that people tokenize and are fascinated by it, but would anybody even care if I just looked like an able-bodied person?
“And he said, ‘You could look like a f------ marshmallow and you’d still be really good at music.’ And that was all I needed.”
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