Tom Cruise Wants to ‘Explore a Relationship’ With ‘Stunningly Beautiful’ Costar Monica Barbaro

Thank u, next! With reports that Russian socialite Elsina Khayrova got cold feet after Tom Cruise proposed, sources exclusively tell In Touch that the 61-year-old is already on the lookout for her replacement. Top of his list: his Top Gun: Maverick protégée, Monica Barbaro.

“Tom thinks she’s stunningly beautiful,” a source says of the 33-year-old. “He’d like to explore a relationship with her.”

He’s already played a hand in her career, adds the insider, pulling strings to get her cast as singer Joan Baez in the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, directed by his old pal James Mangold.

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“Tom’s mentored younger actors before — men and women,” says the source. “It’s a very rewarding process for him.”

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And if love blooms, so much the better. “People around Tom believe they’re a great match,” adds the insider. “But he genuinely wants her to succeed.”

As for Monica, she’s “flattered” by the attention,” says the insider. “But she wants to prove that she’s deserving of the role.”