Katie Holmes made secret calls to Tom Cruise’s ex wife Nicole Kidman while masterminding her marriage exit strategy, it has been claimed. The seemingly mild-mannered former Dawson’s Creek star surprised the world – and the actor himself – with a carefully executed split which included moving apartments, switching to a disposable mobile phone, changing her security and filing for sole custody of their daughter Suri. Now an American magazine is reporting that the 33-year-old sought counsel from Nicole, 45, in an effort to avoid the same fate as the Australian actress, who now rarely sees the children she shares with Cruise, 50. “They’ve spoken over the last few weeks,” an insider is quoted as telling Us Weekly magazine. “Nicole has been supportive, saying she’s been through it too and to hang in there.” The source claims Katie occasionally spoke to Nicole during the early stages of her marriage when the Moulin Rouge star called to speak to Connor, 17, and Isabella, 19, and then reconnected again recently. “She has been a private friend not many people know about,” the insider continued. ‘She told Katie her life is great now and she has no regrets.” Tom filed for divorce from Nicole in 2001 after 11 years of marriage and the split had a profound effect on her relationship with their two adopted children, who are both devout followers of Scientology like their father. Nicole, who now also has two young daughters with her new husband Keith Urban, has hinted at her heartbreak over the distance between them. She said in 2010: “They live with Tom, which was there choice. I’d love them to live with us but what can you do.’ Isabella revealed earlier this year that she only sees her mother ‘sometimes’.

— Daily Mail

Britney Spears exposes tough side on X Factor

It looks like Britney Spears has been spending too much time with Simon Cowell. The X Factor USA judge is seen laying into contestants with a series of withering put downs in a new promo for the hit Fox show. Britney, 30, tells one hopeful: “You can’t destroy that song, sweetie,” telling another: “You definitely don’t have the X Factor.” After axing sweet-talking Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger, it appears contestants will not be let off lightly under the scrutiny of the new judging line-up, which also includes Demi Lovato, alongside the returning LA Reid and head honcho Cowell.

She also appears to have a taste for Simon’s trademark one-liners. “Very predictable,” and “bad to the bone,'”are among some of her other remarks. Britney is seen in a short teaser trailer, plugging the start of the second season of the X Factor USA, which starts on September 12. In the video, the voiceover introduces Spears to the X Factor, adding: “Has America’s sweetheart been hanging out with Simon Cowell for too long?” In another video, Britney responded to reports she walked off the set earlier this week after a contestant dressed in drag covered one of her songs. The 30-year-old judge wasn’t impressed when the male wannabe – who was dressed partially as a woman in glasses and a jean jacket – attempted to sing her 1999 hit (You Drive Me) Crazy at last Monday’s auditions for the talent show in Greensboro, North Carolina. Britney insists it was Demi who walked off first, saying she followed her lead. She also comments: “I usually can’t look when [the contestants] are bad.”

— Daily Mail