Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson Dating Rumours: Suri Pushing Mum to Date Despite 'Too Big a Risk' Movie Warning

Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson dating rumours have intensified in New York this month after their affectionate red-carpet reunion for new film Happy Hours, with a source claiming Holmes' daughter Suri Cruise is privately urging her mother to give the romance a chance.

The former Dawson's Creek co-stars, now 47 and 48, walked the premiere carpet hand in hand and praised each other in interviews, fuelling speculation that their on-screen reunion may not be the only one.

The news came after weeks of fan chatter about the pair's chemistry, sparked when Holmes cast Jackson opposite her in Happy Hours, which she wrote and directed. The project marks their first major collaboration since they played teenage couple Joey Potter and Pacey Witter more than two decades ago, and for viewers who grew up with the series, the sight of them together again has proved powerfully nostalgic.

Behind the scenes, however, the dynamic is less about television nostalgia and more about a long-standing friendship that those close to them say has deepened over time. According to an insider quoted by Closer, people in their inner circle have been quietly willing them to take the leap from friends to something more.

'Katie and Josh have such an incredible bond, it's very evident when they're together,' the source said. 'They have an obvious chemistry but they've avoided anything serious so far because they're both afraid of ruining what they have.'

The same source claims that 20-year-old Suri, Holmes' daughter with ex-husband Tom Cruise, has become an unlikely but firm supporter of the idea. Suri reportedly spent time on the Happy Hours set and has known Jackson for years, giving her a front-row seat to the dynamic between the former couple.

'Even Suri has been telling her mum to go for it because she can see how happy being with Josh makes her,' the insider said, adding that Suri is 'super-protective' of her mother and would not be nudging her towards a man she did not trust.

Suri Cruise And The Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson Chemistry

For context, Holmes and Jackson briefly dated between 1998 and 1999, in the early years of Dawson's Creek, and have stayed on good terms since the show ended in 2003.

In the years that followed, both moved on to high-profile relationships and marriages: Holmes to Tom Cruise, with whom she shares Suri, and Jackson to British actress and model Jodie Turner-Smith, with whom he has a six-year-old daughter, Juno.

That long shared history is part of why Suri reportedly sees Jackson as 'The One' for her mother. The insider told Closer that Suri has 'zeroed in' on Jackson because the pair's connection is so obvious when they are together, describing Holmes' daughter as keen to see her mother settled with someone solid after a turbulent romantic life in the public eye.

Holmes' past relationships have been heavily scrutinised, from her whirlwind marriage to Cruise from 2006 to 2012, to a quieter six-year relationship with Jamie Foxx that ended in 2019. Jackson, for his part, separated from Turner-Smith after four years of marriage. Their daughter remains his primary focus, according to previous interviews he has given about fatherhood.

The warmth between Holmes and Jackson was on full display at the New York premiere of Happy Hours last week. On the carpet, Jackson publicly thanked Holmes, telling her: 'You wrote this [film] for us. So it was magical for me to be able to come back. And you waited for me, which I appreciated.' Holmes, standing beside him, called working with Jackson again 'a dream.'

Online, fans seized on a small but telling detail when Holmes 'liked' a social media comment suggesting that the exes 'should be a couple.' It was enough to convince some that the on-screen love story might be edging towards something more tangible.

Work, Risk And The Future Of The Holmes–Jackson Dating Story

Yet the Holmes and Jackson dating narrative is complicated by their current professional partnership. The insider claims that Holmes hopes Happy Hours will be the first of three films, all starring Jackson, and is wary of blurring personal and professional lines.

'Katie wants to do two more instalments of this movie with Joshua. From a marketing standpoint it is way too big a risk to have a real-life romance in the midst of all that,' the source said. The suggestion is that Holmes, who has fought hard to rebuild a career on her own terms, is acutely aware of how a public relationship could overshadow the work.

'Katie wants to be cautious, so as red-hot as their chemistry is, it's also very possible she's holding back to protect her project,' the insider added.

Jackson, meanwhile, appeared to pour cold water on at least the more excitable fan theories when he was photographed days after the premiere with model Olivia Burgess. There was no comment from his representatives about the nature of that relationship, and neither Jackson nor Holmes has publicly addressed the renewed dating rumours.

'Everyone who saw them together could see that the spark they have is still there and still very real. Josh was gushing over Katie and she was lighting up,' the source said. 'The feeling is that it's only a matter of them wanting to wait for the right timing, that it will happen eventually.'