Suri Cruise Heads Out With Katie Holmes For The First Time Since Her Parents Announced Split (PICS)

In all the mess of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' split, there remains one very important little person in the middle of it all - their six-year-old daughter, Suri.

Suri was seen for the first time yesterday, following the announcement last Friday that her parents are to split.

She was treated to an ice cream by her mother as the pair stepped out in New York's East Village last night to spend some quality mother-daughter time together.

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According to TMZ, Katie is now fighting for sole custody of the six-year-old and a "suitable amount" of child support from Tom.

It has been claimed that the six-year-old was at the heart of the couple's split, as Tom and Katie clashed over how to parent her.

A source told RadarOnline: "Tom is nowhere near as strict as Katie is and doesn't believe in disciplining Suri, whereas Katie believes that's important. Tom basically treats Suri as a little adult, and that causes some major clashes over parenting style."

In a TV interview in 2010 Tom echoed this approach when he said: "I say to Suri, 'I really want you to eat this protein if you're going to have that sugar.'

"She looks at me and she goes: 'Dad, I don't think you should try to force me to do something I don't want to do.'

"She likes to dress herself and wears whatever she wants. I'm not gonna tell her different."

Suri recently started scientology school, and has been spotted wearing red lipstick and heels in an attempt to be more grown up.

Yesterday her father Tom celebrated his 50th birthday, but was there any reason to celebrate?

> IN PICS: TOM AND KATIE'S ROMANCE