Tom Cruise speaks about divorce from Katie Holmes for the first time

Tom Cruise has made his first comments about his divorce from Katie Holmes last year during an interview with a German television.

Tom Cruise, 50, admitted: “I did not expect that.”

The actor added: “Life is a challenge. You are 50 and you think you have everything in order and suddenly it hits you, that’s what life is all about.”

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, 34, split last June just five days before the actor’s 50th birthday.

He said it gave him “an incredible amount of time to reflect” as he celebrated the milestone.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes entered negotiations almost straight away and last month a settlement was agreed with Katie being given primary custody of their 6-year-old daughter, Suri, and Tom getting extensive visitation rights.

Neither couple have ever given a reason for the split but rumors persist Katie Holmes was unhappy with the control the religion Scientology had over the family.

Tom Cruise said getting stuck into work helped him get over the heartbreaking split.

“Life is like a tragic comedy, you need a sense of humor,” he said.

The actor also spoke about doing his own action stunts in his latest $120 million sci-fi blockbuster Oblivion.

“I have done white water rafting, I dipped, with the snowmobile on the glaciers, drove around and climbed mountains.”

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes married in a lavish ceremony in Italy in November 2006 after a starting a very public whirlwind romance in April 2005.

Suri Cruise was born in April 2006 and played a star role in their nuptials.

Tom Cruise was previously married to Mimi Rogers and Nicole Kidman, with whom he has two adopted children, Isabella, 19, and 17-year-old Connor.

Tom Cruise’s new movie, Oblivion, which also stars Olga Kurylenko and Morgan Freeman, opens across America on April 19.