CHER - CHER: 'I WAS DEEPLY IN LOVE WITH CRUISE'

CHER and TOM CRUISE dated for three years, were in love, and only split when he moved away to shoot THE COLOR OF MONEY, the pop superstar has revealed. Both have kept tight-lipped about the relationship, which took place 25 years ago when Cher was 36 and at the height of her fame and Cruise was a 20-year-old up-and-coming actor. But speaking ahead of her musical comeback with a residency at Las Vegas' Caesar's Palace, Cher has now admitted she truly "loved" Cruise. She says, "It was a long, long time ago and neither one of us ever talked about it and I don't know why. He didn't mention it and I didn't mention it." They split in 1986 when Cruise was forced to move from Los Angeles to Chicago, Illinois after landing a role in the Martin Scorsese film The Color Of Money. Cher adds, "I couldn't go to Chicago and that was kind of the straw that broke the camel's back. "When we were together he was such a private person. Now it's hard for me to look at this person and this press. How many times can I watch him jumping up and down on Oprah's couch?"