TOM CRUISE is officially dating Spanish actress Penélope CRUZ - but the Hollywood hunk insists they've only just started romancing.

Tom's publicist has confirmed that the Cruise-Cruz partnership is hotting up, releasing a statement saying the couple "have had a few dates since connecting at his birthday party".

The ALL THE PRETTY HORSES (2000) actress showed up at the actor's birthday party last weekend (06JUL01) wearing a stunning red off- the-shoulder dress. But tongues have been wagging about the relationship since Cruise and wife NICOLE KIDMAN announced their separation in February (01).

At the time the new couple were working on the set of their CAMERON CROWE movie VANILLA SKY (2001) and according to an extra on the movie, despite Cruise's insistence there was no third party involvement, he didn't seem to upset by news of his separation. The actress says,

"He seemed really happy and normal. You wouldn't have thought he was going through a divorce, he was just really up beat. " (SVD/WN/ES)

Source: WENN