Katie Holmes Rents New Apartment In Chelsea

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- It's only been a few days since Katie Holmes announced that she had filed for divorce from Tom Cruise and it looks like she already has new digs in Chelsea.

Holmes has rented a new apartment on Seventh Avenue between 24th and 25th streets while Cruise is out of the country filming his new movie "Oblivion" in a remote part of northeastern Iceland.

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"You know, we found out that Katie rented her own apartment here in New York City about three weeks ago," said Jen Peros with Us Weekly. "So people are saying, 'Oh my gosh, this happened out of nowhere, it's such a big surprise.' But not really. She's been planning this for some time now."

On "Live from the Couch" Monday morning on WLNY TV 10/55, Peros shared some exclusive information about the divorce.

"I actually spoke to a couple of photographers here in New York City who've been shooting her here for like two weeks and they're like, 'the last two weeks, we have seen her happier than she's been in the last seven years,'" said Peros. "She walks out of her apartment building, she smiles, she says 'hello,' she says 'good morning.'"

So why did Holmes decide to call it quits from her marriage now? Us Weekly says it's for religious reasons.

"You know, we're hearing that she just didn't want to follow the church of Scientology anymore," said Peros. "Now that Suri's 6 years old, she's going to start going to school and she just didn't want her to be influenced by, you know, this very intense religion."

Cruise, who will turn 50 on Tuesday, proposed to Holmes at the Eiffel Tower and the two married in November 2006 at a 15th Century castle in Italy.

Holmes filed for divorce on Thursday. Her representative told People: "This is a personal and private matter for Katie and her family. Katie's primary concern remains, as it always has been, her daughter's best interest."

Holmes was Cruise's third wife. Nicole Kidman, Mimi Rogers and now Holmes all divorced Cruise at age 33.

"I feel sorry for her. Because I always thought Tom Cruise was a little shaky," one person told CBS 2's Hazel Sanchez on Monday night.

"I think it's very, very sad, because the first thing I think of is the little girl," added David Cash of Murray Hill.

Meanwhile, a mysterious white Cadillac Escalade with Tennessee plates has been parked outside Holmes' new apartment since their divorce became public last week. The mystery man in the SUV didn't speak to CBS 2 and eventually pulled away, but CBS 2's Sanchez learned from a tenant Monday night that management told her the men in the white SUV are part of Holmes' security detail.

Christopher Hyland lives in the Chelsea Mercantile building where Holmes is said to be staying. He told CBS 2 several men got out of the vehicle and snapped pictures of him. For what? He said he doesn't know.

"Not only did they record it, but in a sort of...heavy-duty, intimidating way -- over-the-top, unnecessary," Hyland told CBS 2's Emily Smith. "I have not seen these strange, sinister people approach her. I have no idea who they are."

On Monday afternoon, the Church of Scientology released a statement saying it had not sent anybody to follow Holmes.

"There is no truth whatsoever .... that the Church of Scientology has sent anyone to follow or surveil Katie Holmes," attorney Gary. S. Soter said.

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