Tom Cruise, apparently fearing that his constant top-billing in every gossip and news magazine from here to Timbuktu isn’t going to be enough hype for his new movie, skipped out on his wife and new baby in order to attend the Italian premiere of Mission: Impossible 3.

“I didn’t want to come,” said Cruise. “My daughter was just born and I didn’t want to leave her and her mother; I thought about not coming to Rome, but Kate said go and have fun.”

No word on whether or not Kate – Katie Holmes – is allowed to leave Suri and her mother as well…