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Katie Holmes and Jamie Foxx have been together since 2013. But they couldn't say so until now.

This week we saw photos of Katie Holmes and Jamie Foxx holding hands on the beach – a PDA common place for many romantic couples, but downright unheard of for these two.

No big deal right? Many celebrities elect to keep their relationships quiet because they like their privacy. But for Foxx and Holmes, who have reportedly been dating since 2013, there has been another bizarre reason to stay tight-lipped.

According to reports made last year, in order to divorce her ex-husband Tom Cruise in 2012, the 38-year-old had to agree that she wouldn’t publicly date anyone for five years.

“Katie signed a clause in her quickie divorce settlement that prevents her from embarrassing Tom in various ways, like talking about him or Scientology, or publicly dating another man for five years after the divorce,” a source told Radar, adding that millions of dollars in alimony was at stake.

Sources close to the couple claimed Foxx and Holmes dated secretly for years, sneaking around and going as far as wearing disguises to keep from being discovered. While they have been spotted in public occasionally – those paps are ruthless – this latest outing is the first time they’ve been quite so open.

And why might that be? Well, in July the alleged contract’s clause expired, meaning the couple would be finally free to shout their love from the rooftops – or in this case, hold hands as they stroll along a Malibu beach.

While we may not start hearing gushy, tell-all interviews from the pair anytime soon (they probably like that whole privacy thing too) we might start seeing a lot more of them in public.

Listen: Tom Cruise has rules for his divorce. Mike Pence, US Vice President, has rules for his marriage.

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