Foxx and Holmes go public for birthday bash

SUPER-secretive couple Katie Holmes and Jamie Foxx made a rare public appearance together this week, partying at Foxx's 50th birthday.

The pair is one of Hollywood's most mysterious and publicity-shy couples, never actually confirming their relationship status - and going to great lengths to avoid being seen together.

But in candid photos from Foxx's birthday celebrations, the pair can be seen smiling, laughing and warmly embracing each other.

After years of conducting their relationship behind closed doors, Foxx and Holmes have slowly started to step into the public eye of late - a decision that is believed to be related to Holmes' 2012 divorce to A-lister Tom Cruise.
Rumours of a relationship between the stars began in 2013, but according to Radar Online, Holmes agreed not to publicly date another man for five years in exchange for $5.8 million in child support and $6.2 million payment for herself.

An insider claimed: "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.

"She's allowed to date, but she cannot do so in a public fashion, and she's not supposed to let any boyfriend near their daughter, Suri."

With the rumoured five-year-ban up in August, Foxx and Holmes have been slightly more open about their relationship - they were even photographed holding hands in September.

Before that, pictures of the pair together were infrequent, and usually unguarded. Here they are in the audience at a 2013 benefit concert in East Hampton, New York:

And here they are more recently, snapped unawares by a member of the public while dining in a restaurant: