A U.S. tabloid is quoting a source who claims that Katie Holmes may have been pregnant when she split from ex-boyfriend Chris Klein – BEFORE she embarked on a relationship with husband Tom Cruise.

Katie and Chris split in March 2005 after five years together.

A month after the breakup, the actress flew to Los Angeles from New York to meet Tom.

After a whirlwind (and very public) romance, Tom revealed in June that Katie had accepted his marriage proposal and in October the same year the couple announced that Katie was expecting.

The Inquirer’s source claims to have met with Chris – whose film career took a dive following his role in the hit American Pie movies – before the engagement was made public.

Says the ‘pal’: “We were having dinner at Cafeteria, a restaurant in NY’s Chelsea district, when Chris blurted out ‘Dude, you know I got Katie preggers.’

“There was a long silence. I realized Chris had said more than he intended. My next thought was: What happened to the baby?”

Chris apparently didn't reply.

“From the look in Chris’ eyes, I realized this was highly personal. I didn’t want to probe any further. We quickly went on to another topic,” the source continues.

“Chris never brought it up again, but I know he must be reminded of Katie’s pregnancy every time he sees her daughter Suri.”

The fact that Suri’s birth certificate wasn’t signed until 20 days after her birth date (April 18, 2006) and then it was a full five months before anyone glimpsed the tot in public, prompted speculation that Katie’s daughter may have been born earlier than claimed.

None of which detracts from the fact that little Suri is the spitting image of Tom.