A lawyer for Tom Cruise said he filed a $50 million defamation lawsuit Wednesday against the publishers of Life & Style magazine for articles that said the actor has abandoned Suri, his 6-year-old daughter. Bert Fields said to falsely claim the actor deserted his daughter is a ‘‘vicious lie.’’ ‘‘Tom is a caring father who dearly loves Suri. She’s a vital part of his life and always will be,’’ Fields said. ‘‘To say it in lurid headlines with a tearful picture of Suri is reprehensible.’’ The lawsuit was filed in a Los Angeles federal court. An e-mail message left for a spokeswoman for Bauer Publishing, which produces Life & Style, was not immediately returned. Cruise and Suri’s mother, Katie Holmes, were divorced earlier this year. They had been married for six years. If Cruise prevails, Fields said his client would give the money to charity.

‘Rear Window’ to stage