Tom Cruise had fan support when he had an intense reaction to a prank interview.
Throughout his impressively long career, Tom Cruise has often been a bit controversial. He’s turned down a potentially lucrative franchise for creative reasons, leaving tons of cash on the table. He is often judged for his ties (and mega donations) to Scientology, which is said to have impacted his relationships and his kids in the past. He’s even caught heat for apparently banning Katie Holmes from dating for years after their divorce.
Despite all that (and more), Tom is still a beloved celebrity, even if not everyone gets his brand of passion. So when a camera crew on a red carpet decided to do something that Tom didn’t like, fans supported the actor’s reaction to the chain of events, cheering him on years later.
Tom Cruise Was Once Sprayed In The Face By A Reporter
It happened eons ago by Hollywood standards, but Tom Cruise’s 2005 red carpet moment at the War of the Worlds premiere went down in history for a few reasons.
For one, Tom revealed that day that he was dating Katie Holmes which, at the time, was wild but exciting news. The other reason that day went down in history was not such a great memory for anyone involved.
On the red carpet, an interviewer from a British TV station holds out a microphone to ask Tom Cruise questions. The microphone then squirts water in Tom’s face, and the actor was not impressed.
Notably, Tom didn’t seem to raise his voice, turn red in the face, or threaten anyone. His calm and collected reaction, however, had the interviewer near tears by the end of the one-minute video clip of the incident.
In the video clip, which was titled Tom Cruise Squirt by the uploading party, Tom begins to lecture the film crew, saying, “That’s incredibly rude. I’m here giving you an interview and you do that … it’s incredibly rude,” and even calling the interviewer a jerk.
Fans Supported Tom’s Diva-Like Reaction To The Offense
Most actors might have responded differently to a harmless prank like being squirted with a bit of water, but Tom Cruise wasn’t having it on that red carpet. To his credit, it was a big day for him, and that prank was disrespectful, even if meant to be lighthearted.
Though he’s often labeled a diva for how he reacts to perceived affronts (like the viral couch-jumping incident that he later suggested was a setup by Oprah), fans had Cruise’s back on this one.
One person commented on the YouTube video, “you know you’ve made some bad decisions in life when Tom Cruise is calling you a jerk.” Redditors held similar opinions, with one writing, “Calling someone a jerk in sincerity can be 100x more effective” than calling them other derogatory, censor-requiring terms.
Another Redditor agreed Tom “handled it with class,” while YouTube viewers agreed with the comment, “I’m actually pretty impressed at how calm and collected Tom remained through this.”
Many people commented on the fact that the film crew seemed thoroughly scolded afterward, with the interviewer appearing as if he was about to cry. Some suggested there was smirking happening before the end of the conversation, though.
Either way, even after Tom Cruise was done lecturing the interviewers for their joke, things didn’t exactly end well. Tom went on with his night, but he later decided to pursue charges.
Tom Cruise’s Team Pressed Charges Against The Cameramen And Interviewer
Tom Cruise clearly wasn’t happy with only lecturing the pranksters who squirted him on the red carpet. After the incident, The Guardian reported, four members of the film crew (from Channel 4) were jailed.
It turns out the four crew members were working on a comedy show, which probably didn’t help matters in Tom’s opinion. The Guardian called the man who squired Tom a “bogus reporter,” noting that he put the microphone out while among a crowd of actual journalists who were asking Cruise questions.
On their end, the Channel 4 crew defended their comedy pranks by saying, “The water squirting was not intended to cause offence and was very much in a spirit of fun.”
Various publications pointed out that the film crew “could” be charged with assault, but it’s unclear whether they ever were. They were detained, arrested, and later released on bail (within a few hours), according to multiple sources. They were also expected to return to a police station for questioning following their release.
For Tom’s part, it doesn’t seem as if he referenced the event again, and probably didn’t give it another thought after instructing his team to press charges.
Years later, fans are still on his side. As Tom himself noted, “I really work hard to make people feel good,” and the fake journalists clearly didn’t have the same goal in mind.
