What Have Been The Top Controversies Surrounding Top Gun Star- Tom Cruise?

The Mission Impossible star, Tom Cruise, turns 55 on 3rd July. Starting his career at the age of nineteen, he first appeared in the movie Endless Love (1981). He is famously known for his role in the movies Mission Impossible and Top Gun. Coming after a long span of three decades, the release date of a sequel to his movie Top Gun has recently been announced to be 19th July 2019.

However, Cruise hasn’t been distant from the controversies during his time in Hollywood. From Scientology to relationships, he always had a buzz going on around him. Here are some of the most widely popular controversies which surrounded Cruise:-

#1. Chad Slater controversy – In 2001, Tom Cruise filed a defamation suit against Chad Slater, a gay porn star. Slater claimed during his interview with the magazine, Acustar, that he had an affair with Cruise. Slater was later ordered to pay $10 Million as damages.

(Image Courtesy: Queerty)

#2. New York Rescue Workers Detoxification- Cruise’s 2003 detoxification project generated major controversy. The project was directed to aid the firefighters and other rescue workers affected by the toxic smoke during 9/11. Cruise drew controversy for the potential dangers in the project.

#3. On Psychiatry- Being a member of Scientology Church, Tom Cruise does not miss a chance to criticize psychiatric methods of treatment. In the year 2004, his statement “I think psychiatry should be outlawed”, triggered major controversy. He openly criticized actress, Brooke Shields, for using anti- depressants to deal with post-partum depression. Cruise, later, got into a heated on-screen argument with NBC Today Show’s host Matt Lauer for his controversial comments.

(Image Courtesy: The Daily Beast)

#4. Couch Humping- It was in the year 2005, during The Oprah Winfrey show that Cruise invited another controversy. He started jumping on the couch in order to proclaim his love for his then love interest, Katie Holmes. This was a major setback to his public image.

#5. Paramount Pictures – In the year 2006, another controversy sparked around Tom Cruise when his 14-year long tie with his production company, Paramount Pictures, was announced to be broken. The production company stated the reason behind this decision to be Tom Cruise’s erratic and controversial public behavior, including his open advocacy for Scientology.

(Image Courtesy: The Gazette Review)

#6. YouTube video- Another controversy came Cruise’s way in the year 2008, when a video, where Cruise promoted Scientology, was leaked on YouTube. When the Church of Scientology claimed that the video was pirated and edited, it was removed to avoid litigation. However, the video came back on the site when it was established that it was not in contravention of any law.

#7. Wife Audition – A Vanity Fair article in the year 2012 triggered a major controversy when it mentioned that after Cruise’s breakup with Penelope Cruz and his inability to find a suitable match, the Church of Scientology conducted a secret audition to find a match for Cruise. Nazanin Boniadi was said to be chosen as the potential wife of Cruise. However, Boniadi’s name soon disappeared from the news and went into obscurity.

(Image Courtesy: The Hollywood Reporter)

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(Featured Image Courtesy: Omaha World Herald)