Celebs Who Can't Stand Tom Cruise
Hollywood is full of controversies. From celebrities hooking up, breaking up, or making up, to all the behind-the-scenes action that reportedly goes on, there's no shortage of drama in Tinseltown. And one man that has seen far more than his fair share of drama and controversy while working the red carpet is Tom Cruise. Cruise may be hailed for his good looks and terrific acting skills, but that doesn't mean people love him — especially his fellow co-stars and former romantic partners.
Yes, there are plenty of celebs who reportedly can't stand Cruise, and the list extends far beyond his spurned lovers. Of course, the Mission: Impossible star's religious beliefs don't help his popularity among other celebrities — even his fellow Scientologists. Cruise has been associated with Scientology since the early '90s when his ex-wife Mimi Rogers introduced him to the religion, and he has given many confusing interviews about his beliefs, even stating that psychiatry was "pseudoscience" while talking to Matt Lauer on Today.
While Scientology certainly hasn't helped Cruise's popularity, it's not the only reason why these celebs can't stand him. Read on to find out more.
Katie Holmes has a rough history with Tom Cruise
If there is one person people tend to associate with Tom Cruise, it's Katie Holmes. The duo made headlines after silently welcoming their daughter, Suri, into the world in 2005. According to Scientology Parent, a silent birth is based on founder, L. Ron Hubbard's research to have "labor and delivery done in a calm and loving environment." Interesting, huh? TomKat married in a castle in Rome a year later in 2006, only to divorce in 2012.
While the pair were together, there were plenty of rumors that their relationship was fake and all for show (ahem, Tom Cruise's wild Oprah Winfrey interview, anyone?), and even that the Church of Scientology had held auditions for Cruise's new wife – with Holmes landing the role. Whatever happened, things didn't exactly end amicably, and Holmes reportedly wanted out.
As Ron Miscavige, father of David Miscavige (the leader of the Church of Scientology), told Daily Mail, "The big issue really was raising Suri as a Scientologist. If that happened, some day it was a possibility that she would disconnect from Katie." So, the pair divorced. And even years later, it appears as though Cruise and Holmes aren't exactly amicable towards each other, and Cruise reportedly hasn't even seen Suri in years. Clearly, things didn't end well for TomKat, and now, it appears that Holmes can't stand to be around her ex.
Leah Remini doesn't hold anything back
Leah Remini and Tom Cruise used to have a lot in common. Remini joined the Church of Scientology in the 1980s, only leaving in 2013. Per Rolling Stone, the King of Queens actress left the church "after a series of run-ins with Miscavige and his close friend Tom Cruise."
What's more, according to former Scientologist Mike Rinder, Remini allegedly got scolded for asking about Shelly Miscavige (who hasn't been seen in public for years) at the wedding of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Weird, huh?
In fact, in her memoir, Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology, Remini had quite a lot to say about Cruise and Scientology in general, and it definitely sounds like she wasn't impressed with Cruise's behavior on a number of occasions. According to her book (via Vulture), Remini explained one instance in which Cruise blew up about cookies. "Once, he wanted to make cookies, and there was a package of prepackaged cookie dough on the counter. He asked, 'Guys, where's the cookie stuff?'" she wrote. Remini continued, explaining that "Tom seemed like a child who had never been told no," and that he screamed at his assistant.
Obviously, Remini isn't a huge Cruise fan, and as Us Weekly reported, it seems as though the feelings are mutual, with Cruise reportedly outraged at her memoir.
Nicole Kidman has a complicated relationship with him
Believe it or not, but Katie Holmes wasn't Tom Cruise's first marriage that ended in divorce. Before he married Holmes, Cruise was married to Nicole Kidman for 11 years. While that's quite a long time to be married, Kidman has said that it might not have been the best decision for her to make at the time. "I was so young when I got married. I look back now and I'm like, 'What?'" Kidman explained in an interview with Red magazine (via The Daily Mail).
Additionally, Kidman revealed that she felt pretty lonely during her marriage. "[The divorce] culminated in winning an Oscar and that caused an epiphany which was, 'This isn't the answer,'" she dished to the outlet. "I was holding a gold statue and I was the loneliest I'd ever been." However, while she doesn't totally hate Cruise, Kidman also didn't see the divorce coming, and in an interview with DuJour magazine, she said, "It took me a very long time to heal. It was a shock to my system."
Kidman hasn't said much about her relationship with Cruise, but it wouldn't be shocking to know she couldn't stand him, as he truly broke her heart.
Brooke Shields thinks Tom Cruise was out of line
As strange as it may sound, Tom Cruise has a certain history with a celebrity who wasn't an ex-wife. Brooke Shields and Cruise have exchanged some not-so-kind words in the past, and it wouldn't be a shocker to learn that Shields can't stand Cruise anymore.
In 2005, Cruise told Access Hollywood that he thought Shields using antidepressants to help with her postpartum depression was "irresponsible," according to People. Uh-oh. As he bluntly explained to the outlet, "When someone says [medication] has helped them, it is to cope, it didn't cure anything. There is no science. There is nothing that can cure them whatsoever." If that's not all, the Top Gun star added insult to injury regarding Shield's career, declaring, "I care about Brooke Shields because I think she is an incredibly talented woman, (but) look at where has her career gone."
Obviously, Shields wasn't going to take that lying down, and told People, "Tom should stick to saving the world from aliens and let women who are experiencing postpartum depression decide what treatment options are best for them," poking fun at the Church of Scientology's alleged belief in aliens. Neither Cruise nor Shields minced words, making this relationship quite clear.
It's a money thing for Alec Baldwin
The thing with Tom Cruise is that, even when he isn't trying, he has the tendency to turn people against him. Yes, Cruise doesn't even have to be in the same room as someone to annoy them. For instance, Alec Baldwin has made his feelings clear when it comes to Cruise, and they aren't all that great.
At the 2009 Elle magazine annual Women in Hollywood dinner, Baldwin gave a speech about equal pay in Hollywood and cracked a joke at Cruise's insane paychecks. "I believe we can balance the scales if Tom Cruise would lower his quote by a mere $29 million," Baldwin joked, according to E! News. "I realize this may be a bit unfair since he's not here to defend himself and I really don't want to put this all on one man, but if I had to, that man would be Tom Cruise...I assure you my salary would not make a difference. My annual salary is the budget for Altoids on one of Tom's movies."
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Cruise is worth an estimated $570 million, so the Beetlejuice actor wasn't wrong in his criticism of the celeb. Baldwin isn't impressed at how much money Cruise paid and likely can't stand it either — although he's yet to leave a scathing voicemail for the star much how he did for his daughter, Ireland Baldwin.
Justin Bieber is weirdly apprehensive towards the star
It's no secret that celebrities who got their start in the industry young, tend to go through some troubling times. Justin Bieber is no stranger to controversy or bad press, but his feud with Tom Cruise is kind of confusing. Bieber is weirdly apprehensive towards Cruise, and it seems to be somewhat one-sided.
In a 2019 tweet, Bieber literally challenged Cruise to a physical battle. "I wanna challenge Tom Cruise to fight in the octagon. Tom if you don't take this fight your [sic] scared and you will never live it down. Who is willing to put on the fight?" If that wasn't bizarre enough, Bieber then posted a video of him kicking the cap off a bottle, saying, "This could be Tom Cruise's head." Uh... right.
The world was busy scratching their heads, so HuffPost decided to start an "investigation" into the cause of Bieber's aggression towards Cruise. Whether it was religion, personal, or just a grab for attention, it's clear that Bieber reportedly isn't fond of Cruise — although he also told TMZ he was "just playing" when it came to the initial tweet. Perhaps this is just another one of the Biebs' baffling moments that we'll just have to let die.
John Travolta and Tom Cruise have issues
Though many of Tom Cruise's reported quarrels with fellow celebrities seem to stem from their issues with Cruise's ties to the Church of Scientology, he has also been known to feud with other church members. Specifically, Cruise and John Travolta, another Scientologist, haven't been known to get along, despite sharing the same beliefs.
A former member of the church, Brendan Tighe, told New Idea that Travolta was jealous of Cruise's position in the church, and his relationship with Scientology chief David Miscavige. "Cruise is the only celeb with a direct line to Miscavige," Tighe revealed, adding, "Travolta didn't have that. Travolta doesn't get anything free, no one is giving him absurd gifts like an airplane hangar, custom-made bikes, or over-the-top favors." As Tighe continued, "It's no secret that Cruise and Travolta despised each other."
While the Pulp Fiction star hasn't outright said that he can't stand Cruise, there is plenty of speculation that everything isn't all sunshine and roses inside the church, especially considering what a devout Scientologist Travolta is.
A rivalry that never got settled
As an entertainer, Tom Cruise has to work with a lot of different actors, directors, writers, and producers when he makes a movie. It's only natural for some tensions to rise when you work with someone under intense circumstances, but according to some reports, tensions between Cruise and Brad Pitt have been rising for decades.
When Cruise and Pitt filmed 1994's Interview with the Vampire, Pitt reportedly had a hard time dealing with Cruise. In fact, according to Radar Online, Pitt allegedly complained about Cruise, saying, "He bugged me. There came a point during filming when I started really resenting him. He's North Pole, I'm South." Pitt continued, "He's always coming at you with a handshake, whereas I may bump into you. There was this underlying competition that got in the way of any real conversation."
While some stars may chalk up their disagreeances to friendly rivalry at a younger age, a source also told Radar Online that the two reportedly still don't get along and that things are likely never to get resolved between them. Whatever the case is, it's clear that Pitt genuinely can't stand Cruise.
Mark Wahlberg was outraged by Tom Cruise's comments
While Tom Cruise certainly seems to work hard after he lands a film role, that doesn't mean he's without his faults. In fact, there is one celeb who appears not to be able to stand Cruise for one significant complaint Cruise made about his job.
In 2013, The Mummy actor reportedly compared his work filming a movie as being as intense as "fighting in Afghanistan," Gawker reported. One person this comparison irked? Mark Wahlberg. "For actors to sit there and talk about 'Oh I went to SEAL training,' and I slept on the — I don't give a f**k what you did," Wahlberg passionately said during a Q&A session (via TMZ). "You don't do what these guys did ... For somebody to sit there and say my job was as difficult as somebody in the military. How fu**ing dare you. While you sit in a makeup chair for two hours."
Wahlberg didn't beat around the bush when he criticized Cruise, nor should he have. Although Cruise's lawyer released a statement (via People) claiming that the actor was joking, adding that "Tom is a staunch supporter of our troops," there's no denying that his comment rubbed people the wrong way. Wahlberg knows that there's a difference between working long hours as an actor and fighting in the military, and he can't stand Cruise's assumption that these two things are comparable — whether he was serious or not.
Russell Crowe is Team Nicole
Loyalty is everything to some people, even celebrities who have all the money and power in the world. Unfortunately for Tom Cruise, that means some fellow actors may despise him — basing their feelings purely on the treatment of his ex-wives. For instance, when Cruise filmed the 2017 reboot of The Mummy with Russell Crowe, rumors began to swirl that Crowe couldn't deal with his co-star, or that he didn't want to because of what went down between Cruise and Nicole Kidman.
A source revealed to New Idea (via The Daily Mail) that Crowe isn't a big fan of Cruise. "He hasn't been able to stand Tom for years," the source explained. "Russell is a loyal guy and never forgave Tom for the way he treated Nicole...If they'd stayed friends, he would've felt he was betraying Nic, so he froze Tom out of his life."
As it turns out, Crowe and Kidman go back years, and as the starlet told Vanity Fair in 2018, the two Aussies met in a suburb in Australia, where Crowe came to one of her parties. "I attempted to cook paella. And I didn't cook the rice, so it was crunchy. Not good. Throw it out, bring out the beer," she quipped. Considering these two go back so many years, it makes sense that Crowe feels obligated to maintain a sense of loyalty towards his A-list pal.