Posted on 06/20/2005 7:10:28 AM PDT by Tumbleweed_Connection
The London premiere of "War of the Worlds" turned into a war of words after Tom Cruise was squirted in the face by a man posing as a reporter.
Four men were released on bail after being arrested and were ordered to return to a police station Monday.
The actor was outside a movie theater in central London's Leicester Square on Sunday doing press interviews when a man squirted him with a water pistol disguised as a microphone, London's Metropolitan Police said.
Cruise initially appeared to laugh at the incident but then asked the prankster: "Why would you do that?"
As the man gave a barely audible excuse, Cruise said: "Do you like thinking less of people, is that it?" The prankster tried to walk away but Cruise reached across the metal barrier, held his arm and said: "Don't run away. That's incredibly rude. I'm here giving you an interview and you do that ... it's incredibly rude."
The actor grew increasingly irritated and told the man: "You're a jerk." Footage of the incident appeared on Sky News TV on Monday.
Police detained the man who squirted Cruise and arrested three other men who filmed the incident. The four were working on a new comedy show for British television station Channel 4 in which celebrities are the targets of practical jokes.
Police released the men on bail several hours later and ordered them to return to a central London police station on Monday, when they may be charged with assault, the police spokesman said.
Actress Katie Holmes, who recently got engaged to Cruise, was at the premiere but not by his side at the time of the incident.
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Thanks, R/T, you're a fantastic audience.
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I thought Cruise looked like a baby and should have just walked away. Why waste the time and give the 'reporter' the reaction he wanted for his tv show? Cruise made a fool of himself over a little water.
Stuttering John/Howard Stern type idiocy.
Not sure how you can think he didn't keep his composure. A lot of celebrities would have just slugged the guy. As for walking away and trying to ignore it, that is probably the reaction the pranksters wanted. I doubt they wanted Cruise calling the guy on the fact that he had to be a complete jerk for doing what he did.
I believe your view is widely shared.
I agree. It's just a completely rude and uncalled-for thing to do to anyone, celebrity or not.
Although getting squirted is not the end of the earth, and if as you say he handled it well, I'm still a little confused. What, on God's green earth, is up with the MSM and Cruise? Can't hardly turn on a news program without the latest Cruise update. "Ooo Ahhh he's jumping on Oprah's sofa. EEEee Ummm he's getting remarried. La Tee Dah, he's in LOVE again." Seems to me it's an ongoing commercial and publicity stunt for his new movie and his "religion". IMHO .....
Kinda sounds like what we do when illegal aliens are arrested!
Sort of like a "your day in the barrel thing." Too bad Mr. Cruise was inconvenienced. Some days you get the bear. Ok, most days Mr. Cruise gets the bear. But some days the bear gets you even if you happen to be Tom Cruise.
That's pretty funny! Thanks for the link. Just futher proof of Cruise's ego.
Everything they do is for publicity. They can't live without it.
Don't believe them when they whine about the media attention...they know once the media attention ends, so has their carreers.
Only if you define class as self absorbed, leftist, homos who belong to religious cults.
How come these left wing students who throw pies at conservative speakers don't get immediately arrested?
I for one am tired of all the attention on Cruise. Has anyone seen "Batman Begins"? Christian Bale.... now, there's a real man !
Scientology have certainly brought a sense of balance and proportion to Cruise's life.
He ego and his strangeness. That is one strange dude.
He's following in his mentor's footsteps, (Paul Newman).
Agree with your post, 100%.
Whether it's water, a pie, or something more sinister, it is a violation of his (or anyone's) person, and these "pranksters" should be arrested for assault.
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