Tom Cruise is no stranger to making headlines, but the most recent ones are for a more unusual reason.
A leaked audio recording of Tom yelling at crew members on the Mission Impossible 7 set for breaking COVID protocols has gone viral, and it has reportedly affected attitudes on set.
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“We are the gold standard. They’re back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us,” Tom could be heard saying in the two-minute clip.
“Because they believe in us and what we’re doing. I’m on the phone with every [expletive] studio at night, insurance companies, producers and they’re looking at us and using us to make their movies,” Tom said.
“We are creating thousands of jobs, you [expletive]. I don’t ever want to see it again. Ever!”
“You can tell it to the people who are losing their [expletive] homes because our industry is shut down. It’s not going to put food on their table or pay for their college education. That’s what I sleep with every night – the future of this [expletive] industry,” Tom continued.
“So I’m sorry, I am beyond your apologies. I have told you, and now I want it, and if you don’t do it, you’re out!”
“We are not shutting this [expletive] movie down! Is it understood? If I see it again, you’re [expletive] gone,” Tom continued.
It’s not clear exactly what protocol the crew members weren’t following at the time.
“Do you understand what I want? Do you understand the responsibility that you have?”
“Because I will deal with your reason, and if you can’t be reasonable and I can’t deal with your logic, you’re fired.”
“That’s it. That is it. I trust you guys to be here,” Tom concluded.
The reactions to the leaked audio have been divided, with some believing Tom’s behavior was justified and others believing that even though Tom’s message was good, his delivery was unacceptable .
Tom’s outburst seems to have real consequences on the film set.
The Sun is now reporting that since Tom’s rant, five crew members have quit.
“The first outburst was big but things haven’t calmed since. Tension has been building for months and this was the final straw,” a source told The Sun .
“Since it became public there has been more anger and several staff have walked.”
“Tom just can’t take any more after all the lengths they have gone to just to keep filming at all. He’s upset others aren’t taking it as seriously as him. In the end, he’s the one who carries the can.”
Fellow celebrities have also weighed in.
George Clooney told Howard Stern , “He didn’t overreact because it is a problem, I have a friend who’s an AD on another TV show who just had the almost exact same thing happen with not quite as far out a response.”
However, George added that he “wouldn’t have done it that big. I wouldn’t have, you know, pulled people out.”
“You’re in a position of power and it’s tricky, right? You do have a responsibility for everybody else and he’s absolutely right about that. And, you know, if the production goes down, a lot of people lose their jobs. People have to understand that and have to be responsible. It’s just not my style to, you know, to take everybody to task that way,” he said.
Leah Remini, on the other hand, felt that Tom’s outburst was indicative of who he is as a person.
In a lengthy blog post , Leah accused Tom of being “an abusive person,” and claimed that his behavior in the leaked audio clip was “the real Tom.”
What do you think?
Was Tom justified in his behavior, or were the crew justified in walking off the set? Let us know how you feel in the comments!
h/t: The Sun
