Tom Cruise said no to a major Kennedy Center Award from Donald Trump, The Washington Post reports.
Trump announced the winners on Wednesday and said he would host the award show on TV in December. He wanted to reveal Cruise alongside acts like KISS, Michael Crawford, George Strait, Sylvester Stallone, and Gloria Gaynor. But according to several Kennedy Center insiders, Cruise’s team turned down the invitation, citing “scheduling conflicts.”
Cruise would have been the biggest name among Trump’s picks. Trump said he was “98 percent involved” in choosing the winners.
Known for staying out of politics, Cruise usually keeps quiet and focuses on supporting the military, veterans, and Scientology.
In the past, some stars have refused the award or skipped the ceremony to protest the president. Mel Brooks refused it under George W. Bush in 2009. Norman Lear skipped the White House party in 2017 to protest Trump but still accepted the honor and said on Twitter/X, “I could never turn my back on The Kennedy Center. It represents the Arts and Humanities which mean everything to me. Of course, I’m accepting the honors. What I’m not accepting is the @WhiteHouse reception with @realDonaldTrump.”
Some winners have faced backlash for accepting Trump’s award. On Thursday, “The View” host Ana Navarro begged Gloria Gaynor not to accept the honor from Trump, calling him a “stain” on Instagram.
As for Cruise, he’s busy. He has several projects coming up, including filming Top Gun 3 later this year. The Kennedy Center Honors will air on December 7.
Cruise’s representatives didn’t respond to requests for comment.
