The 2023 Academy Awards occurred over the weekend, with the best and brightest of the film industry being honored in the process. While there were plenty of jokes about Will Smith and A-listers in attendance, one was noticeably absent: Tom Cruise. While Top Gun: Maverick was nominated for a ton of awards including Best Picture, its lead actor and producer wasn't in attendance during Oscars night. It was originally reported that he was busy filming Mission: Impossible, but rumors about his absence are running rampant, specifically about ex Nicole Kidman and more.
There's been a ton of credit coming Tom Cruise's way for helping to revitalize the film industry post-Covid with the release of Top Gun: Maverick. While that movie was nominated for a number of Oscars (winning Best Sound), Cruise wasn't given a Best Actor nom. And now there are a number of rumors going around outlets like The New York Post about the real reason why he was absent. Let's break it all down.
The Original Report About Tom Cruise's Absence
Given just how wildly successful Top Gun: Maverick has been since its release, Tom Cruise has definitely been getting a ton of love from juggernauts in the film world such as Steven Spielberg. And as such, it turned heads when it was revealed that he wouldn't be attending the Academy Awards, which honored the film with a number of notable noms like Best Picture.
During the Oscars, ET reported that Tom Cruise's notable absence from the Academy Awards was due to his notoriously busy shooting schedule. Specifically that he was in the midst of filming the highly anticipated blockbuster Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part II. Given how long he's been working on the pair of M:I movies, this story checked out. But now there are two more rumors currently circulating about Cruise and the Oscars. Buckle up.
The Nicole Kidman Rumor
Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise were a power couple who were married in 1990 and split in 2001. It's been decades since their relationship ended, which is why the recent New York Post story about the Oscars is turning so many heads. According to this report, he felt the need to distance himself physically from Kidman, avoiding the Academy Awards Ceremony altogether as a result. As an anonymous insider shared with the publication:
Tom was not there because she was there, and he did not want a run-in
Pretty wild rumor, right? While exes not wanting to see each other makes sense when the break-up is fresh, it's been decades since Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise were a couple. The New York Post reached out to the rep of both A-listers, who haven't responded to the story. But is this the truth or just a rumor? We'll have to see, because it's not the only theory about Cruise's absence that floating around the internet.
The Judd Apatow Rumor
Another report about Tom Cruise missing the Oscars comes to us from Variety. According to an insider report, the 60-year-old actor pivoted away from the Academy Awards when he learned filmmaker/comedian Judd Apatow was helping host Jimmy Kimmel write his material for the ceremony. And he seemingly didn't want to be fodder for jokes throughout Kimmel's opening monologue or various other sets.
This reported decision by Tom Cruise seemingly came as a result of the recent Directors Guild of America Awards, where Apatow took aim at the Top Gun: Maverick star with some brutal jokes. If Variety is to be believed, Cruise removed himself from the situation in order to avoid that potential embarrassment.
We might never know exactly why Tom Cruise avoided the Oscars, given the three potential theories currently floating around. Perhaps it's a mix of all of them, resulting in him missing out on movie's biggest night. In the end his movie would only take home the Best Sound award, so it's not like he would have been up to accept anything.
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One is expected to hit theaters on July 14th, 2023. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
