To say that the 2024 Summer Olympics offered plenty of memorable moments would be an understatement. The best athletes from around the world put on some incredible displays, dazzling viewers with their abilities. Aside, a few public figures who weren’t actually involved in the competitions also earned a lot of attention for one reason or another. Once such person was The Today Show’s Hoda Ktob, who totally fangirled while rubbing shoulders with celebrities. Tom Cruise was among the stars that the media personality crossed paths with, and they even took a photo that went viral. Now, Ktob is sharing her wild take on how it happened.
Hoda Kotb and Tom Cruise met during the opening ceremony of the Olympics, which was notably accompanied by a lot of rain. That didn’t seem to wash out any kind of excitement that Kotb had about being at the event. While the veteran host shared a lot of fun snippets from her time at the games, her photo with Cruise – which shows the two of them smiling while surrounded by other people – really made an impression. Kotb caught up with ET and recalled the massive moment, and her comments make it seem like she truly had an out-of-body experience:
It was so crazy, we were all together and 10 seconds later, I didn’t know what happened, I blacked out and then I had a picture.
As crazy as the description sounds, it isn't all that far-fetched. Considering how famous the star of the Mission: Impossible movies is, many can probably relate to the NBC correspondent’s off-the-wall thoughts. There are plenty of celebrities who would surely leave fans breathless or incoherent if they were to meet them. But Tom Cruise is arguably among the most iconic Hollywood A-listers to ever live. The news woman's experience certainly sounds special and, based on her photo (which you can see below), she was very happy to be in the presence of the Oscar nominee:
Hoda Kotb wasn’t the only person at the Olympics who totally gushed about meeting a celebrity. Team USA gymnasts Sunni Lee and Jordan Chiles were absolutely shook upon meeting Mariska Hargitay, who famously plays Olivia Benson on Law & Order. (And the video of that encounter is just as sweet as you’d imagine.) Ironically, Hargitay’s longtime friend and frequent co-star, Christopher Meloni (a celebrity in his own right) soaked in the star-studded activities as well. He hung out with Snoop Dogg, Elizabeth Banks and other stars. Later on, Meloni spoke about his time in Paris during an interview with CinemaBlend, calling it the “experience of a lifetime.”
Meanwhile, the Risky Business star made headlines for more than just his pic with the Today host. It was later rumored that Tom Cruise would perform a wild stunt for the closing ceremony. He did just that when he rapelled from the Paris' Stade de France in order to grab the Olympic flag, which was sent to Los Angeles, where the 2028 games will be held. Cruise’s highly rewatchable stunt was impressive (though some fans argued that it was H.E.R., who really made the moment with her excellent guitar skills).
Tom Cruise has been quite busy over the past few years, as he’s been working on the eighth Mission: Impossible film. So it was great to see him take some time and enjoy the Olympics (aside from being part of one of the ceremonies). Due to his kindness, Hoda Kotb now has an excellent keepsake that she can deliriously gush over for years to come and, if you ask me, she has some serious bragging rights from here on out.
Revisit some of the greatest moments from the 2024 Olympic Games by streaming them with a Peacock subscription.
