Who could forget the infamous interview between Tom Cruise, Oprah Winfrey, and her couch? It turns out that the hilarious interaction wasn’t the only awkward encounter between the two. In 2005, while speaking on his love for his then-wife, Katie Holmes, Cruise expressed his joy by jumping on Oprah’s couch. The segment went down as one of the most talked-about incidents on The Oprah Winfrey Show, but it overshadowed another incident.
About a decade before the couch incident, Oprah attended a private screening for Cruise’s 1994 film, Interview with a Vampire. Oprah recalled that the movie gave her the absolute creeps. It ultimately caused her to walk out of the screening, along with around 30 other people. “I believe there are forces of light and darkness in the world, and I don’t want to be a contributor to the force of darkness,” Oprah told Cruise on her show. Cruise didn’t disagree with the daytime television host. The actor responded that the film “is not for everybody.” Due to Oprah’s fear of the film, she even reconsidered interviewing Cruise.
Tom Cruise and Oprah laugh at it now
In 2017, both Cruise and Oprah recalled the 1994 interview and their take on it. While speaking with A.J. Calloway for Extra, the actor stated that Oprah was scared of the film but didn’t blame him. “She was like, ‘Tom, I love you, but I had to walk out of that movie,'” Cruise said. “You got scared, Oprah, and you all were praying for me in the lobby!”
Oprah sat down with Mario Lopez, who showed her the clip of Cruise speaking with Calloway. “I was like, ‘Tom, I was so disturbed by this movie.’ And no, I don’t like scary movies. I really don’t like dark movies,” Oprah told to Lopez. When Calloway told Cruise that Oprah would be getting a copy of the DVD, he offered up other films in place of the gothic drama. “Send her A Few Good Men! Send her Jerry Maguire!” Cruise joked.
Cruise has often been targeted by the tabloids, typically because of his devotion to Scientology. In November 2019, Gossip Cop dispelled a rumor that Cruise was trying to recruit several elite members of Hollywood to join the religion. A source alleged that the Top Gun star wanted Demi Moore, Joaquin Phoenix, and Barbara Streisand to become members. This was entirely fabricated.
It was also alleged that Cruise was trying to recruit Moore to be his “Scientology bride” following his split from Holmes. A source alleged that there was “chemistry” between the two with Cruise actively pursuing a relationship with the actress. Gossip Cop was able to debunk this ridiculous claim.