LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Paramount Pictures has severed its 14-year-old ties to Tom Cruise's production company because of his off-screen behavior, the chairman of the studio's parent company said on Wednesday in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.

The report signaled the end of one of the most lucrative production deals commanded by any A-list Hollywood star and followed other signs that Cruise's public stature had been damaged by his conduct during the past year.

Cruise's representatives and officials from Viacom and Paramount did not have any immediate comment on the report.



Days after his latest film, "Mission: Impossible III," opened to lower-than-expected domestic ticket sales in May, an opinion poll showed his star power in the eyes of the public had dimmed considerably.

And last month, the Los Angeles Times reported that Paramount Chairman Brad Grey had informed representatives for Cruise and his production partner, Paula Wagner, that the studio planned to slash the amount it spends on their company, Cruise/Wagner Productions.

Months ago, Grey was one of several movie industry executives who publicly rallied to Cruise's defense to insist that his status and popularity were undiminished.

They were reacting to a USA Today/Gallup poll in which half of those surveyed registered an "unfavorable" opinion of the actor. Many cited his off-screen behavior during the past year, including his outspoken defense of his religion, Scientology, and his blunt criticism of psychiatry and actress Brooke Shield's treatment for postpartum depression.

Cruise also became the butt of jokes for his manic, couch-hopping appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" last May to declare his love for actress Katie Holmes, who recently gave birth to Cruise's first biological child, a daughter they named Suri.

"As much as we like him personally, we thought it was wrong to renew his deal," Redstone was quoted as saying in the Wall Street Journal report e-mailed to reporters. "His recent conduct has not been acceptable to Paramount."

I'm surprised. There are nuttier people in Hollyweird than Cruise.

It's the top story on Drudge, with related links to the story.

http://www.drudgereport.com/

Somehow, I doubt if Cruise will ever go broke. He can afford to not make anymore movies.

Somehow, I doubt if Cruise will ever go broke. He can afford to not make anymore movies.
That's true. I'm sure Cruise has enough money for 10 lifetimes. The thing is that actors want to work, not only for the money. I don't think he'll have trouble finding work, just not so sure if he'll still get the blockbuster movies.

The the whole thing with Oprah and Katie Holmes might have made people shake their heads, but I think the thing that did him in was that interview with Matt Lauer.

He came off arrogant, condescending, and ignorant- even though he was accusing Lauer of being "glib," Cruise came out looking more glib with his offhanded remarks. Beyond criticizing everyone who ever needed a drug to help them because of a serious condition, he insulted each one of them and their families with his know-it-all fantasies and supposed expertise on these drugs and conditions.

I have no doubt if they brought in an expert at that point Cruise would have been exposed for his actual lack of knowledge on all the studies and specificities of these medications.

It was like he was scolding everyone in America when he took on Lauer and medication at that point. I think a lot of people were so put off by him acting like someone schooled in all the ways of the real world and that we should bow to his conclusions. Nice way to piss off all the actual people in the real world.

Everytime I think of Cruise I think of that interview and I just can't seem to to watch anything he is in- I can't stomach his face at that point.

I think some people in Hollywood are realizing that other people feel the same way.

I think Hollywood is just realizing that it's business is not profitting as much as it used to, so they are getting rid of costly stars like Tom Cruise who aren't easily manipulated by studio execs and whose actions cost money to the business.

And on the same day, Trey Parker and Matt Stone signed up to do two more movies with Paramount.

Coincidence? Nope.

:ufo:
"Show me the money!" *g* "YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!...What the..."

This could be Viacom Chief Summer Redstone's revenge against Cruise for what happened with that whole "South Park" thing.

Supposedly Cruise threatened not to promote "MI:3" if Comedy Central (also owned by Viacom along with Paramount) ran the now famous "South Park" eppy that ripped Cruise and Scientology.

Or maybe Redstone is pissed becasue "MI:3" didn't make a jillion bucks like Pirates Of The Carrabean did.

This could be Viacom Chief Summer Redstone's revenge against Cruise for what happened with that whole "South Park" thing.

Supposedly Cruise threatened not to promote "MI:3" if Comedy Central (also owned by Viacom along with Paramount) ran the now famous "South Park" eppy that ripped Cruise and Scientology.

Or maybe Redstone is pissed becasue "MI:3" didn't make a jillion bucks like Pirates Of The Carrabean did.


I vote for both!

I can't believe how far Tom Cruise has fallen in the last year. At one time it seemed like he could do no wrong.

I can't believe how far Tom Cruise has fallen in the last year. At one time it seemed like he could do no wrong. Mel Gibson was also in the "could do no wrong boat". He's also caught a lot of flak for his latest escapade. With 2 big name fallen stars, it makes one wonder who is going to be # 3.

Mel Gibson was also in the "could do no wrong boat". He's also caught a lot of flak for his latest escapade. With 2 big name fallen stars, it makes one wonder who is going to be # 3.
Yea I'm wondering how all the fallout will affect Mel. At least he did apologize for the things he said. Tom Cruise still doesn't have a clue. Maybe some of the people in Hollywood are starting to realize that the things they say and do can have repercussions.

With the JonBenet accuser in the news, it has overshadowed the whole Mel thing. Good. Because what Mel did should not be held against him, since he admitted it and apologized. America has moved on and forgotten abt Mel.

yeah, what is THAT about?...i mean didn't their first film just flop?...

ahh, but just got the irony with the South Park link, though...too bad the episode about Tom didn't win the Emmy it was nominated for.

HOLLYWOOD - Hollywood star Tom Cruise "deeply regrets" his verbal attack on Brooke Shields, after the actress praised antidepressants for helping her fight against postpartum depression.
Former Suddenly Susan star Shields was struck down by post-natal depression after the birth of her first child Rowan in 2003 and wrote about her experiences in her book Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Post-Partum Depression.

During Cruise's promotional tour for War of the Worlds last year, he criticized Shields' use of the prescription drugs to treat her depression on TV show Access Hollywood.

Cruise said, "Here is a woman, and I care about Brooke Shields because I think she is an incredibly talented woman. You look at, where has her career gone?

"When you talk about postpartum, you can take people today, women, and what you do is you use vitamins. You can use vitamins to help a woman through those things."

Angry Shields fired back, "His comments are dangerous. Tom should stick to saving the world from aliens and let women decide what treatment is best."

In retrospect, Cruise wishes he never criticized Shields, according to Hollywood producer Kathleen Kennedy, who produced War of the Worlds.

She tells the New York Daily News, "That, he deeply regrets."

HOLLYWOOD - Hollywood star Tom Cruise "deeply regrets" his verbal attack on Brooke Shields, after the actress praised antidepressants for helping her fight against postpartum depression.
Former Suddenly Susan star Shields was struck down by post-natal depression after the birth of her first child Rowan in 2003 and wrote about her experiences in her book Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Post-Partum Depression.

During Cruise's promotional tour for War of the Worlds last year, he criticized Shields' use of the prescription drugs to treat her depression on TV show Access Hollywood.

Cruise said, "Here is a woman, and I care about Brooke Shields because I think she is an incredibly talented woman. You look at, where has her career gone?

"When you talk about postpartum, you can take people today, women, and what you do is you use vitamins. You can use vitamins to help a woman through those things."

Angry Shields fired back, "His comments are dangerous. Tom should stick to saving the world from aliens and let women decide what treatment is best."

In retrospect, Cruise wishes he never criticized Shields, according to Hollywood producer Kathleen Kennedy, who produced War of the Worlds.

She tells the New York Daily News, "That, he deeply regrets."
Of course he regrets it now. He didn't expect all this backlash for it.

H regrets that, but nnot making Katie Holmes his cuddle muffin and making her his twin and having a baby that no one has seen?

HOLLYWOOD - Hollywood star Tom Cruise "deeply regrets" his verbal attack on Brooke Shields, after the actress praised antidepressants for helping her fight against postpartum depression.
Former Suddenly Susan star Shields was struck down by post-natal depression after the birth of her first child Rowan in 2003 and wrote about her experiences in her book Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Post-Partum Depression.

During Cruise's promotional tour for War of the Worlds last year, he criticized Shields' use of the prescription drugs to treat her depression on TV show Access Hollywood.

Cruise said, "Here is a woman, and I care about Brooke Shields because I think she is an incredibly talented woman. You look at, where has her career gone?

"When you talk about postpartum, you can take people today, women, and what you do is you use vitamins. You can use vitamins to help a woman through those things."

Angry Shields fired back, "His comments are dangerous. Tom should stick to saving the world from aliens and let women decide what treatment is best."

In retrospect, Cruise wishes he never criticized Shields, according to Hollywood producer Kathleen Kennedy, who produced War of the Worlds.

She tells the New York Daily News, "That, he deeply regrets."
He can regret it, but is he sorry and apologetic towards those women he offended or is this because his publicist thinks this would help his career?:rolleyes:

I think it's the latter! There is no way he would take back these comments, especially when he is SUCH a believer in the works of Scientology & the badness of anti-depressants like the ones used by new moms!

Just a spinning campaign, IMO...and not a very good one!

i maybe the black duck here but i want people to shut up about. yea he got fired. happens everyday. but last i heard he was in talks to start his own company. that was a couple weeks ago.

I read that Daniel Snyder who owns the Washington Redskins signed Tom Cruise to his management company. Tom has been acting very weird the last few years. I don't understand why he's with Katie Holmes anyway. The age gap is too big between them. He can't find a woman his age? LOL. I read that he acted a fool at a Kanye West party and he almost fell over a balcony at the party because he was drunk. Then he went on BET's 106 & Park video show and was dancing with La La who was hosting the show. She said to him, i see the hood has changed you LOL. He's still a good actor to me but he needs to stop acting stupid. I liked Mission Impossible 3.