Risky Business: Tom Cruise says thanks but no thanks to Donald Trump offering him a lifetime achievement award
The famous actor has rejected the invitation to the White House.
Tom Cruise has reportedly turned down an invitation to receive a Kennedy Center Honour from Donald Trump, with “scheduling conflicts” given as the official reason. According to sources cited by The Washington Post and People, Cruise had been lined up as part of the 2025 honouree list but pulled out before the announcement. His team has not commented publicly on the decision.
Trump, now the self-appointed chairman of the Kennedy Center, unveiled this year’s recipients at a weird press event in which he lifted cloths from funeral-style photos on easels, revealing the names of the honourees. The event concluded with a rambling Q&A from the press in which Trump repeatedly went off topic and failed to answer the questions.
In typical Trump fashion, he also randomly claimed to have been “about 98 percent involved” in picking the honourees — whatever that means — while also making clear he’d rejected plenty of “too woke” candidates.
He even joked that maybe next year they’d “honour Trump” himself which, given it’s Trump blowing his own trumpet, it’s likely to be the case that the self-appointed chairman gives himself an award. It’s all a bit North Korea.
As it stands, the official lineup includes rock legends KISS, country star George Strait, Broadway icon Michael Crawford, disco queen Gloria Gaynor, and action-movie veteran Sylvester Stallone.
The absence of Cruise, one of Hollywood’s biggest names, added an extra layer of intrigue to an already politically charged ceremony.
While he won’t be on stage at the Kennedy Center, Cruise will still be honoured this year—at the Oscars. In November, he’s set to receive an honorary Academy Award at the Governors Awards alongside Debbie Allen and Wynn Thomas, while Dolly Parton will collect the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
Kiss band member Gene Simons: “When you get into a position of power, it does affect lives. I don’t think [Trump’s] a Republican or a Democrat. He’s out for himself, any way you can get there. And in the last election, over 70 million people bought it hook, line and sinker.” pic.twitter.com/equMaIfnl4
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) August 13, 2025
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