Tom Cruise, the popular Hollywood actor, known for his work in the MI and Top Gun franchises, has reportedly declined to be among the first group of Kennedy Center Honorees during US President Donald Trump’s second term in the White House due to “scheduling conflicts”.
“Tom Cruise was offered the honors but declined because of scheduling conflicts, according to several current and former Kennedy Center employees who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss event plans,” read a Washington Post report.
The report also shared that the representative of Tom Cruise refused to comment on the matter. US President Donald Trump named Hollywood legend Sylvester Stallone and country music great George Strait among the recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors on Wednesday.
This action of Trump is one of the efforts to take control of the Kennedy Center arts complex earlier this year.
One of the nation’s highest arts awards will also be given to Gloria Gaynor, rock band KISS, and British theatre star Michael Crawford.
The President shared that he would host the Honors gala, which generally takes place in December and is later broadcast on CBS.
The Valkyrie actor is still slated to receive an honorary award for his contribution to the film industry before the end of 2025. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced in June that Tom Cruise will receive an honorary Oscar at the 2025 Governors Awards on November 16.
The actor was last featured in _Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning_ , which also starred Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Henry Czerny, and Angela Bassett in supporting roles. The movie was directed by Christopher McQuarrie. It was the last part of the MI franchise.