Tom Cruise made a dramatic entrance at the Olympic closing ceremony in Paris, but one particular moment has left viewers with mixed reactions.
After 16 thrilling days of sporting events at the 2024 Games, the festivities concluded at the Stade de France on Sunday (11 August).
Unlike the opening ceremony, Paris’ final Olympic celebration was centered around Tom Cruise.
The closing ceremony not only celebrated the Paris Games but also included the handover to Los Angeles, the host of the 2028 Olympics.
During the event, as the Top Gun actor ran through the stadium, an audience member grabbed Cruise and attempted to kiss him.
Cruise did not resist the woman’s attempts, but the kiss was far from typical.
Social media has been buzzing with opinions from Olympic viewers, showing a clear divide.
“Well, look at the closing ceremony and look how Tom Cruise let fans kiss him and rub their hands through his hair now that’s class that happens to be an individual who appreciates the fans,” one fan tweeted.
Another person chimed in: “She gave him the ole french double cheek kiss lol … perfectly acceptable in France.”
However, not everyone agreed. One comment read: “Pushy lady. People should not ever do what she did to anyone, celebrity or otherwise.
“You don’t grab and kiss a person especially a person you don’t even know in any way, and twice, like that. It’s very rude to force yourself onto them that way. Tom Cruise is so gracious.”
Another critic added: “The worst kind of people in audiences. Absolute zero respect for personal space.”
During the closing ceremony, Cruise abseiled from the stadium roof, landed on the pitch, and received the Olympic flag from Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles, and Team USA gymnast Simone Biles.
A pre-recorded clip showed the Hollywood star traveling from Paris to California.
The video depicted Cruise flying over the Atlantic Ocean before skydiving out of a plane and raising the Olympic flag on the Hollywood sign.
The sequence, reminiscent of a Mission Impossible scene, was set to the music of California’s own Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Back in March, many noticed Cruise filming near the Hollywood sign, with most assuming it was for a commercial.
It turns out, the 62-year-old actor was filming for the LA 2028 handover.
