If Tom Cruise had attended the 2023 Oscars, Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue joke about Scientology would have been scrapped.
According to Molly McNearney, the show’s executive producer and Kimmel’s wife, they had a three-minute segment dedicated to honouring Cruise and his contribution to the film industry. However, they were disappointed to learn a few days before the event that Cruise would not be attending.
During the monologue, Kimmel joked about Cruise and Scientology, saying, “Everyone loved Top Gun – everybody. I mean, Tom Cruise with his shirt off in that beach football scene. L Ron hubba-hubba – you know what I’m saying?” The Church of Scientology was founded by L Ron Hubbard in 1953, and Cruise is a member.
Entertainment Tonight reported that the 60-year-old actor missed the Oscars because he was filming Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part II in the UK.
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