Tom Cruise is catching heat online after appearing on Jason and Travis Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast, with some commenters branding him a “deadbeat dad” and questioning why the brothers chose to feature him. While the interview’s goal might have been to promote an upcoming film, it has nevertheless reopened past controversies about the New York-born actor’s family issues.
Cruise joined the Kelces to promote his upcoming movie Digger, in which he plays an eccentric oil tycoon. During the conversation, the actor discussed the elaborate prosthetics required for the role and his efforts to make the six-hour makeup process more efficient. Cruise said he even brought in a stopwatch and had the makeup team repeatedly practice each stage until they reduced the preparation time to less than an hour.
But discussion surrounding the podcast appearance quickly moved beyond the movie. On Reddit, critics focused heavily on Cruise’s association with the Church of Scientology and his relationship with his children. One highly upvoted commenter wrote, “This is disgusting (but not surprising) for them to turn a blind eye to his vile behavior and presence in the CoS. You are the company you keep.”
Another responded, “That’s why I love this for them. Remove that whitewash, show us your real face.” Some commenters specifically attacked Cruise over his relationship with his daughter, Suri, whom he shares with actress Katie Holmes. Cruise has faced longstanding public scrutiny over his limited public relationship with Suri following his 2012 divorce from Holmes.
“He’s a deadbeat dad alright,” one commenter wrote. Another argued that Cruise’s estrangement from Suri was preferable to raising her within Scientology, writing that “the only options were to leave his kid alone or alienate the kid from her other parent.”
The Kelces also got caught in the crossfire
Cruise is frequently described by critics as a “deadbeat dad” because of his long-running estrangement from his youngest daughter, Suri. Cruise and Katie Holmes divorced in 2012, and he has not been publicly seen with Suri since 2013. Suri, now a college student, has also stopped using her father’s surname and recently legally adopted her mother’s middle name, Noelle.
The two Kelce brothers themselves became part of the criticism, with one Reddit user writing, “The Kelces really treating ‘estranged from your kids’ like a booking requirement at this point.” The interview itself was largely lighthearted, with the Kelces discussing Cruise’s career, his time at Arrowhead Stadium, and his recent interactions with Taylor Swift.
Still, online critics nevertheless compared Cruise to Brad Pitt, who also appeared on the Kelce brothers’ podcast and likewise had his surname dropped by his kids after a messy divorce. For critics, having both Pitt and Cruise as high-profile guests has apparently created the perception that the Kelces are comfortable giving major celebrities a friendly platform despite controversies involving their families.
