Report: A Second COVID Meltdown from Tom Cruise Just Triggered an Exodus of Crew Members
Several members of the crew of the latest “Mission Impossible” film have come down with a severe case of “enough is enough” after actor Tom Cruise erupted again over COVID-19 protocols, according to a new report.
Earlier this week, The Sun published a leaked audiotape of Cruise lambasting the crew of the movie, being filmed in Britain, for violating coronavirus safety rules.
That report prompted another Cruise outburst, which led to five crew members walking off the set, according to The Sun.
“The first outburst was big but things haven’t calmed since. Tension has been building for months and this was the final straw. Since it became public there has been more anger and several staff have walked,” the tabloid quoted a source as saying.
“But Tom just can’t take any more after all the lengths they have gone to just to keep filming at all. He’s upset others aren’t taking it as seriously as him. In the end, he’s the one who carries the can,” the source said.
But not everyone agrees that Cruise is taking the right approach.
“After a very difficult year for freelancers working in the industry the last thing crews deserve is a multi-millionaire Hollywood star screaming abuse and threatening their jobs,” Spencer MacDonald of the entertainment union Bectu said.
Many supported Cruise.
TOM CRUISE was 100% RIGHT to go off on #MissionImpossible7 crew members for violating COVID-19 guidelines. He said what had to be said & he expressed the frustration that so many of us feel about those who aren’t taking this killer pandemic seriously. #ImWithTom https://t.co/ZawT9eLst8
— Scott Mantz (@MovieMantz) December 17, 2020
George Clooney Weighs In on Tom Cruise Shouting Over COVID Guidelines: ‘I Understand Why He Did It’ https://t.co/B0V2rEtBBL
— People (@people) December 16, 2020
“Some people don’t understand why he would get so angry. I get it.” #TheView moderator Whoopi Goldberg is coming to Tom Cruise’s defense after he was caught yelling at crew members for violating COVID-19 protocols: https://t.co/vEOpjvcSox pic.twitter.com/Kowq6UUrXg
— Decider (@decider) December 16, 2020
Both the British tabloid and Variety said the 58-year-old actor, one of the best-known figures in the Church of Scientology, initially exploded on the set of “Mission Impossible 7” after he saw two crew members standing too close together near a computer screen.
Cruise said studios, insurance companies and producers are “looking at us and using us to make their movies. We are creating thousands of jobs, you motherf—ers.”
Then came the threats, as he apparently singled out specific violators.
“I don’t ever want to see it again, ever! And if you don’t do it, you’re fired. If I see you do it again, you’re f—ing gone. And if anyone in this crew does it — that’s it, and you too and you too. And you, don’t you ever f—ing do it again,” he said.
The Hollywood star said the future of the film industry was at stake.
“That’s it! No apologies. You can tell it to the people that are losing their f—ing homes because our industry is shut down. It’s not going to put food on their table or pay for their college education. That’s what I sleep with every night. The future of this f—ing industry! So I’m sorry, I am beyond your apologies,” Cruise said, making clear his determination that a virus outbreak will not stop production.
“I have told you and now I want it, and if you don’t do it, you’re out. We are not shutting this f—ing movie down! Is it understood?” he said.
“If I see it again, you’re f—ing gone, and so are you. So you’re going to cost him his job. If I see it on the set, you’re gone and you’re gone. That’s it. Am I clear?”
The film has faced delays in the past. In February, it was filming in Venice, Italy, and had to stop because of the coronavirus outbreak there, according to Reuters. Production resumed in September.
Much of Britain is now under Tier Three restrictions, which are the tightest in the country’s three-tiered system, according to the BBC.
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