Some fans expressed fear at Cruise’s anger after he freaked out on the red carpet in footage from almost two decades ago.

Tom Cruise is one of the world’s most successful actors, and many famous faces have sang praises after working with the actor. But there have been others who’ve dished on his strange practices and stern personality. Now, fans are divided online over resurfaced footage showing Cruise telling off a man who pranked him on the red carpet.

The incident occurred during the London premiere of Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds in 2005. A Channel 4 prankster disguised as a reporter attempted to play a joke on Cruise by squirting water from a microphone during an interview.

Why Tom Cruise Freaked Out At A Prankster

Clearly taken aback and visibly irritated, he questioned the man’s actions, asking, “Why would you do that,’” and swiftly pushed aside the trick item before confronting the prankster.

Cruise then inquired, “What’s so funny about that?” emphasizing his disdain for the situation by adding, “It’s ridiculous.”

The Top Gun star had his face swiftly wiped with a towel and didn’t allow the prankster to simply walk away. “Hey, hey, no, no, don’t run away,” Cruise told him. “Don’t run away, it’s incredibly rude. I’m here giving you an interview and answering your questions and you do something really nasty. You’re a jerk. You’re a jerk. You know what, you’re a jerk.”

Cruise’s reaction to the prank has since sparked discussion and divided opinions among viewers nearly two decades later when fan accounts helped spread it online over the weekends.

Some Fans Defended Cruise, Others Were Scared Of Him

Some people defended Tom, saying there was nothing “wrong” with how he responded, adding he was “absolutely right” given the nature of the prank. “Childish behaviour calls for being spoken to like a child,” one person wrote on Twitter (formerly X).

“I don’t even like Tom Cruise but he’s spot on here,” a different comment added.

However, others said they felt freaked out and even scared at Tom’s anger in the clip. “The moment it happened, I felt scared. Tom Cruise seems very nice a lot of the time, but you just would not f**k with him,” one comment said, while a different one added, “He’s honestly terrifying.”

Even though some people clearly believe Cruise was in the wrong, Channel 4 issued an apology to the actor at the time for the so-called prank.

“The stunt was intended to be light-hearted rather than malicious and we would apologise to Mr Cruise for any offence that was caused,” their statement read.

“The incident that took place on Sunday evening involving Tom Cruise was for a new Channel 4 entertainment show, part of which involves playing light-hearted comedy pranks on celebrities and members of the public,” it continued.

Cruise has remained silent on the controversy since it resurfaced online recently.