In 2005, Tom Cruise almost tanked his career in under 15 minutes. He thought it was a “terrific interview”
In June 2005, Tom Cruise’s interview with Matt Lauer became a major setback for his public image during publicity for *War of the Worlds*. Cruise criticised psychiatry and medication, questioned the idea of chemical imbalances, and singled out Brooke Shields, prompting a sharp public response from her.
The interview lasted just under 15 minutes, following Cruise’s widely discussed appearance on *The Oprah Winfrey Show* a month earlier. The article links the backlash to the poor box office performance of *Mission: Impossible III* and Cruise’s subsequent departure from Paramount, though it presents these as part of a wider career fallout. In 2006, Cruise said he thought the Lauer interview had been “terrific” and described himself as intense rather than angry.
In short
- Cruise’s 2005 interview with Matt Lauer damaged his public image.
- He attacked psychiatry and criticised Brooke Shields.
- Cruise later said he thought the interview went well.
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The case for
Cruise could reasonably argue that he was raising concerns about psychiatric diagnoses and medication that he believed were being discussed too casually, and that his intensity reflected sincere conviction rather than hostility. He may also have felt the interview was productive because he stated his views clearly, even if audiences reacted strongly to them.
The case against
Critics could argue that Cruise used a high-profile interview to dismiss psychiatric treatment in sweeping terms and to challenge Brooke Shields’s account of her experience, risking stigma and discouraging people from seeking care. His conviction did not remove the responsibility to treat a sensitive health issue and another person’s testimony with care.
Explained simply
Tom Cruise is a film actor who was promoting War of the Worlds in 2005, when he spoke with US television presenter Matt Lauer on NBC’s Today programme. The interview followed Cruise’s appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, which had attracted attention for his energetic behaviour.
During the Lauer interview, Cruise criticised psychiatry and psychiatric medication, and challenged claims that chemical imbalances can contribute to mental illness. He also criticised actor Brooke Shields for discussing her use of medication after giving birth; Shields publicly defended her treatment.
The exchange became part of wider discussion about Cruise’s public image and career. Mission: Impossible III later performed below expectations at the box office, and Cruise left Paramount in 2006, though those events had broader causes; he later said he had considered the interview “terrific”.