It seems like the Kennedy Center will be missing a big name this year! Reports indicate that Tom Cruise, the famous star of the “Mission Impossible” franchise, has turned down the prestigious lifetime achievement award.
According to a recent article in the Washington Post, the reason Cruise declined is linked to conflicting schedules.
This year, with President Donald Trump now at the helm of the Kennedy Center board, he indicated that he played a significant role in choosing honorees. This week, Trump revealed the list, featuring prominent names like singers George Strait, Gloria Gaynor, the rock group KISS, the iconic Broadway performer Michael Crawford, and actor Sylvester Stallone.
Trump didn’t shy away from patting himself on the back for the choices made, mentioning on Wednesday how the nominations steered clear of celebrities aligned with the “woke” agenda.
“Everything went through me,” he boasted, “I turned down plenty… I had a couple of wokesters.”
Interestingly, not all honorees have been fans of Trump’s presidency. Gene Simmons from KISS, who once supported him, has later voiced his concerns over Trump’s impact on the nation.’
“There was a time when open racism and conspiracy theories would make you cringe,” Simmons remarked in a 2022 interview with Spin. “But now it’s all out in the open because he made it acceptable.”
The discussion surrounding Tom Cruise’s decision not to take the award highlights both personal and political dynamics at play in this year’s Kennedy Center honors.
