Cruise Tells Oprah He's 'Misunderstood'

By TARA BURGHART,
AP
Posted: 2008-05-05 13:59:39
CHICAGO (May 5) - Tom Cruise says his couch-jumping on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" seemed to set off a "confluence" of bad publicity for him, but he's not sure he would take it back.

Tom & Oprah On His Couch

"That was a moment, and it was real, and I don't know if I would (do it differently). I really don't," Cruise said during an hourlong interview with Winfrey taped in his Telluride, Colo. home.

During the show broadcast Friday, Cruise said his antics on Winfrey's show three years ago were an authentic way of expressing his feelings for Katie Holmes.

Holmes, now his wife, welcomed Winfrey to the couple's home at the top of the show. She then left Cruise to conduct a tour, which included a peek at daughter Suri's playrooms, the home's kitchen, Cruise's collection of bound film scripts, and stunning views of snow-topped mountains.

Winfrey and a subdued, jeans-wearing Cruise conducted the interview on an overstuffed couch in the family's living room.

About a month after his last appearance on Winfrey's show in May 2005, Cruise criticized Brooke Shields for taking anti-depression drugs after the birth of her child. He also berated "Today" host Matt Lauer for suggesting that psychiatric treatment might help some patients.

Cruise, 45, told Winfrey he was feeling "pressed" during the interview and that his concern was that "child drugging" needs to be "the parents' choice."

But when Winfrey pointed out that Cruise specifically appeared to be criticizing the use of medication to treat postpartum depression — indicating depression could be treated with vitamins and exercise — he said he regretted his views "came out wrong."

"I personally don't (believe in antidepressant drugs). ... But I think that people have the, it's their decision. When you look at something, it's an individual's right to make a decision on what they're going to do with their life," he said.

Cruise also talked about his belief in the Church of Scientology.

He said when he refuses to answer questions about Scientology, people question why he's avoiding the topic. When he does answer questions, he's accused of preaching.

A video that recently surfaced on the Internet of an animated Cruise extolling the virtues of Scientology was taken "totally out of context," because it was specifically made for a Scientology event, he said.

One of Scientology's central codes is to "respect the religious beliefs of others," Cruise said. "That's part of being a Scientologist, and that's who I am as a person."

Much of the rest of the interview involved Cruise shooting down various rumors and reports.

He said ex-wife Nicole Kidman still has a relationship with the two children they adopted during their marriage and stressed that the two share custody. He said he loves Holmes' family, calling them "amazing people."

Asked about skeptics who believe his relationship with Holmes is a public relations stunt, Cruise said, "That's laughable to me. I don't know what to say."

Winfrey asked about a book that she said "implied" Suri was not Cruise's child.

"I've had a lot of books written about me. When someone compares your daughter to Rosemary's baby — it's one thing to come after me. Say stuff about me," he said. "But when it comes to my family, my children, that's when I went, `This is off the chart.'"

Looking back over the past three years, Cruise said he's learned there are some instances when he needs to communicate with the public more, and other times when he needs to choose when and where to express his opinions.

"I feel like definitely things have been misunderstood, and things that I could have done better," he said.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2008-05-02 07:08:16
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Recent Comments

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1563 comments

theblairs04 01:39:18 PM May 07 2008

OPrah is the anti-christ and tom is the anti-sane

flclk 12:07:26 PM May 07 2008

I wonder how often PLACENTA is on his menu??????????

emmo 09:16:52 AM May 07 2008

Has he ever said specifically that he's Suri's biological father?

pookiemang169 08:14:55 AM May 07 2008

Tom jumped on Oprahs couch, Matt lauers show and Brook Sheilds Case. Then the "I see an accident and I know I'm the only one that helps" I suggest this get a real gory accident and let tom and his CO$ cronnies clean up and assits. without any real medical assistance and when everybody dies because there standing there sorting vitamins there families can sue the pants off this cult and have it removed from the face of the world. Just desserts to a pycho cult bent on world domination The ***** about nazis and psychology but who's acting like a Nazi. People there main goal is world domination.

snlesq 03:49:12 AM May 07 2008

Tommy - when you aren't proficient in using the English to express your thoughts, and your thoughts are derived from a "canned" belief system created by a self-serving, prosyletizing pseudo-guru like L. Ron Hubbard, is it any wonder that you are misunderstood?

deadelephant2 02:56:05 AM May 07 2008

Poor Suri. With this wackjob and Robo-wife she'll be riding the short bus for sure by the time she's 10.

sandylp55 08:36:11 PM May 06 2008

OPRAH IS OUT FOR OPRAH,

THAT WAS EVIDENT WHEN SHE PUT JAMES FREY ON STAGE, TO MAKE HIM LOOK SMALL, SO SHE COULD LOOK LIKE THE QUEEN, FROM THAT DAY ON, I LOST RESPECT FOR HER. YOU SCRATCH MY BACK TOM, I'LL GIVE YOU AIR TIME.

sandylp55 08:32:46 PM May 06 2008

LEAVE THIS MAN ALONE! It is the Media that has created a bad reputation for him,

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN LIVING,
PLANET NOT! HE BRINGS IT ON HIMSELF, HE WAS ON NATIONAL TV, WHEN HE BLASTED MATT LAUER, HE WAS ON TV WHEN HE JUMPED THE LUMPS OUT OF OPRAHS COUCH, AND HE WAS THE ONE WHO BROUGHT HE'S SO CALLED LOVE IN FRONT OF ALL AMERICA ON OPRAH, THE TODAY SHOW, ETC. SO GET OVER YOURSELF.

oakguy08 08:31:32 PM May 06 2008

Oprah -- I was jumping all over your couch because I was on large amounts of crack, opium, LSD, PCP and ectasy - and STILL was able to make it to your show..

twogolfcats 07:28:28 PM May 06 2008

For the likes of me, I cannot understand the popularity of these two BABOONS- Wealthy as they are- They both dish out DIATRIBE as if they are "geniuses"- The sick thing about it, Is that people actually think they are SMART?????

twogolfcats 07:25:23 PM May 06 2008

Let me get this ??? This ASS-HOLE jumps up and down on a Couch and get all thjis attention on the University of Oprahs Show?????? Good Grief America--Wake the F--- UP!!!!! Thsi is exactly whats wrong with this COUNTRY---- Its the Celebs and Entertainers that are what the IDIOTS of thois country is more enamered with THAN whats really IMPORTANT????? No wonder why there are so many STUPID people in America??? They are educated by the like of THESE TWITS---TOM and OPRAH!!!

mlaurel58 06:49:22 PM May 06 2008

Why does anybody give a shit?

garybeltz1 06:25:47 PM May 06 2008

mvpsmb----Opera is probably feeling some guilt because it was her show that he "jumped on the couch"....

mvpsmb 06:15:41 PM May 06 2008

I've lost any respect I had for Oprah. She either hasn't done her homework on Tom and Scientology or doesn't care. It would take less then an hour of someone's time to look up the facts on this cult and see how deceptive and harmful it is. Shame on you Oprah for giving this man a platform, you owe all people who have died or been harmed by this cult an apology.

garybeltz1 06:13:02 PM May 06 2008

Does Tom have a college education?????

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