There’s another video of the incident here.
Actually, iFilm is a good place to check for any recent controlversial or newsmaking clips like this.
I hate to spoil the conspiracy theories guys, but Channel 4 have admitted to everything. No stunt, as I said, just another pathetic Channel 4 prank show looking for another angle on a tired format.
As for Cruise’s weird reaction, well he’s weird at the best of times. But additionally here he knows that his reactions are being recorded by at least a dozen cameras. Last thing he wants is to make a fool of himself. 
And I’m sure he’s not use to that sort of treament, so was at a bit of a loss what to do about it.
Personally I’d have squirted clam juice, but I’m twisted.
My respect for him (currently zero) would have gone up tremendously if he’d have punched the guy.
These days, when I take my high profile self out to a movie premier and whatnot, I have instructed my entourage to beat down the punk who sprays me with anything.
Seriously, that liquid could have been absolutely anything. He was lucky it was just water. Hell, he was lucky it was liquid. Isn’t anthrax a powder? What about ricin, sarin, and a host of other deadly chemicals?
Count me in as not buying the hoax.
Yeah, let’s just blow it out of all proportion by making allusions to assassination and terrorism.
Just where the hell were his bodyguards? He has to have them- anybody of his magnitude does- and if your guards aren’t there to show lightning flast reflexes in smacking down people who do shit like this then why do you pay them?
AFAIK, Sarin and Ricin are airborne.
I think it was staged too.
Xemu gives more bad career advice.
Nah, I don’t think it was staged. His reaction seemed realistic to me, for someone who knows he’s on camera. In fact, I think his restraint is admirable. Can you imagine the reporter doing that to Russell Crowe or Sean Penn?
Also remember that Cruise is all about religion these days.
I am sure that Cruise could get an outfir like Channel 4 to go along with his ruse. I don’t take their explanation as very credible.
I think it was staged.
You’re the only one who said terrorism and assassination.
Using chemicals, acid, razor blades, broken beer bottles, etc. to cause harm to someone famous is not the MO to terrorists and assassins exclusively. Insane or delusional fans can do the same thing without needing to be under the umbrella of “terrorist”. Psycho covers it pretty well.
And for some reason, pardon the slight hijack, it always torques me when someone uses the term assassin when referring to the killer or potential killer of a non-government official. President Kennedy? Assasinated. John Lennon? Murdered. Pope John Paul II? Assassination attempt. He was the head of state of the Vatican, after all.
I must be the only one who thinks that his repetition of “You’re a jerk!” made him look small (so to speak). I think the dignified response would have been…nothing. Just walk away. When you lecture a jerk, they’re getting what they want.
I wonder if the “church” will send their troops after Channel 4?
He needs to dump his sad-sack security contingent yesterday. There are a lot of twisted people in the world–think Mark Chapman, John Hinckley, the guy who stalked and shot dead whazzername outside of her LA apartment–to make the security team’s business-as-usual response outrageous. There’s no telling what some wacko might spray on a celebrity.
How would staging a water splashing do anything to shore up Cruise’s flagging credibility? I think the whole thing was real and Cruise was trying to keep his cool while also demeaning the guy without himself overreacting. All in all, he did an admirable job.
I see that the four “pranksters” have been released on bail.
I don’t know, it’s a little suspicious. He managed not to get his hair wet or muss up his comb-forward-over when he dried himself off.
I’m pretty cynical and I don’t think it was staged. Actually I thought he handled it fairly well, which is something given my current opinion of him.
He does seem to go into his rebuke pretty quickly. I’d think the water would have thrown him off for a moment longer, though maybe he’s just really quick on the uptake. Also, maybe the Early Show clip seems staged because it’s been edited “theatrical style” (cutting from closeup to medium, uninterrupted sound track).
Can anyone fill me in on why Cruise has been in the news for the past three weeks, and why he would want to stage something like this?
Crowe: bam Would that be a collect call, sir? bam Huh? bam Is it, punk? bam
Throws phone on the ground and walks away.
Phone: Our operators are busy at this moment. Your call is very important to us, please hold on.
Personally, I think the fact that he was able to handle this totally non-staged “prank” really well proves beyond all doubt that Cruise isn’t completely gay and that his relationship with Katie Holmes is genuine.
How? How does it prove anything even if it wasn’t staged? What, if he was gay, he’d emit a high-ptiched shriek and wave his hands around in an effimate manner? I don’t see how this has any bearing on his personal life at all.