Tom Cruise, squirted in face with joke microphone, may file assault charge

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

Cruise drenched at premiere
By Nick Allen in London
June 20, 2005

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,15669678%255E1702,00.html

FOUR men were arrested after Hollywood star Tom Cruise was drenched with water at the London premiere of his new film, War of the Worlds.
The four were working on a new Channel 4 comedy program and may now be charged with assaulting the A-list actor. He reacted angrily to the prank, repeatedly calling the man who soaked him a "jerk". Cruise was on a walkabout talking to some of the 5000 fans who had packed into Leicester Square for the star-studded premiere of War of the Worlds and he was accompanied by his new fiance, actress Katie Holmes. As he answered questions from journalists a bogus reporter, wearing a white and green t-shirt, stuck out a joke microphone and used it to squirt water into Cruise's face.

The star struggled to maintain his composure and rounded on the man, saying: "Why would you do that ... why would you do that ... why would you do that?" As the prankster offered a barely audible excuse, Cruise said: "Do you like thinking less of people, is that it?" After an uncomfortable silence the joker went to walk away but Cruise said: "Don't run away." He told his assailant: "That's incredibly rude. I'm here giving you an interview and you do that ... it's incredibly rude." Cruise then said forcibly: "You're a jerk ... jerk ... you're a jerk."

A Channel 4 spokesman said: "The incident was for a new Channel 4 entertainment show part of which involves playing comedy pranks on celebrities and on members of the public. "The water squirting was not intended to cause offense and was very much in a spirit of fun. "We hope Tom Cruise will be able to see the joke in the spirit with which it was intended."

A police source said the incident was being treated as a serious matter. "They are being investigated in relation to an alleged assault on Mr Cruise," he said. "It was just water, but that can be very alarming when it comes from a crowd out of nowhere."

[name not needed]

1. You can't have any fun with scientologists

It's always "Xenu this" or "E-meter that".

[progressoid]

35. He's never going to get to Operating Thetan Level 7

with an attitude like that!!

[Nomad559]

104. Video - Tom Cruise Gets Squirted With Fake Mic

Squirted With Fake Mic

[BattyDem]

2. Assault charge? Oh, grow up, Tommy!

:eyes:

[edbermac]

15. No love for Cruise, but I don't go for physical stuff on anybody...

Whether Tom gets soaked or Coulter gets pied, it's a physical assault in my book...he damn well should file assault charges against these jerks...what if someone from Fox pulled that on Hillary or Kerry? I don't think anyone in this forum would be laughing it off...

[BattyDem]

17. I'm sorry, but when I open a newspaper ...

or turn on the local news and see victims of "real" assaults - rape, gay bashing, racial attacks, domestic abuse, etc. - I find it a bit difficult to get riled up over some celebrity getting wet. But that's just me.

I'm not saying people have a right to hit you with a pie or soak you whenever they feel like it, but for a celebrity to file an assault charge because he got wet - well, that just seems excessive. There's got to be a better solution than that. JMHO

[Swede]

21. Charge him with assault, and sue his ass off is the only solution.

Stalking celebrities is turning ugly,next time some nut will have acid or gasoline,how does a celebrity know.

[mitchum]

22. Stalking goes with the territory...

however it still doesn't balance out the ridiculous amounts of money and privilege given to these silly people. I Consider it an occupational hazard of their "jobs"

[Swede]

26. I don't.

Stalking is stalking, it is not an "occupational hazard".

[mitchum]

39. But when these celebrities function as projection objects for...

"the little people", it would stand to reason that they are going to trigger some extreme reactions. They (and their flacks and minions) traffic in fantasy and sometimes they CAN'T control the fantasy.
It may not be an occupational hazard, but only because they don't really have jobs.

[Floogeldy]

29. Thank you

B-)

[BikeWriter]

33. Precisely, and is he supposed to accept this everytime he's out?

Would anyone?

[mitchum]

41. He's never going to be out

[Bouncy Ball]

43. ...

:spray:

[BattyDem]

45. ROFL!

:rofl:

That's a topic for a another thread, LOL!

[BikeWriter]

67. ...as in out in public.

[BattyDem]

38. I know it's a problem and they don't deserve to be harassed ...

but we're not talking about acid or gasoline in this case - we're talking about water.

Squirting someone in the face with water is a prank - squirting someone in the face with acid or gasoline is very dangerous and of course, that's assault. Filing criminal charges against someone who happens to be a smartass is not going to deter someone who intends to do serious bodily harm. There are two different mindsets involved.

I honestly don't know what the answer is. I admit, your post and a few others have made me rethink my position because you made some valid points. I guess the thing is ... I feel like there should be different charges for a harmless prank than there are for attacks where serious harm is intended.

I'm starting to feel like there's no distinction between "minor" crimes and "major" crimes, do you know what I mean? It makes me think of those activists in NJ who are being charged as terrorists under the Patriot Act. They committed a crime and they should be charged - but they are not terrorists!

I'm probably just over-analyzing the whole thing. The man has every right to file whatever charges he wants, but I hope the "severity" of the attack is taken into account when they go to court. I'd hate to think that someone gets treated more harshly because it happened to be Tom Cruise that got wet. Let's face it - if you are I filed the same charges, the attacker would get a slap on the wrist.

[Floogeldy]

28. You wouldn't do a thing about it?

Wouldn't that encourage the behavior? You wouldn't mind being vulnerable to daily attacks?

Think.

[redqueen]

123. Legally, even a threat can be assault.

I know it doesn't fit with the popular notion of what constitutes "assault", but it is what it is.

[ghostsofgiants]

58. I would

Funny's funny. No one got hurt, so I'm gonna laugh.

[Felix Mala]

117. In England they press charges with or without victim's consent...

New laws were passed after Princess Dianna incident.

[trotsky]

3. Lame "prank."

A celebrity, for better or worse, can have no idea if that guy coming up to him is a real journalist, a crazed fan, or a fanatical stalker. Even if I were squirted in the face I'd worry if it was something dangerous. Not cool. Junior high-ish.

[BikeWriter]

6. I'd have defended myself and punched the guy out.

[wtmusic]

10. Amen

but filing charges is silly. Get over it Tom.

[Floogeldy]

16. And if you were a celebrity, being chased around . . .

. . . it would be just fine for people to assault you and you could laugh it off, Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha very fucking funny.

The next time it might be a Taser or pepper spray or, God forbid . . . .

I strongly encourage you to think A LOT MORE DEEPLY than you are now.

[wtmusic]

50. *thinks very deeply*

Yeah but it wasn't a Taser or pepper spray, was it?

[Floogeldy]

14. Thank you

B-)

[BikeWriter]

34. You got it, Floogeldy. :-)

[AgadorSparticus]

98. then he'd be sued for his millions. they have to be careful about

that kind of stuff.

[BikeWriter]

100. Hey, he was attacked! The fact it was water "this time..."

...would not have mattered with me. I would have incapacitated the attacker or gone down trying. The next asshole who considered trying that stupid shit would reconsider.

[xultar]

4. Cruise is out of his mind..he's so gonna sink after these latest bursts

of bull.

[Floogeldy]

24. I don't see Cruise stalking people and assaulting them.

Now, who is out of his or her mind? The stalker/assaulter or the celebrity exposing himself to the public to give interviews?

You're "tilted."

[xultar]

53. Lighten up Francis.

[Floogeldy]

62. Get a grip, Lucy.

[tuvor]

5. It was the prankster's way of saying

that we don't like Tom being in our faces, either.

[Floogeldy]

25. Is Tom in your face?

LMFAO!!!!! I doubt it.

[tuvor]

80. Well

I do seem to hear and see a lot more about him these days, more about his relationship with Katie Holmes than his latest movie, and I haven't been doing anything differently.

Then, of course, picking up the latest issue of EntertainMe Weakly, I see on the cover:

"What Cruise really thinks about Brooke, Oprah, and a ring for Katie"

Yeah, he's in my face.

[Floogeldy]

83. Right. He's in your face because you keep looking . . .

. . . in all of the media outlets that prey on your gullibility, weaknesses and envy.

[Bouncy Ball]

89. Actually, that's an interesting thing there...

I don't read any of those magazines.

I don't watch cable news (or any news on TV for that matter), I don't watch any of those entertainment news shows or whatever they are called.

In fact, I watch very little TV period.

I'm amazed at how much you really can't escape this stuff completely. I mean, I am someone who you would think would be pretty damn insulated from this crap, but I hear about it quite a bit.

On my long commute, I listen to the radio and there was one morning last week three of my favorite stations were talking about nothing but Cruise's engagement to Katie Holmes. Some of them for an entire hour (with commercials). I only know because I would go back to the station to see if they were playing music again, but oh no, more Tom Cruise stuff, then back to another station, then back, nope, still talking Tom Cruise.

It's amazing. And you'd have to wear blinders in the grocery store checkout line not to see the covers of the gossipy magazines. Despite the fact that I don't even touch them, I still see them, I still see the headlines.

Then my co-workers were talking about him ad nauseum several times last week. Reporting on everything THEY knew. I didn't take part in the conversation and once I realized that was the direction it was headed, I would get up and go get something to drink or something.

So short of wearing blinders, or never going out of the house (it's hard to escape on the internet, but not AS hard as in real life), never listening to radio stations (no CD player in my car), and plugging my fingers in my ears and screaming LA LA LA LA LA LA!! everytime anyone around me starts talking about him (or whatever the celebrity culture topic du jour is), I can see how it's incredibly hard to totally never hear about him.

I mean, I'm totally sick of the guy and I do all THAT to cut off any blahblahblah from celebrity culture/entertainment media.

[tuvor]

96. Of course.

I'm secretly in love with him. Should've known.

[Floogeldy]

97. Naturally

Since you keep shoving his face into your face.

[redqueen]

124. Tom, Jacko, Britney...

we choose what we absorb / pay attention to.

[muriel_volestrangler]

128. No, the prankster was doing it to make money

He was making a TV series. Cruise's reaction was actually controlled. When the 'prankster' couldn't come up with any reason, excuse, or even a funny line (some 'comedian' he is), Cruise called him a jerk. He's right - comedy consists of more than squirting someone with water when you ask to talk to them.

[warrens]

7. I don't care for Cruise

But he wasn't doing anything. Stupid, pointless prank.

[Floogeldy]

27. Thank you

B-)

[fortyfeetunder]

8. Call up Jon Stewart

Maybe we should set up Tommy for a squirting on the Daily Show. Jon Stewart, have I a deal for you!!!!

[Swede]

9. The guy was a jerk.

If he did that to me,I'd ram the mike down his throat.

[BikeWriter]

11. Exactly, it was a stupid stunt.

[kanrok]

12. I'll bet it's not the first time Cruise has been "squirted" in the face

[Maddy McCall]

18. Ppppffft!

LOL.

[AngryAmish]

40. Greatest Post of the Year to Date

I recommending this thread now.

[BattyDem]

73. ROFL!!!

:rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl:

I wish I thought of that line :toast:

[Misunderestimator]

106. LMAO!

:rofl:

[mondo joe]

107. Suit alleges Cruise suffered disappointment when learned it was only water

:-)

[lateo]

116. He took it like a pro didn't he?

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. He' melting he's melting

[Elidor]

19. What a wuss!

Any man who can't handle getting water squirted in his face isn't worth his salt.

[Felix Mala]

115. He handled it well - it could have been acid or sewage, anything

[Heidi]

20. I agree with Cruise. The "joker" was a jerk.

I'd be pissed about it, too.

[Floogeldy]

30. Thank you

B-)

[Pirate Smile]

111. I agree. I don't like this crap.

[Bouncy Ball]

23. I'm sorry, but that's just funny.

Yeah, it was probably startling, but I'm cracking up that a news station in Australia was actually DOING stuff like that!!!

Hee hee.

[Name removed]

31. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Bouncy Ball]

32. Whatever that means.

Nice little personal attack there, Floogeldy.

[BattyDem]

52. I got a taste of that poster's personal attacks last week in an MJ thread

I have since decided that I will no longer respond to people who choose to attack me personally when we disagree about something. Oh ... and I started using the "ignore" feature. It's done wonders for my ulcer! :D

[Lex]

56. Me too.

Exactly what you said.

[Name removed]

55. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LizW]

36. Cruise is not my favorite actor, but that is a stupid stunt.

It's kind of scary, too. There are crazy people out there, and it could have been something other than water, acid or something. I think Cruise's reaction shows that it was frightening.

[Heidi]

87. Thank you. I agree. (nt)

[BrightKnight]

121. He supported Barbara Boxer - n/t

[Lex]

37. Not much different than some pompous ass getting a pie in the face

unexpectedly, is it?

[BikeWriter]

42. I can be a pompous ass at times, and anyone squirting random fluids...

at me...had better have their insurance paid up!

[Bouncy Ball]

44. Are you telling me if someone squirted water at you

you would beat them badly enough to land them in the hospital or a doctor's office?

[Crazy Guggenheim]

47. Maybe I wouldn't but why didn't they try it Sean Penn?

[Bouncy Ball]

49. Because he wasn't at the War of the Worlds premiere.

[Lex]

54. LOL! Well, there is that . . .

And BTW, am I crazy or didn't almost everyone here think that Horowitz and some of those guys getting a pie in the face was a-ok?

[Bouncy Ball]

63. I bet some of them did.

So what you are asking is why is a pie ok but water isn't?

Can't answer that, it doesn't seem to make any sense to me!

:crazy:

[Lex]

65. Yes.

"So what you are asking is why is a pie ok but water isn't?"

Yes, that!

[BikeWriter]

64. When I am attacked, I go to war. I was taught that forty years ago...

If it were a stranger squirting something unidentified on me, they'd be disabled and on the ground before I investigated as to what the liquid was.

[Bouncy Ball]

66. So then yes, if someone squirts water on you, you are going to

physically injure them immediately.

[BikeWriter]

71. I would disable the threat with all force necessary, yes...

That's why I lived to have a long white beard.

[Swede]

69. Yep,I'd drop him and ask questions later.

Sorry about your teeth dude,tough shit.

[BikeWriter]

74. Good answer, Swede!

[AngryAmish]

46. How much water was used

Old fashioned squirt gun is different than a super soaker.

[Bouncy Ball]

48. I can't imagine a toy microphone would be able to hold much

water.......seems like the main thing is he was caught off-guard, as anyone would be.

"He assaulted me with water" sounds weird, though.

[Crazy Guggenheim]

51. That's the problem with our society!! We do not have personal

boundaries anymore. You are not supposed touch someone else period!!

[Bouncy Ball]

59. Did they touch him?

Why is everyone getting so upset? If you read the article you'll see the four men involved were arrested and the police are treating it "very seriously."

So where's the problem? It's not like the police just laughed and said "Hey Tom-O! Can'tcha take a joke?"

They didn't.

[Crazy Guggenheim]

60. Yes.

[Bouncy Ball]

61. They TOUCHED him?

Where in the article does it say they actually laid hands on Tom Cruise?

This is so silly. Cruise himself shrugged it off, the police are taking it seriously, so why is anyone upset? Geez.

[Floogeldy]

75. If that is your standard . . .

. . . then you wouldn't mind sperm or feces being put into a projectile device and squirted into your face. It could be done without anybody "touching" you.

You should really have more respect for yourself and the dignity of all human beings.

[Bouncy Ball]

77. So you missed the whole part about the police taking it seriously?

It was a stupid prank. They were arrested. End of story. What are you so cranked up about that you're throwing around personal attacks?

The guy said they TOUCHED him and I asked him to point it out to me WHERE they touched him.

They shot water in his face. They didn't touch him. Accuracy in language is a good thing.

And you should really cut out the personal attacks. If you are this torked up about it, take a breather, man. But don't dare tell me I don't have any respect for myself. You don't fucking know me. Certainly not anywhere well enough to be able to say something like that, and I've never once attacked you, so lay off it.

[Floogeldy]

78. So you missed the whole part about the "touching" requirement?

[Crazy Guggenheim]

79. Thank you!!

"You should really have more respect for yourself and the dignity of all human beings."

[Bouncy Ball]

82. Why are both of you choosing to ignore what I'm saying and

just focusing on personal attacks?

Seriously, what is the deal here? Is there some Tom Cruise Cult I didn't know about around here?

No one TOUCHED Tom Cruise. No one ever laid hands on him. They SPRAYED WATER at him. The police arrested them, they are taking it seriously, Cruise dried off, shrugged it off, and went on.

Neither you nor Floogeldy have explained what your big beef is. Is it that some people on this thread found it amusing? I did.

That doesn't mean I condone it.

People can find things mildly amusing without advocating them, for fuck's sake.

So really I think both of you should take your indignation and place it somewhere it belongs.

[Lex]

84. Plus, as you said, BB, it *was* water and it *was* a prank.

.
It *wasn't* sperm, feces, nuclear material, or anything other than WATER.

And it *was* shot from a trick microphone, not a gun, tank, or rocketlauncher.

Those would be other circumstances and other penalties and outrage would rightfully apply.

[Bouncy Ball]

85. Exactly.

It wasn't a taser, it wasn't a bullet, it wasn't hydrochloric acid, it was water. God, even Tom Cruise was described as shrugging it off. I guess it's fun to get all indignant on behalf of someone.

Did you mean it WAS shot from a trick microphone?

[Lex]

86. yes, it was a trick microphone

I edited it--thanks :hi:

[Floogeldy]

88. A little urine in the face never killed anybody.

I mean, after all, you don't have to touch someone to squirt urine in their face. That makes it okay, in your books.

Unbelievable.

Let us know, like Tom Cruise did, when you are going to subject yourself to the general public so we can squirt things in your face, without touching you, of course.

I assume that since it is okay for Tom, it is okay for you.

:crazy:

[Bouncy Ball]

90. And you keep making weird assumptions.

:crazy:

I like how you again ignored a key statement of mine:

finding something mildly amusing doesn't mean you endorse or condone it.

Maybe you should re-read that and discover I'm not your enemy here. Or maybe it's just too much fun being indignant on behalf of Tom Cruise?

Who ever said it was ok? Seriously, just POINT OUT TO ME where I said shooting people in the face with water was ok. I dare you. You can't do it, because I never did.

[Floogeldy]

94. Remember

"Where in the article does it say they actually laid hands on Tom Cruise?

This is so silly. Cruise himself shrugged it off, the police are taking it seriously, so why is anyone upset? Geez."

[Lex]

91. It wasn't urine, it was WATER.

No one is condoning the behavior, but changing the facts around in order to argue another set of facts is a logical fallacy called a "strawman argument."

http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/straw-man.html

[Bouncy Ball]

92. The most important part of your statement is right here:

"No one is condoning the behavior..."

That's the part Floogeldy refuses to read. And yeah, the urine stuff is a strawman.

This whole thread is so weird. To hear him talk, you'd think I said "YEAH! I'm totally down with shooting people in the face with water!" :crazy:

[Name removed]

102. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[BattyDem]

68. Super soaker .... now THAT'S an attack!

My nephew got me with one of those last summer and I was drenched! But I got my revenge later in the day ... I, too, can aim a super soaker! :evilgrin:

[Bouncy Ball]

57. I read the whole article:

He dried himself off, then "shrugged off the incident" and carried on with his walkabout.

He also, of course, raised both his arms and punched the air when asked about Katie Holmes. :eyes: I can't tell if he loves her or wants to punch her lights out.

[BattyDem]

70. "I can't tell if he loves her or wants to punch her lights out."

:rofl:

[Bouncy Ball]

72. Well everytime they ask him about her

he punches the air really HARD. Multiple times. Oh GOD I love her so much I wish her face were right HERE! (as he punches)

It's really creepy.

[BattyDem]

76. I know exactly what you mean ...

that's why I thought your comment was so funny! :toast:

I've never seen someone punch the air everytime they're asked about a loved one. What's that about? LOL!

[democracyindanger]

81. Well, my local news is teasing it for the 11 pm broadcast

So if you want to see the actual footage, as the saying goes, film at 11.

[LSdemocrat]

93. Well it is technically assault

[Crazy Guggenheim]

95. Good. It doesn't make any difference what TC thinks but

the London police take it seriously.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

114. No, it isn't

At least, not according to NYS law. Or most common law, I believe.

The legal definition of assault generally (differs, of course, from state to state, country to country) includes the phrases "causing physical injury" or "intent to cause physical injury".

I fail to see how squirting water on a person would constitute "physical injury" or the "intent to cause physical injury."

[AgadorSparticus]

99. isn't it inappropriate to engage in pranks with people you don't know?

I find that unbelievably inappropriate. I have a good sense of humor and all, but honestly, if someone did that to me, I'd be more than pissed--unless you are 10 yrs old or something. I'd laugh about it. But even with kids, I don't see them going up to complete strangers and pulling pranks.

[Heidi]

101. Thank you.

I don't agree with Tom Cruise's position that psychiatry should be "outlawed," but he's a human being and in my opinion, it's rude (and at least bordering on assault) to bring a "prank" into someone else's personal space.

[AgadorSparticus]

103. i don't think this was a joke at all. i think it was a mean spirited

person hiding behind a thin veil of humor. and i think the TV station is trying to CYA right now for a serious lapse of judgement.

it is one thing to pull a prank on a star during their off time. it is entirely different to do it at their expense on the red carpet during the opening of a movie (i.e. millions of dollars of investments, their livelihood, etc.)

anyways, i just think this is inappropriate on so many levels.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

105. Photo from the Houston Chronicle:

"Tom Cruise wipes his face with a towel after he's doused by a prankster."

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/features/3232732

"We will see whether to pursue the charges, see whether the victim wants to pursue it," a Scotland Yard spokesman said.

[peekaloo]

108. *giggle*

phallic symbol squirts Tom-Tom in face.

Tom has a way with words when angered.

[hfojvt]

113. to me that was very controlled anger

because I would have been taking swings at the guy and flinging the f-bomb. Heck, he barely raised HIS VOICE!!!
And the news media is like "wow, he was really mad".

[mondo joe]

109. US Homeland Security On Lookout for This Terrorist

[name not needed]

110. It'd be nice to have police that arrest people for real crimes

rather than arresting a couple of guys for squirting some pompous asshole with water.

[grace0418]

112. I'm not a Tom Cruise fan, but I don't blame him for being upset. When

you consider what could've been in that microphone and how many loony star-stalkers there are out there, it's understandable. What if had been acid, or a solution of water with some bacteria, or poison? It's not cool.

I love a prank as much as the next person, but certain things are too scary in this day and age. How many times have you heard the story where a friend tries to scare another friend at home alone by pretending to be a burglar, only to get shot or stabbed by the person who gets freaked out? This happened in my home-town several years ago and to an acquaintance more recently.

[nini]

118. that can't be any worse than seeing him and Holmes on TV..

... every time I turn it on.

Enough already. I really don't find him all that interesting to begin with and his whoring of his personal life really makes me wonder.

WHO CARES???????

[intrepid_wanderer]

120. blech... & I read the entire thread...

ugh...


I don't know who is dumbererereerrrr -

me or the dunces who performed the supposedly OK stunt.



AGRHHH!

[lateo]

119. Here is a photo of the event...

[BrightKnight]

122. sexual assault?

That is starting to get in the area of sexual assault and I don't find it amusing.

[redqueen]

125. He reacted so well...

I'm amazed at how calm and collected he was... impressive.

[BrightKnight]

126. A grocery store clerk

scenario:

I create a web site called something like "Squirt You." I solicit subscriptions for the site. I take a quasi phallic device into a grocery store and squirt an unsuspecting checkout clerk in the face and mouth while my hired camera crew video tapes the event. I edit the tape and post in on my web page.

Have I done anything wrong? Have I broken any laws? Is this substantially different from what happened to Tom Cruise?

[BikeWriter]

129. It's called assault. Using a phallic device it would be sexual assault.

[AngryAmish]

127. OK, I have now seen the video

Disclaimer: I despise Tom Cruise. I mostly hate him because he is a shitty actor.

That said, I don't think he overreacted. He got squirted with a little bit of water, but he was very calm while berating the guy who squirted him. If one is unhappy about a practicle joke, I think it is fair game to call the guy who squirted you a jerk. He was not ranting and raving.

If you see the "money" still of the incident, it is the funniest thing I have seen in ages.

[BikeWriter]

130. DiCaprio's face slashing adds new perspective to this.

http://www.imdb.com/news/wenn/2005-06-19