Tom Cruise Reportedly Declines Kennedy Center Honor From Donald Trump

Citing “scheduling conflicts,” the Hollywood superstar reportedly turned down the prestigious award, which is being presented during Donald Trump’s second term in a politically charged environment.

August 15, 2025: Tom Cruise, a famous actor from Hollywood, has reportedly turned down an invitation to be one of the first Kennedy Center Honorees during Donald Trump’s second term as president.

According to many unidentified Kennedy Center staffers, the Washington Post says that “scheduling conflicts” are the official reason for the refusal. There has been no reaction from a Cruise spokesman on the issue.

The Kennedy Center is in the middle of a politically contentious situation. President Trump, who removed the center’s leaders and made himself board chairman earlier this year, has been very involved in the process of choosing the winners. He named a list of people who would be honored, including actor Sylvester Stallone, country music singer George Strait, disco diva Gloria Gaynor, rock band KISS, and Broadway performer Michael Crawford.

Trump has spoken out about his role, saying that he was “about 98 percent” involved in picking the honorees and “turned down plenty” of names he thought were “too woke.” He also said that he will host the Honors gala himself, which is not how it is usually done.

Reports say that Cruise has rejected down this distinction, but he is still going to get a big award from the business later this year. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences will give him an honorary Oscar at the 2025 Governors Awards in November to celebrate his many important achievements to the film business. The actor, who was last seen in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, has been nominated for four Oscars throughout his career.