Woman forcefully kisses Tom Cruise during Olympics final night, sparks debate

PARIS: Hollywood actor Tom Cruise captivated spectators during the the Paris Olympics closing ceremony with a dramatic stunt from the roof of the Stade de France thus adding a touch of cinematic flair.

But the event took an unexpected turn when the actor got mobbed by a crowd of adoring fans as he lowered himself into the stadium. During this time, a woman grabbed the 62-year-old actor and kissed him on the cheek. The video of the incident has gone viral, leaving netizens divided.

Many of them objected to the woman’s behaviour, calling it inappropriate and debated how it would have been a bigger issue if the roles were reversed.

“Would hate to see what would happen if the roles were reversed,” wrote one X user.

“Did she ask for consent?,” asked another.

Another user also said that these are “The worst kind of people in the audience.” She further added, “Absolute zero respect for personal space. If it had been a man with a woman, people would already be looking for all his information to burn him alive.”

Another user wrote, “The amount of people laughing at Tom Cruise getting kissed while working at the Olympics is disgusting. If that was a female celebrity there’d be uproar. Like him or not that shouldn’t have happened!”

The closing ceremony of this year’s Olympics capped two and a half extraordinary weeks of Olympic sports and emotion which also featured performances by top celebs like Grammy winner Billie Eilish, Red Hot Chili, Snoop Dogg and more.

However, the controversy surrounding the Mission Impossible actor’s encounter with fans has overshadowed what was otherwise a celebratory goodbye.

The Games will be held again after four years (i.e., 2028) in Los Angeles, following which it will be handed over to Australia.

Coming to the Tom Cruise’s work front, he will next be seen in the upcoming Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two, which is set for release in 2025.