Tom Cruise will not receive the 48th Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime artistic achievements — but only because he reportedly rejected the offer. According to a report from the Washington Post, the actor was going to be honored this year, but he “declined because of scheduling conflicts.”
However, some fans have wondered if there’s more to it than that. In February, President Donald Trump announced that he was exerting control over the Kennedy Center with plans to “make the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., GREAT AGAIN.”
“I have decided to immediately terminate multiple individuals from the Board of Trustees, including the Chairman, who do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in February. “We will soon announce a new Board, with an amazing Chairman, DONALD J. TRUMP!”
On Tuesday, August 12, Trump teased the announcement of this year’s honorees — along with a new name for the Kennedy Center. “GREAT Nominees for the TRUMP/KENNEDY CENTER, whoops, I mean, KENNEDY CENTER, AWARDS. They will be announced Wednesday,” he wrote on Truth Social.
Then, on Wednesday, he announced the honorees. Per the Washington Post, he said he was “very involved” in the selection process, allowing him to avoid honoring anyone too “woke” this time around. This year’s honorees are country star George Strait, rock band KISS, actor Michael Crawford, singer Gloria Gaynor, and actor and filmmaker Sylvester Stallone.
When announcing the honorees on Wednesday, Trump joked that he would be among the honorees next year. “I waited and waited and waited, and I said, ‘The hell with it, I’ll become chairman and I’ll give myself an honor,” he said. “Next year, we’ll honor Trump, okay?”
Trump said he was about “98 percent involved” in selecting these honorees. He said, “I had a couple of wokesters. Now, we have great people. This is very different than it used to be, very different.”
Beyond his “scheduling conflicts,” Cruise did not offer any other explanation for rejecting the honor. His spokesperson declined to comment on the matter when contacted by the Washington Post and People.
On Thursday, August 14, The View co-host Ana Navarro encouraged Gaynor to follow suit and reject the honor from Trump. On Instagram, Navarro said Gaynor is “a goddess and deserves all the flowers that come her way.” However, she hopes that she will turn down Trump’s offer.
“I wish she wouldn’t accept an award from the hands of a man who has attacked the rights and history of women, people of color and LGBTQ,” Navarro wrote. “The gay community in particular, helped turn her signature song into an anthem. Trump is a stain on the prestige and significance of the KCH. Don’t do it, Gloria!”
