Tom Cruise has reportedly declined an invitation from President Donald Trump to be part of the 48th Kennedy Center Honors.
The Kennedy Center Honors, which celebrate individuals whose artistic contributions have shaped culture, will take place on Dec. 7 and air later on CBS and Paramount+.
This year’s honorees are country music legend George Strait, rock band KISS, Broadway star Michael Crawford, singer Gloria Gaynor, and actor Sylvester Stallone.
Cruise, 63, known for his work in the Mission: Impossible and Top Gun franchises, was reportedly offered the award but turned it down, citing “scheduling conflicts,” according to The Washington Post.
Several current and former Kennedy Center employees confirmed the news, per the publication.
During an event at the Kennedy Center’s Hall of Nations announcing this year’s honorees, the 79-year-old president said he was “very involved” in selecting the group.
“I would say I was about 98 percent involved. They all went through me,” Trump said, cited by PEOPLE. “I had a couple of wokesters. Now, we have great people. This is very different than it used to be, very different."
The president admitted to rejecting multiple potential honorees for being “too woke,” despite initially saying the board had chosen “a truly exceptional class.”
He also suggested he should be honored himself in the future, quipping: “I waited and waited and waited, and I said, ‘The hell with it, I’ll become chairman and I’ll give myself an honor. Next year, we’ll honor Trump, okay?’” per The Independent.
Cruise's decision comes as he prepares to receive an honorary Oscar at the Governors Awards on November 16, alongside choreographer and actress Debbie Allen and production designer Wynn Thomas.
Dolly Parton will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the same ceremony.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced the honorary award in June, recognizing the star's decades-long contributions to the film industry.
He has been nominated for three acting Oscars (Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire, Magnolia) and earned a Best Picture nomination as producer of Top Gun: Maverick, which grossed over $1 billion worldwide in 2022.
In addition to this, he continues to work on major projects. Earlier this summer, he starred in Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning and recently completed filming an untitled Alejandro G. Iñárritu-directed movie set for release in October 2026.
Following the recent Paramount and Skydance merger, CEO David Ellison has named a third Top Gun film among his top priorities.
“One of our biggest priorities is restoring Paramount as the No. 1 destination for the most talented artists and filmmakers in the world,” Ellison said. “Great filmmakers make great movies.”