Tom Cruise declines Kennedy Center Honor

Tom Cruise declines a Kennedy Center Honors invitation as President Trump plans to host the ceremony next year.

Tom Cruise Declines Kennedy Center Honor From Trump

Tom Cruise reportedly declined an invitation to join the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors, citing scheduling conflicts. The Washington Post reports Cruise turned down the offer, while the list of honorees includes Kiss, Michael Crawford, George Strait, Gloria Gaynor and Sylvester Stallone in the film actor category. Trump has announced he will personally host the ceremony, saying he always wanted a Kennedy Center award and decided to give himself one. The event will air on CBS on December 7. Comment requests from Cruise, the Kennedy Center and CBS were not returned.

Trump previously took over as chairman of the center, and there is political maneuvering in Washington around renaming the opera house and other theater symbolism. The Kennedy Center Honors ceremony will take place Dec. 7 and will air on CBS. The Kennedy Center, CBS and a representative for Cruise declined to comment.

The overlap of politics and culture is on full display. A president hosting a major arts prize turns a once nonpartisan celebration into a televised moment. That shift raises questions about the Kennedy Center’s tradition of recognizing artistic achievement independent of party. Nominees may be drawn into a political story that distracts from their work, while critics warn the ceremony could be used to score political points. The arrangement also reflects a broader pattern where cultural institutions become stages for public figures, inviting debate about funding, governance, and public trust.

Highlights

The line between culture and politics grows louder at elite ceremonies.