Overview

• The Washington Post reports that Tom Cruise turned down an invitation to be a 2025 Kennedy Center Honoree, citing scheduling conflicts according to anonymous current and former Kennedy Center employees.
• President Trump’s first honoree class under his chairmanship remains George Strait, KISS, Michael Crawford, Gloria Gaynor and Sylvester Stallone, and he will host the ceremony on December 7.
• Cruise is still scheduled to receive an honorary Oscar at the Governors Awards in November, a separate accolade announced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
• Since February, Trump has overhauled the Kennedy Center’s governance by removing board members and its president, installing loyalists and prompting resignations as legal and financial reviews proceed.
• The high-profile refusal underscores artist unease over the Center’s politicized direction and Trump’s hands-on role in selecting honorees.