A 2005 clip of Tom Cruise having a heated talk on NBC's Today show with then-host Matt Lauer went viral on Friday, sparking discussion about a variety of topics, including Scientology, psychiatry and medication.
The video came from Cruise's appearance on the show to promote the Steven Spielberg-directed War of the Worlds, in which he starred. Intended to be a lighthearted discussion, the talk turned argumentative when Lauer brought up a variety of topics, including Cruise's relationship with Katie Holmes and his religion.
The moment captured in the clip being shared on Twitter came after Lauer brought up comments Cruise had recently made on Access Hollywood about actress Brooke Shields being "irresponsible" for taking antidepressants as treatment for postpartum depression. (Cruise made amends with Shields later, and she attended his wedding to Holmes in 2006. Cruise and Holmes divorced in 2012.)
A brief, edited video of the interview went viral on Twitter Friday, as did the term "Scientology." In the clip, Cruise calls Lauer "glib," disparages the use of Ritalin, a drug commonly prescribed to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and said "[y]ou don't know the history of psychiatry. I do."
Podcast host Michael Knowles was among the first to tweet out the clip posted by commercial artist Brett R. Smith. In his message, Knowles wrote, "This interview has aged like a fine wine."
Many social media commentators referenced the results of a study released this week by researchers from the University College London (UCL). In it, the team said depression is likely not caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, countering a long-held belief within the medical industry. The results also called into question the use of antidepressants.
"Many people take antidepressants because they have been led to believe their depression has a biochemical cause, but this new research suggests this belief is not grounded in evidence," Joanna Moncrieff, the study's lead author and a professor of psychiatry at UCL, said in a statement.
"I don't know who needs to hear this but the science said depression was caused by a 'chemical imbalance' for 20 years and this has just been debunked," one person tweeted.
Conservative political commentator Matt Walsh agreed with Knowles' comment about Cruise. About the video, Walsh said, "Tom Cruise has been mocked ruthlessly for this for the past 20 years and yet everything he said was 100 percent undeniably true."
Not everyone felt Cruise was in the right with his messaging. This included Yashar Ali, a journalist well-known for making critical comments about the Church of Scientology.
"You are giving Scientology propaganda material," Ali wrote, in part, in a message to Walsh.
Fantasy author Colin Glassley tweeted that although he is not a fan of Scientology, it did not "change the fact that Tom Cruise appears to be correct on this issue, way before most everyone else."
"Tom Cruise is right, but all Matt had to say was that the reason that Scientology objects to psychiatry is that their services to clients/members are in direct competition," another Twitter user argued.
Newsweek has reached out to the Church of Scientology for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Jon Jackson is an Associate Editor at Newsweek based in New York. His focus is on reporting on the Ukraine ... Read more
