Tom Cruise’s lawyer has spoken out in defence of the actor over reports that he considers his career to be as brutal as a soldier serving in Afghanistan.
Bert Fields, Tom’s attorney, refers to details that have been published from a court deposition about the Hollywood star’s work schedule, that he claims are a ‘distortion’ and have been taken out of context.
‘The assertions that Tom Cruise likened making a movie to being at war in Afghanistan is a gross distortion of the record,” Fields said in a statement to People magazine. ‘What Tom said, laughingly, was that sometimes, “That’s what it feels like.” ‘
Action hero: Tom Cruise claims his movie work is just as ‘brutal’ as serving tours in Afghanistan, pictured in May in Beijing, China
The statements were part of Cruise’s deposition in his $50million defamation lawsuit against Life & Style and In Touch for allegedly claiming he’d abandoned his daughter Suri Cruise.
Fields also makes clear that an unreleased video of the legal proceedings show that Cruise was not being serious about the suggestion that his movie career was as tough as a soldier at war.
‘As the video shows, he and the lawyer were laughing at his answer, and, when asked in the next question if the situations were comparable, Tom said, “Oh, come on,” meaning of course not,’ the attorney states.
The attorney’s comments come after RadarOnline published part of the court deposition, in which the 51-year-old actor compared his grueling acting schedule to serving tours in Afghanistan.
Like the real thing: the 51-year-old claimed filming Edge Of Tomorrow was similar to going to war
‘That’s what it feels like,’ the Mission Impossible star said, ‘And certainly on this last movie, it was brutal. It was brutal.’
During the proceedings it was brought to light that the actor’s lawyers had likened his time on movie sets to serving in Afghanistan.
Cruise affirmed the claim, saying: ‘I didn’t hear the Afghanistan [part], but that’s what it feels like, and certainly on this last movie [Edge Of Tomorrow], it was brutal. It was brutal.’
In the court documents, Cruise also freely compares himself to Olympic athletes.
The Risky Business star explained: ‘There is difficult physical stamina and preparation. Sometimes I’ve spent months, a year, and sometimes two years preparing for a single film.
‘A sprinter for the Olympics, they only have to run two races a day. When I’m shooting, I could potentially have to run 30, 40 races a day, day after day.’
Bitter fight: Cruise is currently in a lawsuit defending his relationship with his seven-year-old daughter Suri, pictured in New York in December 2011
And while the multi-millionaire compared his silver screen magic to the harrowing trials of war, he also admitted that he flies almost exclusively on private jets.
‘Generally its easier, yes … it does save – it does save time.’ The actor said of his luxurious mode of travel. ‘Sometimes the flight itself is longer if you have, you know…but yeah, it’s better. It’s much more comfortable.’
In the same deposition Cruise also spoke about his seven-year-old daughter Suri, who he shares with Katie Holmes.
The Top Gun star claimed he ‘didn’t abandon her [Suri] emotionally, physically or otherwise’ despite claims that he had not seen the youngster for 100 days following his split with Katie.
Also revealed in the deposition is the admission that Katie may have left Tom in part so she could break away from Scientology.
‘Ms. Holmes has never indicated in any way that was one of the reasons she left you? …To protect Suri from Scientology?’ lawyers asked Cruise.
Tom finally admitted: ‘Did she say that? That was one of the assertions, yes.’
He quickly added: ‘There were many other aspects to the divorce.’
But according to People.com, Cruise amended the statement with a court filing on Tuesday, stating: ‘Katie has never told me that [Scientology] was a reason for our divorce.’
The publication contacted reps for both Holmes and Cruise but did not receive comment.
Tom, who just wrapped filming on Edge Of Tomorrow with Emily Blunt, made himself an action movie sensation with Top Gun in 1986.
He has since gone on to establish himself as one of the most viable box office draws for over two decades.
Gearing up: Cruise claims he works harder than an Olympic athlete for his films, pictured with Simon Pegg in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
Meanwhile, new reports indicate that his split with Katie, 34, was a bitter one.
Emails written by Tom’s team have surfaced that accuse Katie’s camp of trying to discredit the movie hero by leaking information to the press, staging photo opportunities and engaging in an all out smear campaign.
Emails between August and September of 2012 – following Holmes’ filing for divorce on June 29 have been published by RadarOnline after being discovered as a result of the lawsuit Tom filed against Bauer Media for their cover story claiming he’d ‘abandoned’ Suri.
Reasons: Tom admitted that Scientology may have played a role in his split from Katie, pictured in Beverly Hills in March 2011
In one of the missives, Tom’s people brand an August story about Cruise taking Suri to Disneyland that was bannered with the headline: ‘Forgetting Mommy Already?’ as ‘true scum form.’
His loyal team discuss in the emails how they believe Katie’s design partner, Jeanne Yang of Holmes and Yang, to be behind the leaks.
According to Radar, Cruise’s publicist, Amanda Lundberg, accused Jeanne Yang of ‘lying and speaking and keeping these stories going each week, in an email to his team including Tom’s sister Lee Ann De Vette.
‘A very good friend/editor slipped and said her name to me on Monday,’ Lundberg said of Yang.
‘Two good sources told me it is all her… She likely told the press that they stayed at Cinderella’s castle as no one really knew… Every single person tells me she is speaking to the press constantly.’
There was also mention of how Cruise’s team dealt with ‘outrageous’ and ‘defamatory’ accusations put to them by Bauer that Suri was scared of her first day at school as her father told her she would have to follow strict rules.
The finger of blame alighted on Yang again, with one email containing: ‘JY [Jeanne Yang] again. At this point she and they are involved in a conspiracy.’
‘They know she’s making this bs up.’
It’s also being reported that Tom’s lawyers sent a letter to Vanity Fair last year after they re-used Suri baby pictures.
‘It has come to our attention that Vanity Fair is exploiting the Suri Photos on its Internet website in numerous ways, all of them exceeding the scope of the magazine’s limited license and in violation of the Agreement,’ the lawyers warned.
Interestingly enough, it was not long after the magazine’s expose of Scientology and Tom’s alleged girlfriend auditions.
