'Top Gun: Maverick' Star Tom Cruise Allegedly Skipped The Oscars To Avoid Ex-Wife Nicole Kidman

Tom Cruise was notably absent from the 2023 Academy Awards, and reports allege it was to avoid an awkward "run-in" with his ex-partner, actress Nicole Kidman.

Sources close to the actor claim he was absent due to a filming schedule for Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning 2." However, many believe it was more than a coincidence he was absent at the Oscars but was present at the nominees' luncheon, which Kidman missed.

Keep on reading to learn more.

Tom Cruise was a no-show at the 95th Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday, despite his blockbuster movie "Top Gun: Maverick" winning the Best Sound award. According to sources from Daily Mail, Cruise skipped the 2023 Oscars to avoid a potentially awkward encounter with his ex-wife, Nicole Kidman, following their bitter divorce 20 years ago.

Despite rumors suggesting otherwise, another source told the publication a different story. They shared that Cruise was absent due to a clashing schedule as he films "Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning 2" in the United Kingdom and that his absence wasn't related to Kidman's attendance or lack of personal nominations.

"Tom's absence from the Oscars was not anything personal and, despite what is being said out there, he did not skip the show because he was not nominated," the insider said. "He is in the UK filming Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning 2. Tom was very pleased that Maverick got such recognition, and he is also very proud of the film."

The source clarified that Cruise watched the awards ceremony remotely and emphasized that the actor was proud of Top Gun: Maverick's recognition and had supported the film in every way possible, saying, "He did, indeed, watch the awards last night. Tom worked hard on the film and has supported in every way he can, work permitting."

However, rumors allege that it was no coincidence that Kidman, 55, was absent from the luncheon attended by her ex-husband, a devoted member of The Church of Scientology. The "Nine Perfect Strangers" actress turned heads as she hit the Oscars champagne carpet with her husband, Keith Urban, 55, before heaping on the PDA.

After Cruise and Kidman's separation in 2001, she was labeled a Suppressive Person (SP) and shunned by the Church of Scientology. As a result, she has not spoken to her two adopted children, Isabella, 30, and Conner, 28, in years, who are active church members.

Before parting ways, the couple was a classic case of onset romance as sparks flew when they first worked together on the set of "Days of Thunder" in 1990. The duo fell in love during filming and got married, spending nearly 12 years of wedded bliss together.

In 2001, their marriage ended abruptly when Cruise walked out on Kidman, filing for divorce citing "irreconcilable differences." The divorce left Kidman in a state of shock, and reports suggest that Kidman's unwillingness to join the Church of Scientology was the reason behind their separation.

In an interview with DuJour Magazine in 2012, Kidman opened up about her heartbreaking separation from Cruise, revealing that she believed their life together was flawless. "I thought our life together was perfect. It took me a very long time to heal. It was a shock to my system," she said.

The actress explained that their marriage created a bubble that isolated them from the world, and they became heavily reliant on each other.

She described her intense feelings towards Cruise stating, "I would have gone to the ends of the earth for him… I was totally smitten - I fell madly, passionately in love."

Many fans were surprised by Cruise's absence at the Oscars, especially after he appeared at the nominees' luncheon in Los Angeles last month.

At the luncheon, the "Edge of Tomorrow" star made headlines for his interaction with legendary director Steven Spielberg, who praised him for "saving Hollywood's a**" with "Top Gun: Maverick" by bringing back audiences to theaters.

The interaction also brought about reconciliation between the two creatives almost 20 years after their collaboration on "War Of The Worlds" (2005).