Cruise was right to let rip at rule breakers, say Whoopi and George

HOLLYWOOD stars Whoopi Goldberg and George Clooney have backed Tom Cruise following his F-word rant at Mission: Impossible crew members who failed to socially distance on set.

The pair spoke out after a recording of the Top Gun actor giving workers the hairdryer treatment for failing to follow Covid rules was leaked online.

It has emerged five crew members have quit since the expletive-laden audio clip emerged earlier this week.

But Oscar winner Goldberg believes Cruise, 58, was right to remonstrate with those who broke the rules.

‘I get it,’ said the Ghost actress, 65. ‘You can get a new camera operator, a new sound man — no disrespect. If (Cruise) is looking over and can see Support role: Goldberg and Clooney you not doing what you’re supposed to be doing... it’s kind of like a little bit of a middle finger, in my opinion.’

And Clooney reckons Cruise doesn’t owe anyone an apology.

‘He didn’t overreact, it is a problem,’ he said. ‘I have a friend who’s an assistant director on another TV show who had the almost exact same thing happen.’ The 59-year-old added: ‘I wouldn’t have done it that big. In a position of power and it’s tricky, right?

‘You do have a responsibility for everybody else and he’s absolutely right about that. If production goes down, a lot of people lose their jobs. People have to understand that and be responsible.’

In the leaked audio, Cruise – who stars in and is producing Mission: Impossible 7 – told crew who were standing too close together: ‘We are not shutting this f***ing movie down. Is it understood? If I see it again, you’re f***ing gone.’