Greens see red over Cruise’s helicopter mission in Cannes
‘The message is that the common people have to do with less, but the wealthiest can do what they want’
TOM CRUISE is famed for playing a daring fighter pilot, but he is now facing flak from French politicians for taking to the skies.
The Top Gun star has been criticised for arriving at the Cannes Film Festival by helicopter, as Green politicians say the rich must “lead by example”.
The event on the Riviera has rolled out strict eco-friendly policies, including ferrying celebrities to the red carpet in electric cars, but Cruise, 59, went maverick and arrived for the premiere of his Top Gun sequel by air.
French Green politicians have criticised his entrance, which was followed by a jet fly-past in his honour, and said celebrities who flock to Cannes each year must “lead by example” in the fight against climate change.
David Cormand, an MEP representing France’s environmentalist Europe Ecology party, said: “Celebrities could create a narrative where a sober way of life is more attractive, and could show that they take their share in the efforts we all have to make.
“[Such] behaviour destroys the credibility of those who speak up for climate and the environment. How can Cannes be convincing about promoting a greener future, if some people can make [an] entrance in a helicopter?
“In the end, the message is that the common people have to pay attention and do with less, but that the wealthiest can do what they want. But if we don’t have a just transition, there will be no green transition at all.”
He added: “I am surprised that the mission that consists of travelling without destroying the planet is a mission that Tom Cruise chooses to refuse.”
Cruise was on the Riviera for the premiere of Top Gun: Maverick, the sequel to his 1986 film, and touched down on Wednesday evening in a helicopter.
The star was met on the steps of the Palais de Festival venue in Cannes by crowds of admirers, and by the sound of speakers playing Take My Breath Away, the hit song featured in Top Gun.
His arrival by air would appear to run against the environmental ethos of the Cannes Film Festival, which has brought in numerous eco-friendly measures to reduce carbon emissions, including ditching single-use plastic, slimming down the red carpet, and, as of 2022, ensuring its fleet of BMW cars for dropping off stars is electric.
Cruise joined co-star Jennifer Connelly and producer Jerry Bruckheimer on the red carpet, where they were greeted by a French Air Force display team, which appeared to further increase the festival’s carbon footprint when its eight jets made repeated runs over Cannes to spray the colours of the French tricolour.
Cruise received an honorary Palme d’Or from Pierre Lescur, festival president, and attended a string of events in a brief stay on the Riviera, before setting off for London to join the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the red carpet of the Top Gun premiere in London.
Representatives of Cruise have been contacted for comment, along with organisers of the festival.