Tom Cruise controversy at Olympics sparks Russian outrage

The echoes of Tom Cruise's spectacular performance after the Olympic Games in Paris are still resonating. The actor has found himself in the crosshairs of a Russian singer who accuses him of plagiarism.

The conclusion of the Olympic Games in Paris was executed in true Hollywood style. Tom Cruise appeared during the ceremony on the roof of the Stade de France. The actor looked into the camera lens, then jumped from the edge and descended by rope into the crowd of athletes on the stadium floor. He then took the Olympic flag and "transported" it to Los Angeles, the host of the next Olympics in 2028.

The biggest loser of the Paris Olympics is Russia. The country, governed by dictator Vladimir Putin, was excluded from the competition due to its aggression against Ukraine. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed only several dozen Russian athletes to compete, who participated under neutral colors or represented other countries.

Russian media are publicizing the "controversy" surrounding the Olympic Games' closing ceremony. Tom Cruise has found himself in the sights of Dima Bilan, a star of the Russian entertainment industry. The singer has performed on stage since 1998 and has represented Russia twice in the Eurovision contest. He has received the MTV Europe Music Award multiple times for Best Russian Act.

Dima posted on Instagram, suggesting that Tom Cruise plagiarized a stunt he performed during the closing ceremony of the Olympics. As evidence, the Russian singer showed a recording of his performance from June 15, two months earlier than the American actor's feat. During the concert, the singer jumped from a roof and descended onto the stage while attached to a harness.

Internet users treated Dima's post more as a humorous attempt to attract attention. Only a few fervent patriots expressed outrage in the comments: "Tom Cruise performed a pathetic parody of the unique show which you, Dima, created," reads one of the comments.

I am curious about why Dima posted on Instagram. The social media platform has been banned in Russia as authorities classified it as a "terrorist organization" - similar to other applications owned by the American company Meta. If any Tom Cruise fan reports this, the entertainment star could face more serious problems.