Jimmy Kimmel’s Scientology joke in the 2023 Oscars monologue couldn’t have gone on if Tom Cruise had attended the event.
Talk to Varietythe late-night host and executive producer’s wife Molly McNearney confirmed the prank won’t be in the Mission Impossible star’s presence.
“We got about three minutes of the monologue dedicated to Tom Cruise, honoring him and his role in reviving the movie industry.”
She continued, “We were so disappointed when we found out a few days before the Oscars that he wouldn’t be there. Jimmy loves him and really wanted to celebrate him.”
The 55-year-old joked during his monologue on Cruise and Scientology, “Everyone loved Top Gun – everyone. I mean, Tom Cruise with his shirt on in that beach soccer scene. L Ron hubba-hubba – you know what I’m saying?
The superstar is a member of the Church of Scientology, founded by L Ron Hubbard in 1953.
Meanwhile, it was revealed that the 60-year-old Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 2 filming in the UK caused him to miss the Oscars, according to Entertainment Tonight.