Mission Impossible Star Debunks Tom Cruise Romance Rumors

Rumors of a romance between Tom Cruise and Hayley Atwell, who recently starred in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, have been circulating on the Internet for quite some time. The situation has even created a controversy on social media, as some people seem to have problems with the 20-year age gap between the two actors — even though it sounds ridiculous, as Cruise is 61 years old, while Atwell is 41.

In an interview with The Independent, the actress set the record straight and debunked the 'upsetting' rumors.

According to Atwell, she found the rumors particularly disturbing and 'invasive' because they involve 'people in her actual life [...] who have to be on the receiving end of that.' The actress denies that she and Cruise are, or have ever been, romantically linked and admits that she sees both him and Mission: Impossible director Christopher McQuarrie as 'two uncles' — her senior colleagues and mentors.

Atwell also revealed that Cruise gave her advice on how to deal with the 'dirty' speculation: the actor said it is important to remain true to yourself, no matter what the public opinion is.

'You know exactly who you are. You know what you're about. And that is the only thing that matters. It doesn't matter what people think of you, if you are in integrity with yourself, if you know what your value system is,' Atwell quoted her co-star.

But while most fans are convinced that the whole relationship drama is completely made-up by the media, some of them are a bit skeptical about the origin of the rumors. These people believe that the situation might be an elaborate PR ploy aimed at creating buzz around the new movie.

Considering that the rumors first appeared back in 2020, it is just awfully convenient that they resurfaced just around the film's release date. On top of that, the new installment of Mission: Impossible recently experienced the biggest box-office drop in the history of the franchise, so heating up the interest in the movie seems like an obvious decision.

Others believe the rumors are a way to indirectly promote the film, as the actors are prohibited from participating in marketing campaigns for their projects due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. However, all of the above remains speculation, with no real evidence to support either claim.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One hit the screens on July 12, 2023, and is currently in theaters. The next part of the story is scheduled for release on June 28, 2024.

Sources: The Independent, Reddit