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Is Jennifer Lopez plotting revenge on Tom Cruise because she believes he blocked her chances of scoring on Oscar nomination? That’s the ridiculous story in one of this week’s tabloids. Gossip Cop can debunk it.
According to NW, Lopez recently uncovered a “secret campaign” that Cruise ran to stop her from receiving an Academy Award nomination for her role in Hustlers. “Whatever he did, it worked,” says an alleged “pal” of the actress, who doesn’t explain what this “campaign” could have possible entailed. “It was the biggest snub of the year – it just didn’t make sense. But now we know why. The rumors are all over town that Tom was behind it and Jen’s absolutely seething.”
From there, the supposed source says Lopez “stormed out” of the pre-Oscars CAA party when Cruise showed up. “When he arrived, everyone started ignoring her,” says the suspicious tipster. There’s zero indication that the singer “stormed out” of the party. Still, the questionable insider adds, “She wasn’t going to take it – and she also didn’t want a run-in with him after that awkward scene at his wedding to Katie Holmes.”
Former Scientologist Leah Remini, who’s close pals with Lopez, claimed in her book Troublemaker that Scientology officials asked her to invite the singer to Cruise’s wedding so they could recruit her for the religion. NW says Lopez’s refusal to join “caused a huge rift” between her and the Mission: Impossible star. “Jen really couldn’t care less about that crazy cult, but when it starts messing with her money and her career, it’s time to take the earrings off,” adds the seemingly phony source.
The supposed tipster continues, “She knows Tom’s got a lot riding on the Top Gun remake, so she’s going to start spinning up some dirt to throw his way. A nicely timed joint interview with Leah could be just the ticket – all she has to do is dredge up the past and mention the wedding.”
The tabloid’s conspiracy theory is completely made up. As noted above, the tabloid isn’t able to back up its premise with any sensical details. Did Cruise visit each Oscar voter at their home and plead with them not to nominate Lopez? Did he somehow find the Oscar ballots and sabotage them? The reason the magazine doesn’t attempt to offer an explanation is because there isn’t a logical one.
Gossip Cop ran the story by an individual in Lopez’s camp, who confirms it’s made up. Last month, various members of the Academy explained to the New York Post why they didn’t nominate Lopez. One member said Hustlers “is not an ‘Oscar movie,'” while another person said, “Actors tend to think of Jennifer Lopez as a phenomenon more than an actress, per se.”
The New York Times also published an article breaking down some of the reasons why Lopez wasn’t nominated for an Oscar. The newspaper offered a similar explanation, saying Lopez is seen as more of a celebrity than an actress, and that Hustlers wasn’t watched by as many voters as some of last year’s more prestigious films. Rightly or wrongly, there are better explanations for Lopez’s Oscar snub than Cruise launching a covert campaign to bring her down.
Back in December, Gossip Cop busted the Globe for publishing a similar story about Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj teaming up to prevent Lopez from winning an Oscar. The following month, Life & Style wrongly reported that Lopez was quitting Hollywood following her Oscar snub. The tabloids have been milking this topic to create fiction. This latest angle involving Cruise might the most preposterous one yet.
Sources
Lewak, Doree. “Academy members viciously reveal why Lopez, Sandler, Murphy got snubbed from Oscars.” The New York Post, 18 Jan. 2020.
Buchanan, Kyle. “Why Did the Oscars Ignore Jennifer Lopez in ‘Hustlers’?” The New York Times, 13 Jan. 2020.
Shuster, Andrew. “Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj Teaming Up To Prevent Jennifer Lopez From Winning An Oscar?” Gossip Cop, 24 Dec. 2019.
Shuster, Andrew. “Jennifer Lopez Quitting Hollywood Over Oscar Snub?” Gossip Cop, 22 Jan. 2020.
Our Verdict
Gossip Cop has determined this story is totally false.