Photo: Getty
It's been going on for 25 years.
By Emily Blackwood — Written on Apr 30, 2020
Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise may seem like they have a lot of common at first glance. They're both successful, good-looking and have a long list of equally good looking actress and young models they've been linked to. But as much as they might share, they couldn't be more at odds with each other.
Allegedly, Brad and Tom have been fighting for years — 25 to be exact — and despite the fact that they're now grown men, their feud was reunited.
In 2019, Brad was working on the movie World War Z that was "stuck in production hell." And at the same time, Tom was gaining some serious momentum with his Top Gun: Maverick and apparently, his success was not sitting well with ole Brad.
“Tom was the biggest A-list name of the ’80s and Brad of the ’90s,” said an industry source. “They’ve traded plenty of barbs in the past, but this [was] a real showdown!”
So why are Brad and Tom so angry with each other? Here are six things to know about the Brad Pitt/Tom Cruise feud.
1. It all started with Interview With A Vampire.
Way back in 1994, Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise starred together in the hit horror movie Interview With A Vampire. Based on an Anne Rice novel with the same name, the film shows Lestat (Tom) turning Louis (Brad) into a vampire. After Louis is transformed, they both turn a 10-year-old girl into a vampire.
Dark stuff. But it was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe.
But during an interview after the movie came out, Brad said that he was "miserable" during the entire filming and that Tom being there certainly didn't help.
2. Brad talked smack about Tom.
In that interview after Interview With A Vampire, Brad did not hold back his feelings about his fellow cast mate.
“He bugged me,” Pitt said at the time. “There came a point during filming when I started really resenting him.”
“He’s North Pole, I’m South,” continued Pitt. “He’s always coming at you with a handshake, whereas I may bump into you. There was this underlying competition that got in the way of any real conversation.”
3. Brad also talked smack about Tom's movies.
Fast forward to 2009, and you'll find Brad still hasn't learned how to hold his tongue. Both of the actors were starring in World War II dramas — Brad in Inglorious Bastards and Tom in Valkyrie — and Tom's did not do as well.
Brad took glory in his nemesis' flop and called it a "ridiculous movie."
4. Then there was the whole Angelina Jolie thing.
Tom was originally up for the lead role as a CIA agent who turns into a spy, but he lost the part to none other than Angelina Jolie, who was Brad's wife at the time. The part was written for a man, but they changed it for Brad's boo.
We wouldn't be surprised if Brad had something to do with that — or at least enjoyed watching it go down.
5. Then there was the "other" Angelina rumor.
Back in 2017, it was reported that Angelina and Tom were having "secret romantic meetings" after they hit it off at the Scientology headquarters in England to discuss a film project.
"Angie’s been super-stealthy about it all,” a source said. “Angie’s attracted to Tom’s masculinity, power and wild side. She likes that he’s a little different. He’s being groomed to take over Scientology’s top spot and desperately wants a wife beside him.”
Of course, the source said Brad was not happy.
"It definitely sweetens things for Angie that by getting with Tom. She’s getting under Brad’s skin."
As juicy as all this is, a source told Gossip Cop that there's no truth to the rumor and no secret romantic meetings. Sigh.
6. And there's a reason to believe there was never a fight at all.
While we might want to believe that two of Hollywood's biggest actors have been secretly fighting for decades, it might not be the case.
Sure, they didn't get along during the filming of Interview With A Vampire, but Brad "slamming" Valkyrie was a misunderstanding. It was originally printed in a German magazine, and Brad's rep later dismissed the story.
“Brad has never even seen Valkyrie," the rep said.
And the whole Tom resenting Brad for losing a prime role to Angelina might be not true either. Tom apparently said that he was the one who turned down Salt because he thought it was too similar to Mission: Impossible. Which, he's like, known for.
After he dropped out, they pursued a female lead.
So it sounds more likely that Brad and Tom are not mortal enemies; they're just not close.
Emily Blackwood is a writer and editor living in California. She covers all things news, pop culture and true crime.
Editor's Note: This article was originally posted on February 28, 2019 and was updated with the latest information.