It's been reported that media giant Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures is ending their 14-year old deal with Tom Cruise's production company, Cruise-Wagner Productions. According to Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone, in a Wall Street Journal article, Cruise's behavior has become unacceptable to the corporation. "As much as we like him personally, we thought it was wrong to renew his deal, his recent conduct has not been acceptable to Paramount."

What? Yeah right.

Though I'm not a fan of Tom's couch-hopping, Katie Holmes-obsessive, antidepressant-criticizing actions, they're hardly illegal or even immoral. Not great PR choices perhaps but as far as I can tell, he lives a pretty straight and narrow life. No criminal record. Redstone's statement makes it sound like Cruise was caught doing something deviant or illegal -- like maybe driving drunk or spouting off that Jewish people are responsible for the world's conflicts. Something crazy like that.

Okay, so what's the real reason for the parting of the ways with Cruise's production company? Goodness knows, if they thought they'd make enough money, most any Hollywood studio would make a 20 picture deal with Beelzebub himself. I suspect that Cruise-Wagner Productions' films just didn't make as much money as expected. In addition, with Cruise's drop in popularity last year, I surmise Paramount doesn't want to shell out the money just in case the trend continues. Considering his track record, I doubt it -- I think Cruise still has a lot of box-office profits left in him.

So why come out and say they weren't going to renew the deal because of Cruise's behavior? Pretty dumb and personally hurtful if you ask me. Though he's got more money than he'll be able to spend, I personally hope that Cruise's company makes a new deal with another studio and they make a whole lot more money together. I'll probably end up seeing their films -- another certain star's films, not so much. TOM CRUISE PARAMOUNT ACTING ACTOR AGENT Cruise Wagner Productions HOLLYWOOD LOS ANGELES MOVIES VIACOM MISSION IMPOSSIBLE KATIE HOLMES

Hi!

Hmmm I've been thinking about this too, lately. I agree that this high moral road Paramount supposedly took seems HIGHLY unlikely. Now, I obviousy don't know Tom Cruise or the Paramount execs, but this type of thing to me seems more like they had/have artistic differences? Or maybe Tom Cruise has been acting up inside the studio (i.e. diva attitude, not following studio protocol, botchy finances, etc) as a producer and that's why they let him go. Regardless of what it is, it really does feel like it's personal, don't you think?