Four men were released on bail after being
arrested and were ordered to return to a police station Monday.
The actor was outside a movie theater in
central London's Leicester Square on Sunday doing press interviews
when a man squirted him with a water pistol disguised as a
microphone, London's Metropolitan Police said.
Cruise initially appeared to laugh at the
incident but then asked the prankster: "Why would you do that?"
As the man gave a barely audible excuse,
Cruise said: "Do you like thinking less of people, is that it?" The
prankster tried to walk away but Cruise reached across the metal
barrier, held his arm and said: "Don't run away. That's incredibly
rude. I'm here giving you an interview and you do that ... it's
incredibly rude."
The actor grew increasingly irritated and told
the man: "You're a jerk." Footage of the incident appeared on Sky
News TV on Monday.
Police detained the man who squirted Cruise
and arrested three other men who filmed the incident. The four were
working on a new comedy show for British television station Channel
4 in which celebrities are the targets of practical jokes.
Police released the men on bail several hours
later and ordered them to return to a central London police station
on Monday, when they may be charged with assault, the police
spokesman said.
Actress Katie Holmes, who recently got engaged
to Cruise, was at the premiere but not by his side at the time of
the incident.
.jpg)
.jpg)
