“I JUST LOVE THEM” — TOM CRUISE FINALLY REVEALS WHAT HE REALLY THINKS OF WILLIAM & CATHERINE
Tom Cruise has met countless celebrities, presidents and members of royalty over a career spanning decades.
But when Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, arrived at the London premiere of his latest movie, Cruise had a remarkably simple message.
“I just love them.”
He went on to describe William and Catherine as “lovely people” and said he had “great respect” for them.
Then, inside the theater, he went even further — publicly thanking the royal couple for supporting the event and saying that he and the team “love them” and appreciate what they do “for the arts, for this country and for the world.”
For a Hollywood superstar known for carefully managed public appearances, the warmth of those remarks immediately stood out.
And there was something else happening at the premiere.
Cruise and William weren't meeting for the first time.
Their friendship goes back years.
THE MOMENT THAT BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER AGAIN
On September 22, William and Catherine attended the world premiere of Digger at the Odeon Luxe in Leicester Square.
The screening also served as the year's Royal Film Performance, an event connected with the Film and TV Charity that raises support for people working in the British film and television industry.
Cruise greeted the royal couple on the black carpet.
At one point, he looked at William's outfit and offered a simple compliment:
“Great jacket.”
William was wearing a black velvet double-breasted jacket with a bow tie.
Catherine, meanwhile, arrived in a striking purple Jenny Packham gown, accessorized with jewelry connected to two generations of the royal family: earrings that belonged to Diana and the Queen Mother's amethyst sautoir necklace.
But the clothing was not the moment that generated the most attention.
That came from Cruise himself.
Before the royal couple arrived, he was asked about William and Catherine.
His answer was strikingly personal.
“I just love them. They are lovely people, and I have great respect for them.”
And once the event began, Cruise made his feelings even more public.
“WE LOVE THEM”
Standing before the audience, Cruise thanked William and Catherine for supporting the premiere.
He specifically connected their presence to the arts and to the broader purpose of the event.
“We want to thank the Royal Highnesses for supporting this event,” Cruise said, before adding that they appreciated what the couple does “for the arts, for this country and for the world.”
It was not simply a celebrity compliment.
William and Catherine were attending in an official capacity connected to a charitable film event, and Cruise was acknowledging that support from the stage.
But the language was still unusually warm.
And it helps explain why their relationship has continued to attract attention.
This is not a one-night Hollywood friendship.
TOM CRUISE AND WILLIAM GO WAY BACK
Cruise and William first became particularly visible together during the 2022 London premiere of Top Gun: Maverick.
At that event, Cruise spoke about his connection with William and said the two had “a lot in common.”
His explanation was surprisingly straightforward.
They both loved England.
They were both aviators.
And they both loved flying.
The connection also extended beyond a movie premiere.
Cruise has supported causes associated with William, including London's Air Ambulance Charity, for which William is a patron. Their relationship has therefore existed across entertainment, charity and royal public life rather than being limited to a single red-carpet appearance.
That history makes Cruise's latest comments more significant.
He was not simply welcoming an important guest.
He was welcoming people he has known for years.
AND THEN CAME THE LAUGHTER
One of the most revealing details from the Digger premiere was not something Cruise said.
It was what happened when the three of them were together.
Reports from the event said William, Catherine and Cruise spent extra time talking, with Cruise at one point making the royal couple laugh before they entered the theater together.
That small moment gives the evening a different feel.
The Prince and Princess of Wales were there for an official charitable occasion.
Cruise was promoting a major new film.
But the interaction between them appeared relaxed enough to look like an old friendship rather than a formal royal encounter.
And that may be exactly why the “I just love them” comment resonated.
WHY THIS RELATIONSHIP IS DIFFERENT
There is an obvious fascination whenever Hollywood and the British royal family cross paths.
But Cruise's relationship with William and Catherine has an unusual ingredient: continuity.
He has known William for years.
He has publicly discussed their shared interest in aviation.
He has appeared alongside William and Catherine at major film events.
And he has supported causes connected to the Prince of Wales.
Meanwhile, William has openly expressed admiration for Cruise's work.
At the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards, William singled out Top Gun: Maverick as one of the films he considered especially impressive, while also noting that his children enjoy it.
So when Cruise says he has “great respect” for William and Catherine, there is already a history behind those words.
This isn't a relationship that suddenly appeared because of Digger.
The premiere simply put it back in front of the cameras.
CATHERINE'S CHOICE OF JEWELRY ADDED ANOTHER LAYER
There was also a quieter royal detail that made the evening more significant.
Catherine wore earrings that had belonged to Diana, Princess of Wales.
She also wore the Queen Mother's amethyst sautoir necklace.
The combination brought together two important chapters of the Windsor family's history in a single appearance.
That was particularly noticeable because Cruise has his own connection to Diana's story.
He met William's mother and attended her funeral in 1997, according to BBC reporting.
So, standing beside William and Catherine years later, the Hollywood star was also part of a much longer royal timeline.
The moment therefore carried more history than a normal movie premiere.
AND WHAT ABOUT “WHAT HE REALLY THINKS”?
The answer may actually be simpler than the headline suggests.
Cruise's public comments were overwhelmingly positive.
He described William and Catherine as lovely people.
He said he had great respect for them.
He thanked them for supporting the arts.
And he explicitly said that he and the film team loved and appreciated them.
There was no dramatic revelation about the monarchy.
No explosive criticism.
No secret feud.
Instead, the surprise was how openly affectionate Cruise was.
For a celebrity who has spent decades at the center of enormous public attention, that simplicity may be what made the moment stand out.
He wasn't trying to create a controversy.
He was simply praising two people he clearly appears to have developed a longstanding friendship with.
THE BIGGER QUESTION
William and Catherine's appearance at Digger also comes at a particularly busy moment for the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Their public schedule continues to combine royal duties, charitable causes and high-profile cultural events, while their family life remains under intense public attention.
Yet for one evening, the focus shifted away from royal drama.
There was no speech about constitutional duties.
No discussion of succession.
No palace controversy.
Just Tom Cruise greeting two longtime friends on a London film premiere's black carpet.
He complimented William's jacket.
He warmly welcomed Catherine.
The three laughed together.
And then Cruise stood before the audience and said the words that captured the entire evening:
“We love them.”
Maybe the most revealing part is that William and Catherine didn't need to say much at all.
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Cruise said enough for all three of them.
And after years of seeing Hollywood stars meet the royal family with carefully chosen words, the simplicity of “I just love them” may have been the most memorable royal compliment of the night.
