Let’s take a trip down memory lane to that unforgettable moment in 2005 when Matt Lauer and Tom Cruise locked horns on the Today show. You know the one I’m talking about—it was the interview that had everyone buzzing for weeks. Thirteen years later, we’re still talking about it, which is pretty impressive if you think about it.

During an appearance on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live!, Matt opened up about how he felt after that tense exchange over Scientology, psychiatry, and prescription drugs. “Before we dive into this, let me just say—I like Tom Cruise,” Matt shared with a chuckle. “We’ve got a great relationship, a solid friendship. That was just one little moment that got blown out of proportion.”

But oh, what a moment it was! Matt admitted that in the heat of the moment, he couldn’t help but wonder if he could take Tom down in a wrestling match. “I was thinking, ‘Could I tackle him on the set? Would I win in a hypothetical wrestling match?’” Matt revealed to Andy Cohen during a later interview. Can you imagine the headlines if that had actually happened?

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What Happened During That Infamous Interview?

It all went down over a decade ago when Tom, promoting his blockbuster film War of the Worlds, sat down with Matt on the Today show. Things were going smoothly until Tom decided to challenge Matt’s knowledge of psychiatry. “You don’t know the history of psychiatry. I do,” Tom confidently declared. Oof, talk about throwing a wrench into the conversation!

Matt Lauer Takes the Bold Step of Bringing It Up to Katie Holmes

Years later, Matt couldn’t resist bringing up the infamous interview with Tom’s ex-wife, Katie Holmes. When Katie was promoting her 2016 film Touched by Fire, Matt seized the opportunity to ask her a pointed question. “This movie raises the question: Is it beneficial to treat people with drugs?” Matt began. “You and I both remember a heated discussion I had on this very subject right here in this studio. How does the movie address that?”

Now, here’s the kicker—Katie somehow managed to dodge the question with grace and poise. Can you believe it? She turned it into a conversation about the film’s themes without directly addressing the elephant in the room. Talk about smooth!

Matt and Tom in 2008.

Lessons Learned from the Awkward Encounter

Fast forward to today, and it’s clear that Matt and Tom have moved past their differences. Matt even admitted that he learned a valuable lesson from that awkward interview. “Even the bad interviews, you learn from them. They make you better,” he said. “If you have a bad experience on air, you think you didn’t do your job or had an embarrassing moment. I guarantee you’ll work harder next time to avoid it happening again.”

Who knows what the future holds for Matt when it comes to interviews, but we hope if he gets another chance to sit down with Tom, it goes a lot smoother this time around. After all, we all love a good redemption story, don’t we?