SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: Tom Cruise reportedly "barred" journalist Peter Overton from attending the 'Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One' premiere in Sydney, Australia, last week, 18 years after the actor had a heated exchange with the Channel Nine presenter during the infamous '60 Minutes' interview. Back in 2005, the duo came together for the interview to discuss Cruise's film 'War of the Worlds' but Overton left the latter disappointed after asking him about ex-wife Nicole Kidman.
At the time, Cruise even accused Overton of "crossing the line." As per Woman's Day, Cruise personally looked into his 'MI 7' Sydney red carpet guest list to make sure his trip to Australia remained free of controversies. "Anyone connected to 'That Interview' was scratched off, and Peter Overton was certainly among the people who didn't get an invite," a source told the publication. "Tom wanted the spotlight on his film, not his past," the insider added.
What is known about Peter Overton?
Overton is an Australian TV journalist and newscaster, who currently serve as the presenter for Nine News Sydney. He was born on April 5, 1966, in England and moved to Australia with his parents at the age of two. His father, Dr John Overton, was an associate professor of anaesthesia at the University of Sydney and also worked at The Children's Hospital at Westmead.
He reportedly grew up in Longueville, a suburb located on the Lower North Shore of Sydney and studied at Lane Cove Public School, where he played the tuba, as well as the North Sydney Boys High School. Overton graduated with a Bachelor of Economics from Macquarie University before joining the Seven Network in Adelaide as a sports reporter during the 1980s and 1990s.
Shortly after, he joined the Nine Network as a reporter for Nine News and was appointed weekend sports presenter on Nine News in Sydney. He also served as the fill-in presenter for Ken Sutcliffe and covered weekday news updates from the newsroom. Overton also presented weekend news bulletins at times and substituted for Sharyn Ghidella on National Nine Early News and Today News.
He also became an occassional substitute for Jim Waley on Nightline and the co-host of Nine Network's coverage of the Thredbo disaster with Tracy Grimshaw. Overton went on to become a reporter for the current affairs show '60 Minutes' and served the role for eight years. He also held positions at 2UE, Sky News Australia and the Seven Network in Adelaide. Overton was appointed presenter of Nine News Sydney as a replacement for Mark Ferguson in 2009.
In 2011, the reporter earned cameo roles and appeared as himself in Australian horror film 'The Tunnel,' the sci-fi film 'Pacific Rim Uprising' and in 'Fast X'. He is also involved in community activities and serves as a patron of the MonSTaR Foundation charity organization and an ambassador for the Special Olympics Australia non-profit. He is also a Wing Commander in the Royal Australian Air Force, where he serves as a specialist reserve public affairs officer.
On the personal front, Overton married his childhood sweetheart in the mid-1990s. However, the parted ways and divorced in 2000. He started dating the-then Ten Eyewitness News presenter Jessica Rowe in 2001. The pair tied the knot in 2004 and are proud parents to two daughters.
What happened between Peter Overton and Tom Cruise?
The tension between Cruise and Overton erupted during a 2005 interview when the 'Top Gun: Maverick' star appeared on '60 Minutes' to talk about his film 'War of the Worlds'. During the interview, which took place shortly after Cruise's divorce from Kidman, Overton asked if the 'Batman Forever' star was the "love of his life." After Cruise replied, "I love Nic very much, there's no question, Overton further pressed, "And do you have a relationship where you talk, it's a parenting relationship, and talk professionally about each other's work?"
Cruise then cut off the reporter, saying, "Listen, here's the thing Peter, you're stepping over a line now, you know you are." When Overton attempted to convince the actor saying the questions revolve around "what people want to know," Cruise said, "Peter. You want to know. Take responsibility for what you want to know. Don't say 'what other people,' this is a conversation I'm having with you right now. So I'm just telling you right now. Just put your manners back in."
When Overton asked if Cruise thought he was "out of line," the latter replied saying, "Yes, absolutely!" The reported then "sincerely apologized" for his question and moved forward with the interview. However, last year Overton told Nine News that he still thinks the questions were "fair." "That was a hell of an interview, I'll never forget it. I held my own and I was happy about that. I didn't change, that's who I am. I thought they were fair questions," he added.
Overton and his wife Rowe are also known to be Kidman's best friends. The pair even attended a grand Christmas party at Kidman and her husband Keith Urban's Sydney penthouse last year.
