CNN: Tom Cruise's Callous Afghanistan Quotes Taken Out of Context

Publicists doing damage control for a celebrity who inserted a foot in his or her mouth often argue the quotes were taken “out of context.”

In the case of Tom Cruise and some embarrassing comments comparing serving in combat to being on a movie set, that defense appears accurate.

CNN’s Jake Tapper investigated a TMZ report in which Cruise likened being away from home on a movie set to serving one’s country and found the quotes missing crucial context.

“Now your counsel has publicly equated your absence from Suri for these extended periods of time as being analogous to someone fighting in Afghanistan,” opposing counsel asks him. “Are you aware of that?”

“I didn’t hear the Afghanistan,” Cruise replies. “That’s what it feels like and certainly on this last movie it was brutal. it was brutal.”

“Do you believe that the situations are the same?” Cruise is asked.

“Oh come on,” Cruise says, “you know, we’re making a movie.”