Russian singer accuses Tom Cruise of Olympic stunt plagiarism

The echoes of Tom Cruise's spectacular performance at the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris are still being heard. The actor has become the target of a Russian singer, who accuses him of plagiarism.

The closing ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris was in true Hollywood style. Tom Cruise appeared on the roof of the Stade de France stadium during the ceremony. The actor looked into the camera lens, then jumped off the edge and zip-lined into the crowd of athletes gathered on the field. He then took the Olympic flag and "delivered" it to Los Angeles, the host of the next Olympics in 2028.

The biggest loser of the Olympic Games in Paris is Russia. The country, ruled by dictator Vladimir Putin, was excluded from the sporting competition following the aggression against Ukraine. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed only several dozen athletes from Russia, who either competed under neutral colours or represented other countries.

Russian media are highlighting the "controversy" surrounding the Olympic Games' closing ceremony. Tom Cruise has become the target of Dima Bilan, a star of the Russian music scene. The singer has been performing since 1998 and has represented Russia twice in the Eurovision contest. He has also won the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Russian Act multiple times.

Dima posted on Instagram, suggesting that Tom Cruise plagiarized a stunt performed during the closing ceremony of the Olympics. As evidence, the Russian showed a recording of his own performance from June 15th, which preceded the American actor’s feat by two months. During the concert, the singer jumped off a roof and zip-lined to the stage while harnessed.

Netizens treated Dima's post mostly as a jovial attempt to draw attention. Only a few ardent patriots expressed outrage in the comments: "Tom Cruise performed a pathetic parody of the unique show that you, Dima, authored," reads one comment.

It is curious why Dima posted on Instagram at all. The social media platform has been banned in Russia, as authorities have deemed it a "terrorist organization"—similar to other apps owned by American company Meta. Now, if any Tom Cruise fans file a report, the music star could face more serious trouble.