The ‘South Park’ animated series has been notoriously popular for its parody that seems to brush the sentiments of those not familiar with its game. Tom Cruise, one of the biggest stars of all time, is said to have become an enemy of the animated series after just one episode.
This occurred in an episode that discussed the Church of Scientology, the faith practiced by him, and its purported methods as perceived by the scriptwriters. However, it is said that the episode was compelled to conceal all identities in the credits due to the overwhelming amount of mockery and criticism directed at the actor and his faith.
In one episode, the show’s producers, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, depicted the Hollywood action star as a dad who believed one of his children was L. Ron Hubbard’s reincarnation. They then said Cruise had been confined in the closet and ridiculed his act.
In the episode, Stan Marsh is shown researching Scientology before realizing he is the reincarnation of L. Ron Hubbard. Through this lens, Parker and Stone analyze the creation myth at the heart of the so-called “church” and critique its defenses.
Tom Cruise and John Travolta, two of Scientology’s most well-known adherents, appear in the story when Cruise visits Stan’s home to get Hubbard’s endorsement for reincarnation. Cruise is infamous for making fun of celebrities and relishing the limelight. After Stan rejects him and hides in his closet, not even acknowledging his existence, let alone coming out, the movie star feels like a failure.
“Trapped in the Closer” is currently one of the 300 South Park episodes available for streaming on Max, according to Collider. Reruns of South Park did not include this episode for a particular period of time. There are two episodes featuring Tom Cruise as the antagonist that aren’t available on Max or elsewhere for digital download.
Episode “201,” in which Tom Cruise realizes the pointlessness of his attempts to avoid being ridiculed, was heavily edited and only aired once on television. It featured audible bleeps and a black bar over Muhammad. South Park Studios stated in a press release that Comedy Central was responsible for the editing and that they had no involvement.
As of this writing, the episode has only been aired once, and unlike Comedy Central, it was not available for streaming on South Park’s website. Unlike the other DVD episodes, it is included in the unedited version of the Season 14 DVD release.
