Tom Cruise Moments That Set Plastic Surgery Rumors On Fire

Hollywood A-lister Tom Cruise has had a stunning transformation over the course of his life and career, managing to maintain a spry energy despite his advancing age, not to mention the death-defying stunts he regularly subjects himself to. In a 2023 Men's Health profile, the then-61-year-old "Mission: Impossible" star's graceful aging was attributed to a strict diet and exercise regimen, the latter which included a variety of sports for his active lifestyle. That being said, some have questioned whether or not Cruise has truly kept things all-natural.

Internet users have long speculated that Cruise has undergone cosmetic surgery to keep himself looking young. The actor didn't exactly help those rumors with his fresh-faced look during his 2025 press tour to promote the "Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning" film. "Tom Cruise does his own stunts. Does he do his own plastic surgery too?" one user on X commented at the time. A supposed source also claimed to Knewz in March 2025 that, "It's no secret Tom's had cosmetic work done, likely fillers and Botox and, word is, laser treatments and perhaps jawline contouring."

Cruise himself hasn't directly given the rumors much oxygen. However, he did say in a 2012 interview with Playboy that he had no interest in going under the knife. "I haven't, and I never would," Cruise remarked when asked about plastic surgery (via Today). Still, that hasn't stopped the online chatter of plastic surgery rumors — in addition to his movie premiere, Cruise has also been faced with such speculation after his show-stealing cameo at the 2024 Olympics and his unflattering Super Bowl commercial.

Tom Cruise stole the show at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris when he made a special appearance at the closing ceremony in August, leaning into his persona as a cinematic daredevil. But all the aura farming in the world couldn't stop viewers from noticing that Cruise's cheeks seemed a bit fuller than normal, which can sometimes be a telltale sign of mild cosmetic procedures, like the aforementioned Botox and cheek fillers. At the time, however, The List actually asked an expert who told us that Cruise's bizarre Olympics face may not have been what viewers suspected.

Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Patrick Davis told us that while Cruise probably has had some of those minor procedures done, there was a far simpler explanation for his appearance at the summer games: the circumstances combined with a busy schedule. "His face appears to be more swollen than previous images of the star have shown, but that could be due to a heavy travel schedule, uneven diet, and poor camera angles and lighting," Dr. Davis said. A separate surgeon who spoke to the Daily Mail earlier that year, named Dr. Howard Sobel, seemed to concur with Dr. Davis' opinion that there could be other explanations for what some think are signs of cosmetic procedures or surgery in Cruise. After others questioned possible liposuction for the "Top Gun" actor, Dr. Sobel wasn't convinced, noting that skin loses elasticity with age. 

Dr. Davis himself also stated that while it is likely that Cruise has had cheek fillers or something similar, he was clearly showing a lot of restraint with respect to cosmetic procedures. "He, by no means, has been overdone. In fact, he looks terrific for a man his age," the expert remarked.

Speculation regarding Tom Cruise's rumored history of cosmetic work once again reared its head in February 2025, when the Hollywood superstar appeared in a promotional video produced by the FOX Network for Super Bowl LIX. This time around, though, it seemed a lot harder to write off — especially given that the commercial would have been produced in a far more controlled environment than the Olympics. At the time, the Daily Mail spoke to a number of plastic surgeons, who seemed fairly convinced that Cruise had in fact gone in for either cheek fillers or something similar.

The outlet's sources included one Dr. Gaurav Bharti, who remarked that Cruise's ability to age gracefully is infamous. "But the biggest thing is his jawline definition has changed, and he now looks a little fuller on the Super Bowl and a bit more stretched out ... instead of that harsh definition he typically has," the surgeon continued, also listing some hypothetical natural or cosmetic causes: "This can happen because of weight gain, or potentially due to an over-abundance of fillers in the area that stretches the skin out and adds more volume to his face."

Once again, however, the Daily Mail's sources claimed it was unlikely that Cruise has undergone more invasive cosmetic procedures. On that note, we should mention that since they're simple injections, cheek fillers are not considered surgical. So, assuming that's all it is, Cruse's 2012 assertion that he had never and would never get plastic surgery would still technically ring true.

While a lot of Tom Cruise fans seem to think the star has had plastic surgery, it seems safe to assume he's going to stick to his word regarding not undergoing more invasive cosmetic procedures. After all, according to one source, part of the reason Cruise is reportedly so hesitant to go in for anything beyond cheek fillers or Botox is that he's actually afraid something will go wrong. Speaking to InTouch Weekly in October 2024, the reported insider noted that though Cruise is against getting full-on plastic surgery, the non-invasive measures he's attempted have failed to smooth out his eye bags.

"He hates the idea of going under the knife because he's terrified that it could leave him looking like a caricature of himself, he's seen so much bad plastic surgery in his time," they said. As we alluded to, the source also added fuel the fire regarding the cheek filler speculation, claiming that Cruise had indeed gotten them — and that even that was a hard sell for the actor. "Don't forget he had that chipmunk cheek nightmare when he got talked into getting filler in his face and it took months to go down, he was humiliated," they said. The source went on to say that, in lieu of invasive surgery, Cruise had embraced things like cold plunges and cryotherapy. "He swears that cold exposure is the fountain of youth," they shared, "and thinks people are living in the dark ages if they don't embrace the latest methods for increasing longevity."