Katie Holmes' Friends 'Not Surprised' By Tom Cruise 'Mission: Impossible' Tirade

When the explosive audio of Tom Cruise’s on-set meltdown hit the interwebs, many were shocked that the celebrated actor reamed crew members of Mission: Impossible 7 at the top of his lungs, threatening to fire those who don't comply with COVID rules. However, pals of his ex-wife Katie Holmes were the least bit taken aback, OK! has learned, revealing that this is how Cruise acts when the cameras stop rolling.

“Tom is the most passionate person you will ever meet,” a source exclusively tells OK!, adding that — although this is a side of Cruise, 58, most have never seen — this is who he truly is.

“In public no one’s image is more controlled than Tom. Every interview he does is carefully set up,” the insider adds. “He has message points and knows what he wants to get across. But behind-the-scenes it isn’t so pretty.”

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This especially rings true when he is working on a passion project like Mission: Impossible 7, in which he stars and is also a producer. “Everything he does he cares about 1,000 percent,” the insider explains. “He is beyond being a perfectionist and demands everyone around him live up to his very high standard.”

High standards, indeed. As OK! reported, Cruise was caught on tape screaming after he saw two members of the crew standing close to each other, breaking COVID-19 guidelines. “If I see you do it again, you’re f**king gone,” an audio tape revealed. “And if anyone in this crew does, that’s it — and you too and you too. And you, don’t you ever f**king do it again.”

A second meltdown reportedly happened on Tuesday, December 15, the same night the audio was first leaked to the press — with five staffers apparently calling it quits.

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Though Cruise seems to be at his wit’s end as of late, with coronavirus cases on the rise and the want to finish his latest action-packed flick, the insider did note, “Most of the time he is inspiring and brings out the best in everyone.”

However, the source shares, “If things go wrong, he has a very short fuse and can go from zero to 100 in seconds. It is not pretty to be around Tom when he is not happy.”

Those who have seen it firsthand? Friends of his ex-wife and baby mama, 41-year-old Holmes. “People that have worked for him — and Katie Holmes, who was married to him — have seen it all. If Tom can act like that to his crew on a movie set, you can imagine what he acts like at home when he isn’t happy.”