Paramount Pictures publicist Tim Menke has finally opened up that he was fired after Tom Cruise’s infamous couch-jumping incident at Oprah Winfrey show in 2005.
After receiving Henri Bollinger Award at the ICG Publicists Awards at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on February 28, Tim made shocking admission in his acceptance speech.
“These awards solidified a special place in my heart in 2006 when, after a dozen years at Paramount, I was kicked to the curb in large part because, well, long story short of a couch on [The Oprah Winfrey Show],” revealed the former senior publicist.
Tim recalled, “It was my booking and it didn’t go very well. It violated the adage that all publicity is good publicity.”
The Hollywood Reporter mentioned that Tim later ended up securing a job at 20th Century Fox, in its publicity department, and he is now back at Paramount Pictures, working under “visionary leader” Liz West.
In his speech, the publicist stated, “Shout out to the studio head who thought after 12 years away, it might be a good idea for me to drive through the gates of Paramount once again as an employee.”
For the unversed, the Top Gun star appeared on Oprah’s talk show where expressed his love for his girlfriend at the time… Katie Holmes, who he married later and split in 2012.
During Oprah’s show, Tom reportedly jumped on the sofa, with both his feet on it.
