Tom Cruise has a new face, critics argued on social media following the 2024 Paris Olympic Games closing ceremony on Sunday (August 11). The Mission: Impossible star descended from the top of the Stade de France after H.E.R. sang The Star-Spangled Banner. His dramatic sky-diving and motorcycle-riding tricks stunned athletes and fans alike.

After walking through a sea of competitors, Simone Biles and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass handed the 62-year-old, notable for doing his own stunts, the Olympic flag for him to bring back to the US, Fox News reported on Sunday.

The next Summer Olympics will take place in Los Angeles, USA, from Friday, July 14, 2028, to Sunday, July 30, 2028.

In a pre-recorded clip, Tom rode through the French capital city and onto a plane before he made his way to the top of the Hollywood sign in the City of Angels, which was configured to show the Olympic rings, as per Fox News.

Tom Cruise has a new face, critics argued on social media 

Image credits: Fabrizio Bensch- Pool/Getty Images

And despite astonishing viewers with his performance, a handful of people also noticed that the actor’s face was visibly different, as an X user (formerly known as Twitter) commented: “Did Tom Cruise have work done on his face? 

“At 1st glance, he resembled Don Johnson. Asking for a friend.”

A person wrote: “What in the narcissism is Tom Cruise and his bloated face doing up there? Sir get down before you break a hip.”

Image credits: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

“Tom Cruise appears to have overdone the fillers a bit,” a netizen noted.

Dermal fillers are gel-like substances that are injected beneath the skin to restore lost volume, smooth lines and soften creases, or enhance facial contours, the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery states.

According to the board, more than 1 million men and women choose this popular facial rejuvenation treatment annually.

The claims follow the 2024 Paris Olympic Games closing ceremony that took place on Sunday (August 11)

Image credits: Fabrizio Bensch- Pool/Getty Images

A separate individual chimed in: “Tom Cruise has WAY too much Botox.”

The most popular type of injectable fillers are made of hyaluronic acid and tend to be the most temporary option. Hyaluronic acid fillers typically last from 6 to 18 months.

Botulinum toxin injections, such as Botox, relax the muscles in your face to smooth out lines and wrinkles, such as crow’s feet and frown lines, the NHS explains.

Image credits: tomcruise

Overuse of both Botox and fillers can lead to negative effects. According to Nurse Gemavie, overdosing on Botox can lead to excessive muscle weakness, which can cause problems with facial expression and lead to an unnatural appearance.

Tom has likely undergone a face-lift at some point in his life, combined with fat grafting, according to a consultant plastic surgeon, Kshem Yapa.

Kshem told The Daily Mail on Monday (August 12): “It can be an effective combination, and it’s an operation I frequently do myself, but you have to take care with the amount of fat you put into the face.

The Mission: Impossible star descended from the top of the Stade de France after H.E.R. sang The Star-Spangled Banner

The only thing more stretched out than this closing ceremony is Tom Cruise’s new face pic.twitter.com/eriVaDb3dd

— Glenn Scott (@glenrules) August 11, 2024

Wait. Tom Cruise has a new face.

— stargirl. (@thetoidoll) August 11, 2024

“As we age, two things happen — we develop skin laxity, so the face droops and you see deeper nose-to-mouth lines, jowls, and a loose neck. 

“We also lose volume, from around the temples and mid-face, which can lead to a more gaunt appearance.

His dramatic sky-diving and motorcycle-riding tricks stunned athletes and fans alike

So, we are NOT going to discuss Tom Cruise’s face last night at the Olympics closing ceremony? It was just me? Oookay then. #tomcruiseolympics

— ThatGuy (@The_Habe) August 13, 2024

“A facelift moves the facial tissue back into their more youthful position, while fat — taken from elsewhere in the body, usually the stomach or flanks, and placed into the face using tiny injections — supplements lost volume.

“But those fat grafts will still behave like stomach fat, even in the face. So we warn patients if they put on weight, they’ll put it on in their face quite visibly. 

“You also have to be judicious in how much you graft into the face, for this reason.”

Was that Tom Cruise or Sandi Toksvig?#ClosingCeremony#Olympics #Olympics2024Paris pic.twitter.com/DegGHDLq5j

— Wokey McWokeface 🌹💙 (@WokeyMcWokefac3) August 12, 2024

The expert in facelift surgery agreed there was a “characteristic look” to over-done fat transfer to the face, as he explained: “It’s a puffy, mask-like appearance where the mid-face doesn’t move.”

Other cosmetic surgeons have dubbed the effect a “Howdy Doody face” — referring to an American wooden puppet show character that was the star of a 1960s television show, The Daily Mail reported.

The puppet had exaggerated facial features, and it was once described as the “ugliest puppet imaginable.”

Despite astonishing viewers with his performance, a handful of people also noticed that the actor’s face was visibly different

How’d that lady almost make out with Tom Cruise on international TV 😂#ClosingCeremony pic.twitter.com/IxtmIUPdcA

— Georgia Rose 🇿🇦 🍉 (@Rasheeda_S) August 11, 2024

With his boyish good looks and absence of frown lines, plastic surgery rumors have dogged the actor for years, The Sun reported in 2022.

Although he has reportedly consistently denied going under the knife, fans have speculated the ever-youthful star has had a nose job, hair transplant, and Botox, as well as veneers on his teeth.

When Tom starred in The Outsiders in 1982, his teeth were visibly yellowed and misaligned, with a pronounced overbite, as per The Sun. 

Image credits: Nancy Moran/Sygma/Getty Images

Upon booking leading roles, such as Maverick in Top Gun, Tom reportedly had his teeth whitened to improve the look.

It wasn’t until 2001, after splitting from Nicole Kidman, that Tom got braces to rectify his overbite, proudly showing them off at the premiere of Minority Report, as per the British tabloid.

By 2010, Tom’s face was reportedly beginning to change, occasionally looking chubbier, possibly due to weight fluctuation.

With his boyish good looks and absence of frown lines, plastic surgery rumors have dogged the actor for years

Image credits: Alain BENAINOUS/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images

Rumors that the Golden Globe awards winner had undergone a nose job began back in 2012, but when asked by Playboy magazine if he had ever had surgery, he replied: “I haven’t and never would.”

Tom’s appearance at the 2016 BAFTAs had fans commenting on how he looked “inflated” and “puffy,” The Sun reported.

At the Mission Impossible: Fallout premiere in 2018, Tom reportedly looked leaner, with more lines showing on his forehead.

Image credits: Bill Davila/Getty Images

Such “dramatic” fluctuation may have been because “Cruise had a bit too much fat put in,” Kshem told The Daily Mail.

He explained: “We don’t recommend fat grafting is used alone as a filler, without a facelift as you’d have to add so much to achieve an effect there would be a danger patients would be left looking worse.

“The other thing it’s important patients realize is that fat grafts are relatively difficult to undo — other kinds of filler naturally dissolve to some extent over time, but fat is permanent. 

By 2010, Tom’s face was reportedly beginning to change, occasionally looking chubbier

Image credits: Ken Ishii/Getty Images

“You’d need another operation to remove it.”

Plastic Surgeon Dr. Fadi Hamadani told The Daily Mail: “Tom Cruise has managed to maintain a remarkably youthful appearance, which many credit to his active lifestyle and commitment to fitness. 

“While we can’t say for certain if he’s undergone any cosmetic procedures, it’s possible he’s chosen non-invasive treatments to keep his refreshed look. 

“Celebrities often turn to options like fillers or Botox to reduce wrinkles and restore facial volume. 

“Additionally, advanced procedures like Morpheus8, which blends micro-needling with radiofrequency energy, and FaceTite, a minimally invasive contouring treatment, can also help achieve a more youthful, tightened appearance. 

“These treatments are popular for those aiming to subtly enhance their features while maintaining a natural look.”

“He looks great for his age,” a reader countered

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