Pranksters who sprayed Tom Cruise released on police bail

LONDON - Four pranksters arrested for squirting water at Tom Cruise at the British premiere of "War of The Worlds" were released on police bail on Monday.

The four, who were filming a comedy sketch, were due to report back to police on July 4 and could be charged with assault on the Hollywood star, a London police spokeswoman said.

Cruise, 42, was on a red-carpet walkabout prior to the screening of the latest adaptation of the H.G. Wells classic in London's Leicester Square on Sunday when a bogus journalist stuck a joke microphone in front of him.

As Cruise started to talk, he was squirted with water from the microphone prompting the star to lose his cool.

"I'm here giving you an interview, answering your questions and you do something really nasty ... you're a jerk ... jerk ... you're a jerk," the actor told the prankster.
Cruise said it was "disgusting" that someone should act in such a way.

"I really work hard to make people feel good," he said as he towelled himself dry.

The joker and his three-man camera crew were filming a sketch for a new entertainment show for UK broadcaster, Channel 4.

When the same stunt was played on Sharon Osbourne last month there was a very different outcome.

The wife of veteran rocker Ozzy Osbourne turned the tables on the prankster when she hurled a bucket of water over him, the Daily Mirror newspaper reported.

Channel 4 was forced to apologise to Cruise for Sunday's incident.

"The stunt was intended to be light-hearted rather than malicious and we would apologise to Mr Cruise for any offence caused," a spokesman said.

A crowd of about 5000 fans had waited hours in temperatures that hit 32 degrees Celsius to see their idol and his new fiancee Katie Holmes.

Cruise proposed to 26-year-old Holmes at the Eiffel Tour in Paris on Friday. She attended the London premiere but was not standing next to him when the squirting took place.

- REUTERS