Tom Cruise Sacked from Paramount

The productive 14-year-old partnership between Paramount Pictures and the most powerful celebrity of all, Tom Cruise, has ended on less than amicable terms. It seems that the big bosses from the movie company have finally lent a year to people's increasingly negative opinion on the megastar and have decided to end the contract with him.

Cruise's image had much to suffer in the past year, due to his tabloid-friendly relationship to the much younger actress Katie Holmes, his public views on medication for postpartum depression and lifestyle in general, his advocation of the Scientology church and the allegations that things are not as should be between him, Katie and their baby Suri.

But the straw that broke the camels' back was definitely his out-of-control couch jumping thing he did while live on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show', when he tried to prove his love for Katie. The executives from Paramount said about Tom's off-screen behavior: 'As much as we like him personally, we thought it was wrong to renew his deal. His recent conduct has not been acceptable to Paramount'.

Still, there are some hints that it was not only his attitude in his personal life the one that bothered to such a great extent the people from Paramount. Rumor has it that Tom's acting skills are not the same as they used to be in the past. Earlier last month, an insider from the studio spoke to a tabloid reporter and told him that Tom 'just isn't performing as he used to'.

But the star wasn't left penniless or without any alternative by the Paramount sacking, as he and his business partner, Wagner Productions, are setting up their own movie company, with an estimated star-up sum of $100 million. And, with that money, Cruise can easily tell the Paramount people, that 'if you don't want me, I don't want you either!'.