On May 28, at the New York City premiere of Wes Anderson’s new movie The Phoenician Scheme, Tom had a little fun with the photographers for holding him up on the red carpet.
Tom playfully shouted at the camerapeople in a video shared by MTV UK. “Can you hurry it up so I can get to thse people?” he asked, possibly referencing the journalists waiting in the press line. “You and your cushy jobs.”
I’ve been on my fair share of red carpets, and Tom’s right. We are waiting like hungry little fish for the talent to finish taking 1,000 photos so we can ask them hard-hitting questions like, “What’s the most expensive thing you’re wearing?“
Next, the video cuts to Tom pointing at them and playfully shouting, “Shut the fuck up!” followed by a cheeky little smile.
It’s his little mischievous smile afterward.
Tom’s “STFU” moment immediately took me back to September 2024, when Chappell Roan made her MTV VMA red carpet debut. If you recall, when photographers kept shouting her name while she adjusted her dress, someone was heard saying loudly, “Shut the fuck up!”
While it was unclear who the comment was directed at, Chappell yelled back, “You shut the fuck up!”
Chappell’s heated interaction sparked an internet debate, making me wonder if Tom was privy to that exchange and his “STFU” was a callback. But that’s pure speculation, of course.
Either way, it was hilarious, and Tom’s wild for that.
Vancouver based journalist and entrepreneur covering business, innovation, and leadership for Forbes Canada. With a keen eye for emerging trends and transformative strategies.
