A controversial episode of manic cartoon South Park featuring Tom Cruise locking himself in a closet will be aired by SBS next week.
The episode angered Cruise when it was aired in the US in November. It was subsequently pulled by the Paramount comedy channel on the UK’s BSkyB after fears Cruise – tipped to attend Kerry Packer’s memorial tomorrow – would sue.
“We haven’t received any legal threats so we’re going to publish and be damned,” an SBS spokesman said yesterday.
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Cruise is shown believing character Stan is the reincarnation of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, but is devastated when the boy tells Cruise that Leonardo DiCaprio is a better actor.
Cruise locks himself in Stan’s closet and refuses pleas from people including former wife Nicole Kidman and fellow Scientologist John Travolta to come out.
The episode airs on Monday night.