With this weekend’s perpetual media hysteria over the NFL kneeling before games one critique that has come up frequently is the lack of appropriate coverage of other stories. The disaster in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico has been given the short attention span focus by journalists. However there are signs the press has begun to broaden its focus.

For instance, we can start to see articles on the other important stories out there — like did Tom Cruise use an artificial butt in one of his films! The story has been percolating for about a month, but then Screen Rant went right to the source. On a press tour for his upcoming film “American Made” SR posed a question to the world’s most famous Scientologist regarding the appearance of a prosthetic posterior .

This all began when a Twitter account posted a screenshot from the Cruise film “Valkyrie”. In the shot Cruise appears mid-tumble, and sporting what seems to be an artificially augmented arse.

hello, please, i present the theory that for one single shot in Valkyrie (2008), at 5:12, tom cruise wears a fake butt. observe: pic.twitter.com/Tw6yTbsQUe

— swizz keats (@iluvbutts247) August 20, 2017

After becoming a small viral sensation this rear-end revelation becomes a valid concern, considering in his new release Cruise’s character bares his backside. So when he was asked about the faux dumper, he had this to say: “ “I have no idea. There was no prosthetic in Valkyrie. No.” And what of his new film, he was asked; was there any use of a false matako???

“It’s me. It’s not CGI, it’s me. I do my own mooning in films. So let it be known – I do my own mooning.”

Now, many will suspect — and Tom’s PR team hopes — that this will put to bed all future speculation about the veracity of Tom’s prison-purse onscreen. However I feel the visual evidence bears further speculation. For instance, Looking over Cruise’s career we do see he is rather comfortable using deeply altered body parts.

Mission Impossible films
One of the recurring themes in this action franchise involves Tom’s Ethan Hunt using full-face masks and prosthetics to disguise himself.

Tropic Thunder
In what is inarguably his best role to date Cruise has a cameo as Les Grossman, a vituperative Hollywood studio executive. Bald caps, false stomachs, and other makeup effects nearly render Cruise unrecognizable.

Magnolia
The actor was not so severely altered to play Frank TJ Mackey, a hybridization of Tony Robbins as an Alt-Right proto-male lobbyist. His bold presentation of an alpha, obsessed with his male plumbing, was rather convincing. It is easy to see how this can translate to other films.

Interview With A Vampire
Cruise went with wigs, colored contacts, and numerous other bodily alterations to play the undead. I mean c’mon; is his use of a padded pressed ham that remarkable???

In conclusion, I think the evidence is rather obvious. The unnatural circumference on Cruise’s SS officer’s ass would indicate a costumer’s craft, likely a padding for the stunt-intensive work the actor is known for employing. More a case of vanity, rather than venality, I don’t think anyone would be giving the stink-eye because they were surprised by a celebrity altering their physique for the screen.

I think we all can measure the level of import this news carries.