Comedy Central's parent company, Viacom, also owns Paramount Pictures, which was set to distribute the then-upcoming film Mission: Impossible III, which stars Cruise. Several media outlets alleged that Cruise threatened to boycott the publicity tour for the film unless Viacom canceled the episode's rebroadcast. Comedy Central, as well as Cruise's representative and publicist, immediately denied the allegations.
Comedy Central's parent company, Viacom, also owns Paramount Pictures, which was scheduled to release the upcoming film Mission: Impossible III, starring Cruise. Several media outlets claimed that Cruise threatened to abstain from participating in the film's promotional tour unless Viacom canceled the episode's retransmission.