Tom Cruise described Walmart as a “role model” at a recent company shareholder meeting that also had an address from Hugh Jackman as well as performances by Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, and John Legend.
“I’ve wanted to come here for quite some time, actually, because the culture you have here is like no other. I truly admire your company. [It’s] a role model for how business can address some of the biggest issues facing our world,” the “Mission: Impossible” actor said, according to a video posted on YouTube.
Cruise and the other stars attended an event in Fayetteville, Ark., along with 14,000 employees.
He said that Walmart is “using its size and scale to improve women’s lives across the world.”
“I think striving for a cleaner, sustainable world is the responsible thing to do. But not only that, this company is proving that it’s good business also,” he added.
Walmart spokesperson Dianna Gee said that Walmart does not pay celebrities to speak at the event.
“We do not pay performance fees for celebrity guests,” Walmart spokesperson Dianna Gee told MSNBC. She said that the company covers travel and hotel expenses, but it gives celebrities exposure in their next projects.
“Every entertainer that is here has something to do with our business,” said Gee. “There’s some connection from the business, whether it’s CDs, books, or t-shirts.”
