Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise was stunned by the barrage of criticism he received after his infamous couch-jumping interview with Oprah Winfrey - but admits he could have "handled things better".
The 'Top Gun' actor came under fire after his bizarre appearance on the TV titan's daily talkshow in 2005, when he stunned Winfrey by jumping up and down on the sofa, declaring his love for new girlfriend Katie Holmes.
A whirlwind of bad press erupted around the A-lister following the incident, especially surrounding his links to the controversial Scientology faith and his bizarre rant against actress Brooke Shields' decision to take medication to battle her post-natal depression.
But in a candid interview with Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper, Cruise admits his behaviour was bordering on erratic, and that he didn't "handle" the situations he found himself in with enough control.
He said: "There are things that I could have done better. I could have handled things better."
However, the star insists the negative press actually made his relationship with his actress partner stronger.
He added: "I was surprised by the criticism but it brought everyone close together. Katie's entire family and my family.
"Going through that stuff is not pleasant, and I think it hit an extreme, but Kate's a very sure and confident and strong woman. She gets it, you know."