Source: MICHAEL TRAN / Getty

Hollywood stepped out in full glam this weekend, and Auntie Debbie Allen had the entire industry showing up and showing out. The 2025 Governors Awards already had the timeline buzzing, but when Debbie decided to host her own celebration the night before receiving her Honorary Oscar, the guest list looked like a who’s who of Black excellence, along with a few unexpected legends who brought their own flavor to the function. 

First of all, Debbie Allen is a national treasure. Period.

So when she pops out, you know Jada Pinkett Smith, Jennifer Lewis, Jasmine Guy, and half the entertainment industry is somewhere in the room showing love. But what nobody expected was the moment that nearly broke the Internet. Debbie Allen and Tom Cruise got their entire life on the dance floor.

According to PEOPLE, the pair hit the Debbie Allen Dance Academy party on Nov. 15 and went full Soul Train line, dancing to Cameo’s “Candy” and Maze’s “Before I Let Go,” cheesing like cousins reunited at the cookout

Even D-Nice had to let the world know Tom Cruise “is invited to the barbecue.” And honestly, after seeing the footage, he might have already shown up with a plate.

The Governors Awards themselves were equally star-studded, even with heavy rains trying to wash away the glam. Variety reported that despite the storm, Ariana Grande, Elle Fanning, Jeremy Strong, and the rest of Hollywood’s A-list slid through the red carpet dripping in couture.

Alongside Allen and Cruise, production designer Wynn Thomas received an Honorary Oscar, while Dolly Parton was recognized with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. The ceremony, held at the Ray Dolby Ballroom, was exactly the award-season spectacle fans expect. It was full of fashion, history, and Hollywood royalty.

But let’s be honest: the pre-party is what had the internet in a chokehold. Debbie Allen is hitting the electric slide with Tom Cruise. Jada was glowing like she walked off a movie set. Jennifer Lewis is giving that signature auntie energy. Iconic doesn’t even begin to cover it.

Now let’s get into the gallery because the looks, the legends, and the love in the room deserve their own spotlight.

Check out a gallery from the Governors Awards below:

RELATED: Vivian Ayers Allen, Pulitzer Prize-Nominated Poet & Mother Of Debbie Allen & Phylicia Rashad, Passes Away At 102

1. Debbie Allen

Source: Getty

Debbie Allen arrives at the 16th Governors Awards at The Ray Dolby Ballroom on November 16, 2025, in Hollywood, California.  

The post Debbie Allen Turned Her Honorary Oscar Eve Into A Viral Good Time — Thanks To A Soul Train Dance-Off With Tom Cruise appeared first on MadameNoire.



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Categories News TV And Film

Tags Adam Sandler Allen Cruise D-Nice DanceOff Debbie Dwayne Johnson Eve Good Honorary Honorary Oscar Jada Pinkett Smith Jasmine Guy Jennifer Lewis Lucy Liu Michael B. Jordan Octavia Spencer Oscar Pulitzer Prize Queen Latifah Ryan Coogler Soul Sydney Sweeney Time Tom Train Turned Viral