Before Craig Mazin was the mastermind behind Chernobyl or the guy who finally made a good video game adaptation with The Last of Us, he was just a freshman at Princeton trying to get some sleep. The year was 1988. His roommate? A young, intensely ambitious Rafael Edward Cruz.
Most people know Ted Cruz as the junior senator from Texas who occasionally gets roasted on Twitter. But for Mazin, Cruz wasn't a political figure; he was the guy who reportedly left a "greasy film" on everything in their shared living space.
Honestly, the Craig Mazin Ted Cruz saga is one of those internet artifacts that feels too weird to be true, yet it's backed by years of very public, very acerbic testimony from one of Hollywood's biggest writers. It isn't just a petty feud. It’s a decades-long warning.
The Freshman Year from Hell
Imagine you’re 17. You’ve just arrived at one of the most prestigious universities in the world. You open your dorm door, and there is Ted Cruz.
Mazin hasn't held back about this period of his life. He’s described the experience as a sort of "annus horribilis." According to various interviews and a legendary stream of tweets that began around 2012, Cruz was not exactly the "Most Popular" guy on campus. In fact, Mazin famously noted that he would often get invited to senior parties specifically because people felt sorry for him for being Cruz’s roommate.
Think about that. Pity invites to the best parties because your roommate is that unbearable.
The "Cruhz" Factor
One of the most vivid details Mazin shared involves a substance his friend Erik dubbed "Cruhz." It was, according to Mazin, a greasy film that seemed to coat everything Cruz touched.
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- Hygiene: Mazin has joked (or maybe he wasn't joking) about Cruz’s lack of it.
- The Robe: There’s the recurring story of Cruz wandering the hallways in a paisley bathrobe, often loitering near the women's end of the hall.
- The Smell: Mazin once tweeted that while Cruz’s sense of smell was fine, his "actual smell was yucky."
It's the kind of specific, visceral detail that makes the Craig Mazin Ted Cruz history feel so authentic. It isn't about policy; it’s about the "meat suit" (Mazin's words) that Cruz supposedly inhabits.
Why Does Craig Mazin Keep Talking About It?
Critics, particularly those on the right, have often accused Mazin of being "obsessed." They wonder why a successful screenwriter—a man with Emmys on his shelf—is still talking about a guy he lived with for one year nearly 40 years ago.
The National Review once took a shot at him, asking why he was so focused on his old roommate. Mazin’s response was characteristically blunt: "I'm very interested in him because he's running for President of the United States. What's your excuse?"
To Mazin, this isn't just a grudge. He views it as a public service. He’s argued that the person Ted Cruz was at 17—the "pathological calculation," the lack of empathy, the intense desire to control—is exactly who he is as a senator.
The Masturbation Tweet
Perhaps the most "viral" moment in this whole saga happened in 2016. News broke that during his time as Solicitor General of Texas, Cruz had defended a law banning the sale of sex toys.
Mazin didn't miss a beat.
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He tweeted: "Ted Cruz thinks people don't have a right to 'stimulate their genitals.' I was his college roommate. This would be a new belief of his."
The tweet exploded. It was crude, sure. But it hit on the core of why people follow the Craig Mazin Ted Cruz dynamic: the juxtaposition of Cruz’s public "moral" stances with the messy, human reality of his younger years as witnessed by a guy who now writes some of the most critically acclaimed television on the planet.
Beyond the Jokes: A Study in Character
When you move past the "yucky smell" and the bathrobe stories, Mazin’s critique is actually quite heavy. He has described Cruz as someone who doesn't think things but has faith in things that are "True No Matter What."
That is a terrifying trait in a lawmaker, at least from Mazin's perspective.
He told The Daily Beast that he would rather pick a name out of the phone book to be president than see Cruz in the Oval Office. This isn't just partisan bickering. It’s a deep-seated, personal aversion to a man’s fundamental character.
Does it actually matter?
Some say no. People change. Who you were at 18 isn't who you are at 55.
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But others argue that the fundamental "hard-wiring" of a person rarely shifts that much. If Cruz was a "walking personality disorder" (another Mazin-ism) in the 80s, the argument goes, he’s just a more polished version of that now.
What Most People Get Wrong
People often assume Mazin is doing this for clout. They think he’s riding Cruz’s coattails for followers.
That's kinda ridiculous.
Mazin is the creator of Chernobyl. He wrote The Hangover Part II and III. He's one of the most powerful writers in Hollywood. He doesn't need Ted Cruz to be relevant. If anything, the Craig Mazin Ted Cruz connection is a nuisance for him. He’s said before that he’s had to deal with endless trolls and even death threats just for sharing his experiences.
He does it because he was there. He’s the "eye-witness" to the origin story of a man who wants to lead the country.
Actionable Takeaways from the Feud
If you’re following this because you love political drama or you’re a fan of Mazin’s work, there are a few things to keep in mind regarding how we vet public figures:
- Look for Consistency: One of Mazin's biggest points is that Cruz hasn't changed. When researching a candidate, look at their long-term history, not just their current campaign cycle.
- Peer Reviews Matter: There is a reason almost none of Cruz’s former classmates or even Senate colleagues (like Lindsey Graham) seem to like him personally. Character is often best judged by those who have to work or live with the person.
- Separate Art from Politics: You can love The Last of Us and still find Mazin’s tweets too harsh. Or you can find them hilarious and still disagree with his politics. But knowing the context of their relationship helps you understand where the vitriol is coming from.
- Verify the Source: In an era of AI and fake quotes, remember that Mazin’s comments are well-documented in verified interviews and on his own social media. Don't fall for the "internet memes" that misquote him; the real quotes are plenty wild on their own.
The Craig Mazin Ted Cruz story probably isn't over. As long as Cruz is in the spotlight, Mazin will likely be there with a well-timed, incredibly sharp reminder of what it was like to share a few hundred square feet with the man from Texas.