Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Truth: A Publicist's Weapon
We see it on magazine covers every week. This actor cheated on his wife. That actress is dating her costar. Relationships within the entertainment industry are misinterpreted by the press just to sell a story. Unfortunately, fame makes celebrities susceptible to rumors and lies, especially those concerning love and infidelity. In the age where celebrity reigns supreme, there is one defense against tabloids and gossip blogs: Publicists.
We publicists strive to protect the truth with statements, press releases, and at times, arguing. For example, we dealt with a rogue story earlier this week at AEFPR. The rumor was that Joan Collin's daughter had jumped into the pool like a wild child and passed out. Supposedly, Joan jumped into the pool in order to save her daughter. When they got her her back into the apartment, according to gossip, Joan's daughter passed out again, breaking her jaw and sustaining serious injury.
Here is the statement after our own Andrew Freedman straightened things out:
"Joan's daughter had an accidental fall and sustained an injury to her cheekbone, which required minor surgery; however, she is recovering very quickly and is doing well." No life-saving attempts, no fainting, no lies.
Publicists are experts in controlling dramatic situations and false accounts, but what happens when the publicist gets caught in the gossip? A few months back, it was reported that Johnny Depp was cheating on his long-time girlfriend Vanessa Paradis with his publicist, Robin Baum. A very incriminating picture surfaced that apparently showed Depp and Baum mid-kiss. However, it is clear that the situation was being misconstrued. They were in the middle of a loud event; ergo, the veteran publicist was obviously just trying to get Depp's ear. It just goes to show how a simple unfortunately timed picture can result in scandal.
So please, next time you crack open that tabloid-because let's be honest, we still love good gossip-just keep the truth in mind and avoid taking gossip at face value.
We publicists strive to protect the truth with statements, press releases, and at times, arguing. For example, we dealt with a rogue story earlier this week at AEFPR. The rumor was that Joan Collin's daughter had jumped into the pool like a wild child and passed out. Supposedly, Joan jumped into the pool in order to save her daughter. When they got her her back into the apartment, according to gossip, Joan's daughter passed out again, breaking her jaw and sustaining serious injury.
Here is the statement after our own Andrew Freedman straightened things out:
"Joan's daughter had an accidental fall and sustained an injury to her cheekbone, which required minor surgery; however, she is recovering very quickly and is doing well." No life-saving attempts, no fainting, no lies.
Publicists are experts in controlling dramatic situations and false accounts, but what happens when the publicist gets caught in the gossip? A few months back, it was reported that Johnny Depp was cheating on his long-time girlfriend Vanessa Paradis with his publicist, Robin Baum. A very incriminating picture surfaced that apparently showed Depp and Baum mid-kiss. However, it is clear that the situation was being misconstrued. They were in the middle of a loud event; ergo, the veteran publicist was obviously just trying to get Depp's ear. It just goes to show how a simple unfortunately timed picture can result in scandal.
So please, next time you crack open that tabloid-because let's be honest, we still love good gossip-just keep the truth in mind and avoid taking gossip at face value.
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