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Chapter 67: Image Completely Ruined
🕑 Added 2024-10-03 15:03:00 +0000 UTC"Crash…"
With a crisp sound, a chair fell onto the glass coffee table, which immediately shattered into countless pieces. Despite this, the owner of the room, Sean Connery, was still filled with rage and picked up another chair to smash the television screen that was broadcasting news about his scandals into fragments.
"Bastard!" he kept cursing.
On the other side, his wife, Michelina Roquebruny, had already hidden in the kitchen of their mansion to avoid being the target of domestic violence. The man outside seemed like a gentleman, but in reality, he was no different from the roughest dockworkers. Ever since the media began sensationalizing Christopher Lee's experiences, his volatile temper had worsened. After each binge of alcohol and drugs, he would take it out on her…
Perhaps God had finally opened His long-sleeping eyes; his verbal abuse and photos taken during his drug use somehow reached the media's hands. Since yesterday, the media across America had been frantically reporting on the uncivilized behavior of the once most elegant gentleman.
"My image! My image has been completely ruined by those bastards!"
Another roar echoed through the living room as Sean Connery yelled. He pulled over a newspaper from the rack and casually glanced through it…
"Sean Connery addicted to alcohol, frequently committing domestic violence against his wife!"
"Here's the real Sean Connery: marijuana and cocaine are necessities in his life…"
"After using drugs, Sean Connery actually beat his wife!"
If it were just a written report, Connery wouldn't have been this furious. The newspapers not only printed text but also published photos, and the television even aired a recording of him beating his wife.
"Dad, please calm down!"
His son rushed down from upstairs to mediate.
"Is this your doing?"
Furious, Sean Connery fixed his blazing gaze on his son. He knew his son harbored grievances against him, being closer to his wife. The son had threatened several times to reveal everything to the media if Connery didn't stop his domestic violence.
Now that his privacy had been exposed, his son was undoubtedly the prime suspect.
"Do you want me to die early so you can inherit my fortune?"
Seeing the indifferent expression on his son's face, Sean Connery could no longer contain himself. He picked up an ashtray from the ground and threw it at him. The ashtray struck his son heavily, seemingly shattering the last bit of their connection.
"Mr. Sean Connery, the globally renowned gentleman!" That voice was filled with resentment. "Is this your true self? How does it feel to have your true colors exposed? I don't know who did this, but I still want to cheer for them!"
With that, he walked to the kitchen and helped his mother, who had a face bruised and swollen, out of the house, heading straight for the mansion's entrance while turning back to say, "See you at the press conference on Monday, Connery!"
"Get lost! Get out!" Sean Connery threw another chair, smashing it against the door with a loud bang.
The huge mansion felt empty, and the living room was strewn with trash and fragments. Sean Connery felt the whole world had betrayed him. Just a week ago, the media had been elevating him, but now, because of a recording of domestic violence and some drug photos, they seemed eager to crush him into pieces and bury him.
After a long while, Sean Connery began to calm down somewhat. Looking at the mess around him, his anger flared up again. After taking several deep breaths, he felt slightly better and walked over to the phone, dialing the number of one of his agents, Martin Bob.
"Martin, why didn't CAA get any news in advance?" His voice was as loud as a lion's roar.
According to media norms, if a big-name star had any scandal, even if they decided to publish it, they would usually notify the star's agency first. But this incident had no prior whispers, and then the media, led by NBC and the tabloids under Warner, all burst the news at once.
"Don't you understand, Sean?" Martin Bob's voice was cold. "There's a powerful hand pushing from behind. Some things are off-limits, especially regarding members of the six major companies. If you cross that line, you'll pay the price!"
"You were the one who first crossed that line!" Martin Bob was clearly in a bad mood as well. He said directly, "Sean, do not make any public appearances for now…"
"I didn't do it! I swear! I didn't do it!" Sean Connery shouted angrily. "I want to call a press conference!"
"Sean!" Martin Bob's tone became more severe. "If you appear, those reporters will tear you apart. Your gentleman image has been ruined; you destroyed the image that CAA built for you over the years! This image is your greatest asset! What do you have left without it? The key for you now is to stay calm and control the people around you, don't let them speak carelessly to the media…"
After hanging up, Martin Bob sat in his chair, feeling helpless. Sean Connery was one of his top clients, and it would be hard to say that in the future.
Although Sean Connery suspected his son and wife, no matter what the truth was, Martin Bob knew that Warner Brothers was definitely behind this. Connery was impulsive and hot-tempered; that hadn't changed with age. Since he first crossed the Hollywood giants' red line, it was normal to pay the price.
Clearly, Martin Bob didn't believe Sean Connery's defense; after all, the old man had done too many reckless things when he was young.
Since the scandal broke yesterday, CAA hadn't lacked public relations efforts. Some media had retracted their news about Connery, but the majority were still stirring the pot. It was evident that not only was Warner Brothers using Sean Connery to warn some people, but Time Warner had also mobilized some resources.
CAA was powerful and was indeed the largest entertainment agency in Hollywood, but their annual revenue was only over a hundred million dollars. How could they compete against a super media group like Time Warner? Martin Bob's PR actions over the past day had become a joke in the face of Warner Brothers.
Oh, and there were also the closely cooperating Twenty-First Century Fox and Walt Disney, who not only had no intention of helping but were also stirring up news about Sean Connery. These treacherous bastards…
Thinking of this, Martin Bob paused; wasn't CAA also part of the group of treacherous bastards?
A sudden knock on the door broke his thoughts. The door was pushed open, and anyone who dared to enter Martin Bob's office directly was certainly an A-list client of CAA. The visitor pulled out a chair from behind the desk and sat on it, crossing his legs.
"Are you troubled by Connery's situation?" Tom Cruise asked.
"Let's not talk about him, Tom." Martin Bob temporarily set aside Sean Connery and said, "How is the post-production of 'Interview with the Vampire' going?"
"Only three days left to finish." Cruise replied confidently. "We just need to add the opening and closing credits; Twenty-First Century Fox will hold a screening in five days."
"I will urge Twenty-First Century Fox to invest more in promotion."
Hearing Martin Bob's indifferent words, Tom Cruise frowned slightly. "Martin, since CAA and Twenty-First Century Fox decided to officially release the film on May 7, what about our competitors?"
He had not forgotten that a director named Duke Rosenberg had once rejected him.
"Tom, you must understand, our competition is Warner Brothers!" Martin Bob emphasized. "We can do whatever is within the rules of competition; crossing the line…"
"I understand." Tom Cruise shrugged. "I'm not as foolish as Sean Connery."
Martin Bob knew Tom Cruise's character well. Apart from giving a few reminders, he didn't say much. Since Warner Brothers chose this moment to push Sean Connery's scandal, it was both retaliation and a warning to competitors. Any crossing of the line would invite retaliation, and even Twenty-First Century Fox and the media behind it would not easily initiate a malicious competition with Warner Brothers and Time Warner.
"Are we not going to think of ways in promotion?" Tom Cruise pondered for a moment and then asked.
"Do not act for now." Martin Bob picked up the phone beside him and started dialing while saying, "After we get the reviews from the screening of 'The Rock,' we will develop targeted strategies."
He dialed the number of Twenty-First Century Fox and chatted a few times with CEO Thomas Rothman to urge him to invest more resources in 'Interview with the Vampire.'
On the other side of Century City, Thomas Rothman hung up the phone and looked at his assistant sitting opposite his desk.
"Let's hold the screening for 'Interview with the Vampire' as soon as possible. Also, according to A-list film standards, invite theaters, critics, and media reporters!"
"Understood!" The assistant noted down his words and then looked up to ask, "What about Sean Connery's incident? CAA's Michael Ovitz has called three times asking Fox to assist them, at least not to participate in the sensational reports. Should we stop?"
"Why stop?" Thompson Rossman stared at his deputy. "We have cooperation with CAA, but it is limited to 'Interview with the Vampire.' What does Sean Connery's life or death have to do with us? That is the interest of CAA, not the interest of 20th Century Fox!"
"Our new project is 'Rising Sun,'" the deputy reminded cautiously. "Connery is the initial male lead."
"Replace him. Do you think his current image is still suitable for the leading actor?" Thompson Rossman did not hesitate at all. Seeing that his deputy wanted to speak, his voice gradually became more intense. "20th Century Fox will cooperate with CAA, but that is limited to certain projects. We are not puppets under the CAA packaging system, and we will not hand over most of the projects in our hands to those vampires to operate!"
"Notify Fox TV…" he continued, "Sean Connery's scandal is now a hot topic of public concern. Drive the broadcast vehicle directly to his mansion… Well, doesn't he have an ex-wife who divorced him because of domestic violence? You can invite her to the talk show on Fox TV. Don't worry about other things. I just want to maximize the interests of Fox!"
"And!"
Just as the deputy was about to leave, Thompson Rothman added, "That Christopher Lee is good. He can be invited to audition for "Rising Sun"
