Chapter 70: Gibson

In wintertime New York, blizzards often occurred, with the coldest weather from December to February.

In the early morning, Charles woke up in bed, with the large picture window offering a view of the snow-covered yard and the distant Hudson River.

Brittany, who was in his arms, also opened her eyes and glanced outside. "It's snowing again!"

"Yeah, it has snowed quite a few times," Charles didn't mind, the temperature outside was low, but it remained warm inside.

Lifting the quilt, he saw the hickeys on Britney Spears' chest. Just how wild had it been?

However, today he had to return to Los Angeles. Honestly, he didn't want to leave Britney, but he couldn't linger in indulgence!

"You're going back to Los Angeles?" Britney also sat up, her long blonde hair casually draped, her breathtaking figure fully exposed.

"This year, I have a world tour, a greatest hits album to release, and plenty of commercials!" she said.

After walking over and kissing Britney, Charles asked, "Going to a lot of places?"

"Yeah, cities in the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, France, and about fifty to sixty shows," Britney said, hugging Charles.

"When the time comes, I'll see if I can find time to catch one of your shows," Charles had spent quite some time with Britney at the beginning of the year, and Britney was indeed quite simple-hearted.

At least she didn't marry and divorce an old high school mate like in her previous life, causing a media frenzy.

Under Britney's reluctant gaze, Charles still boarded the flight from Kennedy International Airport to Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, the Oscar awards ceremony had been rescheduled to late February, and lavish parties were constantly happening.

At times like these, the happiest were the party princesses. Young women endowed with beauty, figure, and knowledge often acted as female escorts to male guests at these balls.

The hosts needed them as entertainment, and they needed these events to make money or to further network with the rich and powerful.

After the New Year, Evelyn Carpe officially became the eighth senior partner at ETA and was appointed Executive Vice President.

Status, power, wealth - Evelyn Carpe was indeed tasting the real fruits of success.

Evelyn certainly knew she owed much to her son's help, but so what? It was perfectly normal for her son to provide her with such strong resources.

While Evelyn basked in glory, some were less fortunate.

As the release of The Passion of the Christ approached, Mel Gibson was under immense pressure from all sides. His father, Hutton Gibson, had recently given an interview to The New York Times, discussing various political and religious topics at length.

Old Gibson even believed the death toll of Jews in World War II was inaccurate and not as high as stated.

In the living room of his Malibu mansion, Mel Gibson sat on the sofa with a bottle of brandy in hand, surrounded by several empty bottles.

Mel Gibson, known for his drinking problem, had been criticized by Jewish-American lawmakers and Jewish rights organizations for distorting history and defaming Jews in The Passion of the Christ, which they claimed was a threat to Jews worldwide.

His agent, William Endeavour, walked in and sighed as he saw Gibson drinking again. "You need to get a grip; you're drinking too much!"

He knew about Gibson's alcoholism, but drinking like this would inevitably lead to trouble.

As one of the top talents at William Morris Agency, Mel Gibson had a lot of public relations matters to deal with.

The agency, the oldest of its kind, was founded in the late 19th century. The tradition of working in the mailroom started early and remained dominant.

Most subsequent agencies sprouted from it, directly or indirectly. In the 1970s, Paramount's revivalists Barry Diller and his two assistants, Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg, all started in the mailroom.

Even the five founders of CAA left this venerable agency to start their own venture.

Though it still had a rich history, it couldn't compare to CAA, and its influence was declining. But it always valued superstars like Mel Gibson.

Rising to fame in the 1980s and becoming a superstar in the '90s, Mel Gibson, who could act and direct, remained at the top in Hollywood with a high standing in the industry.

No way would they let such a superstar slip away; William Endeavour patiently reminded, "Mel, you should take a proper rest."

"William, they're driving me nuts!" Mel Gibson suddenly smashed the bottle in his hand on the floor, letting it bounce around.

Perhaps due to the bottle's quality or the carpet softening the impact, the brandy bottle lay on the floor, with the liquor spilling out.

William Endeavour, accustomed to Gibson's frequent outbursts over the years of working closely, wasn't surprised.

William Endeavour knew exactly what Gibson meant. During an interview with ABC that morning, Gibson was asked about his father's views.

Gibson had to dodge the question, stating he could not comment on his father.

Old Gibson was a typical extreme traditional Catholic with no love for Jews. After moving to Australia when he was young, he founded the Australian Traditional Catholic Church, which often opposed the post-Vatican II reforms of the Roman Catholic Church.

He also didn't like the Pope, believing he abandoned traditional Catholic beliefs.

Mel Gibson's fiery temper, alcoholism, white supremacist tendencies, and extreme conservative religious views were largely influenced by his father.

William Endeavour walked over, picked up the bottle, and put it on the coffee table.

"Mel, remember, a religious movie can't harm us if you perform well. Capital will always chase you, regardless of who controls it," William Endeavour sincerely hoped Mel Gibson wouldn't be swayed by external reports.

"The Passion of the Christ is endorsed by religious authorities, unless their faith isn't in the Bible!"

Mel Gibson stood up, shook his groggy head, and burped, "I won't let them beat me. I've faced so many hardships in Hollywood over the years, and nothing has made me fall. God is always with me!"

"Alright, get some rest now!" William Endeavour helped Mel Gibson into the bedroom.

Over the years, Mel Gibson had indeed made many enemies, but he managed to hold his ground in Hollywood.

"Hope it's the same this time," William Endeavour prayed silently.

*****

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