Chapter 140: The PR Crisis

[Chapter 140: The PR Crisis]

Two days later.

New York, a talk show studio.

"This is Taylor's brand new album -- Fearless!" talk show host Ellen displayed Taylor's new album on camera.

"Let's talk about the preparation for this album. I think the name is excellent. Can you share why you chose this title?" The host turned to Taylor.

"Because love gives you the courage to face everything. When you love someone, you become incredibly brave," Taylor smiled, recalling Ryan's image in her mind.

"So, Ryan gave you that courage, right?" The host mentioned the name.

The audience erupted with cheers and laughter.

Taylor blushed and smiled slightly, then openly admitted: "Yes, he solidified my belief, which is why I chose this name."

"Can you talk about how things are going with Ryan? Everyone is curious about you two," Ellen asked again.

"Our relationship is going smoothly, but you know, he's very busy, and so am I, so we might not see each other as often."

"That's not a good sign. Ryan is so handsome; aren't you worried about him being surrounded by some untrustworthy women? Plus, he owns a nightclub," Ellen hinted.

For the ratings, shows often delved into controversial topics that wouldn't be directly listed on the outline.

Taylor felt a bit blindsided.

"You seem a bit flustered, or have you already spotted some signs?" Ellen keenly picked up on this.

"There are some misunderstandings. You know, some girls do get quite close to Ryan..." Taylor thought about what her therapist suggested and decided to address a few matters. Of course, she would keep the details hidden to avoid causing trouble for Ryan.

"Go on," Ellen encouraged.

"So, I felt uneasy enough to seek confirmation, but now everything is clear. Ryan is innocent; it was purely my imagination," Taylor said.

"But Ryan is very good; some women will try every means to flirt with him."

"I have to admit, that situation does exist objectively, but I trust Ryan."

"Do you know any inside details? Can you tell the audience the name of that woman?"

"Sorry, I can't."

"Even just some descriptive details?"

"She's a woman, that's all." Taylor felt a bit anxious.

The host immediately wore an incredulous expression. "Look what we've discovered! A woman is interfering in Ryan and Taylor's relationship!"

In the studio, the director excitedly clapped his hands. "Big news, cut to a close-up of Taylor!"

The camera quickly switched, capturing Taylor's furrowed brows as she pondered, as if this woman had already caused her significant distress.

And this unknown woman cast a shadow over their widely known beautiful romance.

"So, we should expose her!" Ellen exclaimed.

"Expose her!"

"Let that woman pay for it!"

"Parade her through the streets!"

Among the audience, a few young spectators seemed furious.

Ryan and Taylor's relationship attracted a significant amount of attention, and this attention could often turn sour after a breakup.

The surging public anger is enough to destroy anyone.

Taylor said it, Daddario did it, but the one who suffered was someone else due to a series of coincidences...

...

Twenty minutes after Taylor acknowledged that someone was meddling in her relationship with Ryan on the show, Ryan argued with a tall young woman outside the venue.

"Why did you have Fizz pull me off the lineup? I just didn't show you any friendliness; is it necessary for you to be like this?" Karlie Kloss held onto Ryan's sleeve, preventing him from leaving.

"I told you, this has nothing to do with me. This was Fizz's decision," Ryan said, feeling a bit impatient. Karlie had just been notified that Irina would replace her right before the show started. Ryan, staying an extra two days in New York for a CK underwear ad shoot, had to support Irina during the opening show, inadvertently getting entangled in this mess.

"If it weren't to please you, would she have done that?"

"Even if it was to please me, that was her choice; you should consider why she would want to please me," Ryan replied.

"Why should anyone have to please someone else? Can't you just be a model and do your job? Did I do something wrong?" Karlie questioned loudly, voicing what had long been bottled up inside her.

"You didn't do anything wrong, but you chose the wrong industry, it's toxic to the core," Ryan reminded her. "If you don't want to be part of the filth, you should leave now."

"I..." Karlie fell silent, her fingers going limp, watching Ryan turn to leave.

...

When she turned, she realized that a crowd had gathered around them at some point.

"It must be her!"

"That bitch!"

"What a disgrace!"

"Karlie Kloss, a rookie model, truly will stop at nothing for fame." Whispers echoed from the crowd.

"Stop at nothing? This is stopping at nothing? These are mine! I didn't do anything wrong!" she shouted.

By now, some onlookers were recording her reaction. Her words subtly turned into a strong retort against the "suspicions" being directed at her.

As expected, her declaration immediately triggered a siege.

Karlie suddenly felt overwhelmed by the endless malice surrounding her, as if she had committed a heinous act.

Instinctively, she took a step back, trying to escape. However, someone pushed her, and she fell to the ground.

...

Meanwhile, Ryan was on his way to the studio to pick up Taylor after she finished recording.

"Some special situation came up..." Taylor said as soon as she got on stage, not bothering to get close to Ryan, diving straight into her response regarding the show.

"That ridiculous Ellen is stirring things up for ratings. You shouldn't go back on her show," Ryan frowned after hearing this.

"Did that cause you any trouble?" Taylor asked, a bit anxiously.

"Not at all, I didn't do any of that, and what's not done cannot be fabricated. Truth is truth, and false is false," Ryan spoke with conviction. Behind this bravado, he felt fortunate that Daddario had exited early. Without the foresight scripts he received, Daddario would've undoubtedly been in Florida now, facing relentless paparazzi. Their "sweet couple" image would certainly have crumbled.

Moreover, considering the previous high-profile maneuvers, it would undoubtedly trigger unprecedented backlash that could alter their career trajectory.

Just not long ago, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga had both faced backlash on Twitter due to what they said about Taylor.

"Let's keep it low-key in the future, respond coolly," Ryan decided firmly.

"What about your new song..." Taylor murmured.

"Let's forget it; let someone else sing your new song. I don't want to stir another massive uproar just from saying a few sentences," she rested her head on Ryan's shoulder.

"No way, we can't give up on this song; you must sing it, and we'll gradually cool things down afterwards," Ryan said suddenly.

"It's easy to let someone else sing, but no one will create the buzz like you do; the romance is the selling point of this song," Ryan reminded.

With Lady Gaga on a roll, at this critical moment, they couldn't allow her to steal their thunder.

"Wait, you both need to see this." Erica, sitting in the last row, suddenly revealed her phone.

...

Ryan took it, and it was Karlie Kloss's response video.

The crowd erupted with jeers, hurling all sorts of offensive words her way.

Previously, the "Texas blonde bitch" incident was more of a joke, as Amber's actions were, at worst, just indiscreet. Karlie's case, however, leaned deeper into "moral decay."

"Who is this? How did she get involved?" Taylor leaned closer, looking surprised.

"It's a coincidence; she mistakenly thought I interfered with her opportunity to perform..." Ryan replied.

"Mistaken? Why would she think it was you?" Taylor asked, puzzled.

"I don't understand the fashion scene either," Ryan played dumb. If this situation was pursued further, it would undoubtedly lead back to Irina.

"What do we do now? If it's just a coincidence, then she's really unlucky," Taylor looked at all the filthy words and thought. If she were in that position, she might not be able to bear it.

"We need to clarify this, make a statement saying it was a misunderstanding, what do you think?" Ryan pondered. If this continued to spiral endlessly, it wouldn't be good for anyone.

"Exactly, we can't let the fire come back to you. I'll make a statement to clear this up for this girl," Taylor felt that since it originated from her, she should step in to settle it.

"Let's not rush to release it; the more you try, the worse it might get. Let me handle it instead," Ryan thought it was better if he took charge, letting Taylor keep her cards close for now. Going public now would just complicate matters further.

...

By eight o'clock, Ryan released a statement saying that he had merely met Karlie Kloss a few times and they were just acquaintances. As for attending fashion events together, that was simply a model agency arrangement. He also called on the public to remain rational, saying that Karlie was just a sixteen-year-old high school student.

...

Within the hour of the statement being released, quite a few photos surfaced online showing Ryan and Karlie together, besides their recent attendance at the CK event; earlier exchanges during a music festival after-party were also captured, along with various moments from when they first met at a stadium.

Public opinion exhibited clear distrust toward Ryan.

After all, his earlier identity was "too perfect," having been overly lauded. Some believed Ryan had nothing to do with her, but a lot more felt it wasn't that simple. With the entertainment industry being the way it was, the public instinctively leant towards the "conspiracy," seeking the "truth behind the scenes."

Some unfavorable details about Ryan were brought up repeatedly.

[Why would Ryan help Karlie Kloss at the party? Normally, would you go out of your way for someone you've only met a few times?]

[Acting so cozy at the fashion event, my girl wouldn't even get that close to me.]

[The truth is evident. Poor Taylor, who clearly knows what's up, still has to pretend like she doesn't.]

[That's how celebrities are; it's all a show for the public.]

The flames ultimately reached Ryan.

"Get ready for a PR battle," Ryan made calls to Paula, Scott, and Taylor's father, then got in touch with Fizz, as she also needed to be present due to Karlie's involvement.

Between Lady Gaga's momentum and a new single heavily focused on their relationship, this PR battle carried a special mission...

*****

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