The Greatest Showman #908 – Wake Up

After enduring dark times, the energy within the name "Renly-Hall," his achievements, connections, and the word-of-mouth reputation he had built, were slowly revealing the truth.

If the support of Andrew Garfield, Jessica Chastain, and Rooney Mara was merely a pleasant surprise to the public, then the words of Woody Allen and Steven Spielberg carried greater weight.

"I don't know all the details of the incident, and frankly, I don't care," Woody Allen said, maintaining his lofty, critical demeanor. "But I do know that even now, Renly occasionally performs at the Pioneer Village, even taking a cameo as a waiter. Yet, the media never reports on it. What truly wins over art lovers in New York isn't the news, but true talent."

Steven Spielberg also shared his admiration in a phone interview. "Renly is a dedicated actor," he said. "I remember during the filming of The Pacific War, there was a stretch—five or seven days, I can't remember exactly—when Renly had no role. He could've rested or taken a vacation, but instead, he joined the other cast members, lying in the mud as an extra, following the entire crew through the production."

Steven chuckled as he recalled, "The director was curious at the time, wondering if Renly was just trying to impress Tom and me. But Renly explained, 'I'm not a genius. To be a great actor, I have much more to learn. I've never been to war, never endured real hardship. I want to understand it better, to experience it deeply.'"

Both Woody and Steven, while never addressing the "hypegate" incident directly, instead spoke of Renly's dedication and commitment. Their words subtly bolstered Renly's reputation without explicitly defending him.

As Rooney Mara put it, "He could never be accused of trying to hype himself," a sentiment echoed by Ryan, Paul, and Jennifer.

Amid the chaos, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's support was a surprising yet notable moment. "No, I haven't met Renly in person—just over the phone. My agent connected us after I got the role in the Fast and Furious sequel."

"During our call, Renly congratulated me and even shared his thoughts on the original interpretation of Luke Hobbs. He offered insightful feedback on my role." Dwayne continued, revealing behind-the-scenes details of the Fast and Furious series. "He's a real actor—friendly, gracious, and warm. I honestly regret not having the chance to work with him."

While Dwayne didn't comment on the "hypegate" scandal directly, his words indirectly confirmed the close bond Renly shared with many in the Fast and Furious franchise, including Paul Walker, Gal Gadot, Jason Statham, and himself—further supporting media speculation that Vin Diesel was the true troublemaker.

The question now remained—could "Entertainment Weekly's" conclusive reports hold up under scrutiny, or were they merely the reporter's assumptions?

Amid the growing frenzy, Jake Gyllenhaal, a normally low-key actor, also offered his support. "In Berlin, I didn't hide my admiration for this actor, and I don't here either. I read some stories accusing Renly of faking hype in Berlin. But I believe none of the journalists who wrote those stories were actually there."

"If you went to Berlin during the festival, you'd hear from the local moviegoers themselves. This young actor loves movies deeply. For every film, he shares genuine thoughts and insights. How much sincerity is left in Hollywood? That's not something you can fake or fabricate."

Jake's words were calm but powerful. "After returning to Los Angeles, I heard about Renly's album Don Quixote. I'm not typically a fan of folk music, but I'll buy it and listen to it carefully."

In the midst of this support, one thing became clear: offering support when someone is in trouble, when the stakes are high, is far harder than just adding compliments during their rise. And that is what made these endorsements from his peers even more valuable.

The "hypegate" incident continued to spread. Those behind Entertainment Weekly and Harvey Weinstein were unlikely to back down, nor would the critics from The New York Times or U.S. Weekly. The debate raged on, with some bystanders choosing sides, while others remained neutral. The media discourse seemed far from resolution, growing only more intense.

Amidst all this, the awards season train barreled forward. The Screen Actors Guild Awards had arrived, unveiling the key contenders for the major acting categories of the season:

Best Actress: Viola Davis for The HelpBest Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer for The HelpBest Actor: Jean Dujardin for The ArtistBest Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer for The Beginner

For Weinstein Films, the results were clear: the actress categories had fallen short, but there was still hope in the male actor categories. Despite The Beginner being from Focus Pictures and not Weinstein Films, their Week with Monroe still had a shot at the awards. Two weeks out from the Oscars, the race was far from over.

For the Crosses, however, the awards season meant little. They had lost their beloved daughter, and their lives were unraveling. Their family had crumbled, and the drama surrounding Vanity Fair seemed insignificant in the face of their personal devastation.

In silence, Ellie gazed out the window.

There was nothing remarkable outside—just the usual suburban streetscape. Two clouds floated lazily in the sky. Yet Ellie stared blankly, lost in thought. Suddenly, a sparrow flew low across the sky, disturbing the quiet. Ellie jolted, and instinctively wiped away the warmth in her eyes, trying to act as if nothing had happened.

She quickly glanced at Derek, making sure he hadn't noticed her vulnerability. But then Ellie realized the truth—he hadn't noticed because he was too absorbed in a magazine.

Derek was flipping through a magazine, though his focus was lost. He hadn't turned the page in a while. The magazine was upside down, but more importantly, it was Entertainment Weekly. Derek had no interest in this magazine, never did. Ellie couldn't help but feel embarrassed as she lowered her eyes to hide it. She reached out, took the magazine from his hands, and woke him up.

"I'm ready to go to work," she said. "There's only fifteen minutes left. If you don't hurry, we'll miss the train."

Derek nodded absent-mindedly, stood up, and walked toward the living room. He didn't touch his breakfast.

Ellie, unable to ignore the untouched food, sighed. Then, her eyes caught a massive photo on the cover of the magazine—"Renly-Hall: The Man Who Deceived the Whole World!"

Her breath caught. She read more, the words striking her with increasing fear. The more she read, the more horrified she became. The lies and fabrications were evident, and Ellie could recognize them immediately.

Her mind raced through the memories—the moving performance of Time, the magic of Say You Won't Let Go, the intense madness of Cleopatra. She remembered the hidden truths, Renly's unwavering dedication to Heather, and Heather's unspoken dreams. All the memories from that concert came rushing back in vivid detail. After all this time, they were still alive in her heart.

Unable to hold it back, Ellie gasped, "God, what have I done?"

Hearing her exclamation, Derek rushed in, his face filled with concern. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Ellie looked up, her face tear-streaked. "Derek, what have I done?" she repeated over and over, her voice filled with disbelief and despair. The weight of the truth crushed her.

Renly's actions for Heather, the truth that only they knew, had been twisted into a web of lies. Ellie knew this better than anyone. Her emotions surged as memories and guilt poured in.

Derek grabbed the magazine and quickly flipped through it. The shock on his face mirrored Ellie's. Neither of them knew the full story. The media had been silent, their lives undisturbed—until now.

His hands began to tremble as he muttered, "God, what have we done?"