Chapter 372: Scandal

[Chapter 372: Scandal]

"How are you feeling? Still want to hold a grudge?" Link asked as he looked at Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie, lying side by side on the bed.

"No more grudges. From now on, I'll do whatever Sofia says on set. She tells me how to act, and that's what I'll do. I promise I won't hold a grudge against Winona again," Jolie said, wrapping herself in a blanket and shaking her head. Her messy hair framed her flushed cheeks, and her full lips bore the imprints of her teeth, appearing as red as strawberries.

Winona also snuggled under her blanket, blinking her big, watery eyes, and hoarsely promised she wouldn't hold a grudge against Angelina again.

Link shook his head and turned to Jolie. "The lead in Girl, Interrupted is Winona. The studio invested in this film primarily to help Winona aim for various awards. If Winona wants to win a prize, she needs to nail this role, so it's best if you and the others cooperate with her during your performances."

He hoped Jolie would play a supportive role in the film and assured her that he'd arrange other projects down the road to help her pursue her awards.

Jolie nodded, indicating she understood, and was willing to play a supporting role to help Winona develop her character.

Link also told Winona that if she wanted to win an Oscar, she needed to show her true abilities, deeply understand her character, and immerse herself in the role. Otherwise, it wouldn't matter how much help Angelina or the other cast members offered.

Winona blinked her bright eyes at Jolie and said she didn't need to hold back during filming.

"You should bring out your full strength to challenge me. If you relax during the performance, it won't help me develop my character."

Jolie smiled slightly. "Winona, my acting skills have been refined by Link and are just as good as those seasoned actors. Moreover, the role of Lisa suits me, allowing me to invest more during the performance. If I give my all, you might struggle to keep up."

"Hmph! Angelina, your acting is good, but mine is too. Go ahead and give it your all during filming, and I guarantee I won't let you surpass me," Winona replied, wrinkling her delicate nose, looking somewhat adorable.

"Alright, you said it," Angelina chuckled and looked at Link. "See, this girl is really competitive. I don't know how to match her."

"Then you put all your effort into the performance. Push each other to bring out better acting. If you both excel, maybe you'll both take home awards," Link suggested.

He reminded Jolie to collaborate with Winona because in the original Girl, Interrupted, Jolie had performed exceptionally well, even winning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, while Winona had felt overshadowed.

If both were willing to enhance each other's performances, it was possible for both to win awards in the future.

"Angelina, I will never lose," Winona declared, staggering out from under the blanket to grab the script and focus on her reading.

Jolie chuckled, giving Link a playful wink.

Link shook his head, deciding not to further advise them. Both were co-stars, and maintaining some competition during filming could be beneficial. As long as they didn't create too much conflict, everything else was manageable.

After calming both actresses down, Link moved to Sofia's room next door.

---

After work, Sofia was in her hotel room organizing movie project materials. When she saw him enter, she asked if he had settled things with the two women.

Link replied that they had agreed to put their differences aside but would still compete on set to challenge each other and improve their performances.

Sofia smiled, believing that was a good approach.

---

While discussing the film, Link received a call from Annie, who informed him that many negative reports about him had suddenly appeared in the press.

Rumors circulated about him vacationing in France and Switzerland with Cindy Crawford, suggesting he was the catalyst behind Cindy's divorce from Richard Gere. Given that he had conflicts with Gere, the papers hinted that out of revenge, he was not only trying to ruin Gere's career but also trying to steal his wife, labeling him a 'horrible avenger.'

The World News Weekly even mentioned his rumored involvement with Nicole Kidman during the filming of the Batman sequel. After the Batman film concluded, Nicole immediately filed for divorce from Tom Cruise, and somehow, this all tied back to Link.

In conclusion, the newspaper called Link a homewrecker with questionable character. Along with the World News Weekly, major media outlets like the Los Angeles Times, New York Post, and Entertainment Weekly reported on the story. Compared to smaller outlets, mainstream media was more cautious in their wording.

They merely reproduced the rumors involving him with Nicole Kidman and Cindy Crawford, and the divorce news of Crawford with Gere and Kidman with Cruise. While mainstream media didn't pass direct judgment, the way they arranged the news could lead people to misconstrue his involvement with both divorce cases.

As this news involved a Hollywood tycoon and four major stars, it quickly gained enormous traction. Within a day, from newspapers to broadcast TV, related stories were everywhere. This news became the hottest entertainment story for February.

...

After the scandal broke, WMA talent agency immediately initiated an emergency PR campaign.

They sued several media companies for defamation, stating that Link had met Cindy Crawford during the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show last November, become good friends, and traveled to France together. Before Cindy's divorce, they had no intimate relationship and urged people not to spread false rumors.

Regarding the rumors with Nicole Kidman, the PR team emphasized this was old news. After the initial gossip broke last year, Link, Kidman, and Cruise had all made clarifications.

Now, suddenly claiming he interfered in Kidman's marriage was absurd and constituted an attack on Link's character, with the intent to tarnish his reputation.

After WMA issued the clarification statement, both Cindy Crawford and Nicole Kidman stepped forward to explain. They stated they were good friends and had worked together, appreciating his talent. Although uncertain if their relationship would deepen in the future, they were innocent and urged the public not to believe or spread rumors, asserting that "a wise person stops gossip."

Despite the three of them addressing the rumors, discussions about their relationship didn't diminish; rather, they intensified. Public opinion leaned toward not believing their explanations, assuming they were romantically involved.

This perception stemmed from the fact that Link was known as a notorious playboy, associated with countless female stars, having been caught by the media living with multiple actresses at his mansion. Both Cindy Crawford and Nicole Kidman were among the entertainment industry's top beauties.

When top beauties were involved with a top playboy, the notion they were innocent and nothing happened seemed laughable to many.

...

As Guess Pictures prepared to counter this, Richard Gere sat in a wheelchair for an interview with ABC News. He claimed he had discovered a third party in his marriage before his injury, and that the trauma from being severely injured solidified Cindy Crawford's determination to divorce him.

When asked if the third party was Link, Gere snarled, "Yes, Link not only ruined my career but also destroyed my family. He's a damn bastard, and everyone should stand against him!"

Gere's angry outburst in front of the camera was gripping, and once ABC News aired it, it gained sky-high ratings.

This interview further tarnished Link's already shaky reputation.

In retaliation, attorney Sean filed a defamation lawsuit against ABC News and Gere on Link's behalf, charging them with defamation and severe damage to Link's reputation, seeking $50 million in damages and a public apology.

...

"Ha! He actually sued a disabled man and expects him to pay? That's downright vile. I bet after this, no Oscar voter will cast a ballot for him," laughed Bob Weinstein, clutching his belly.

Harvey squinted his heavily bagged eyes and replied coldly, "After something like this, the Oscars voters won't support him either. The audience won't back his films, and Link's movies won't enjoy as much support going forward."

"Ha! It would be perfect if Link collapsed personally because of this!" Bob laughed heartily.

...

Link had seen the media's take on the situation. Most outlets criticized him for being ruthless and suggested he reconsider his actions and become a good person.

But Link disagreed.

"A person who makes a mistake should face punishment. Just because he's disabled doesn't mean he gets a free pass to commit crimes and do whatever he pleases."

He instructed Sean to continue pursuing Gere and ABC's wrongdoings, even hiring a private investigator to look into Gere's financial dealings to uncover who the mastermind was behind all this.

"Link, this approach might impact the upcoming Oscar nominations. The Sixth Sense and The Butterfly Effect received great buzz, and you had a chance to win something."

Sam Haskel reminded him.

Link shook his head, stating that, given the current situation, his reputation would suffer significantly. The judges wouldn't vote for him, nor did he expect to win any awards at this year's Oscars.

Before this, he had requested the PR team to drop the campaigns for The Sixth Sense and focus resources on Sense and Sensibility instead.

Due to Gere and many unscrupulous media's reports, he missed the chance for an Oscar for The Sixth Sense, and its box office would also take a hit.

The losses were substantial. Someone had to take the blame for this.

Gere and the true orchestrator needed to be held accountable.

Link declared, "No need to rush for the Oscars. I'm still young, and there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. Right now, the most critical work is to expose Gere and the shady media's lies, eliminate the negative impact of those stories, restore my honor and innocence, and make sure those who made mistakes face justice."

Innocence?

Sam Haskel looked at him with shiny black eyes and cautiously asked, "The divorce cases of Cindy Crawford and Richard Gere really have nothing to do with you?"

"No! Before their divorce, I only met Cindy three or four times, and our conversations were minimal. Their divorce has nothing to do with me. I wouldn't resort to such measures to win a woman over," Link replied.

Sam Haskel nodded, believing what he said.

Given Link's current status and position, such negative news wouldn't impact him much; he didn't need to lie about this scenario.

...

Ding-ling-ling!

The phone on the table rang.

It was Warner Bros. president, Terry Semel.

Terry inquired what Link planned to do about the current negative press.

Link mentioned that he was addressing it.

Terry urged him to resolve the situation quickly, as it shouldn't affect the box office performance of Batman Forever, which was set to release in June.

If audiences boycotted the film due to their dislike for him, it would lead to huge losses for Warner Bros.

This issue had to be handled carefully.

Link promised he was working on it, hoping Warner Bros. could use their media outlets to assist in the PR campaign.

Terry reluctantly agreed.

...

After hanging up, Link thought for a moment before grabbing the phone again to call Michael Ovitz.

He mentioned knowing it was him behind the machinations and urged him not to indulge in such petty tactics. As collaborators, his reputation was at stake, which could also affect future partnerships.

"No, Link, you misunderstand. I didn't do this! Since joining Disney, I haven't targeted you in any way. I swear to God!"

"Michael, I have good relations in Hollywood. Aside from you, my former rival, I can't think of anyone else who would resort to such shameless tactics against me."

Link responded.

"You have good relations?" Ovitz found it hard to believe.

He couldn't understand what gave Link the impression that he was well-liked in Hollywood.

In reality, nearly everyone in the upper echelons of Hollywood longed to see him destroyed, believing if they eliminated him, they'd have easier lives.

Such a person couldn't possibly be well-liked.

"Michael, stop dodging. This scheme against me is almost identical to the tactics you used to hype me as a playboy previously. Even the media stirring up these stories is the same, and Gere is also your ally. According to the PR team's analysis, this operation is 80% likely about you. I expect you to provide me with an explanation."

Link said coldly.

"Link, it wasn't me! I swear to God! I only learned about this through the media reports. This has nothing to do with me!" Ovitz exclaimed, sounding completely wronged.

"Michael, we're investigating this carefully. Regardless of the time and costs involved, we will uncover who the puppeteers are. If you're innocent, I will personally apologize to you afterward and enhance our collaborative relationship. If you're involved, let's hope this doesn't happen again," Link stated.

After finishing their conversation, Link hung up and continued discussing recent news and Charlize Theron's new film role with Sam Haskel.

...

Meanwhile, over at Disney, after hanging up, Michael Ovitz cursed the air.

"Damn Link, you dare threaten me? You think I fear you? You think I can't stand on my own at Disney without you? You're a proud, arrogant bastard!"

Michael cursed for three minutes before gradually calming down. He gloomily picked up the phone and called Harvey, advising him to let things go.

After the news about Link being involved with someone else's wife came out, Link's reputation took a hit, and Oscar voters wouldn't cast ballots for him anymore.

Harvey had achieved his goal; there was no need to continue publicizing it.

"Why?" Harvey asked, confused. "Michael, our aim from the beginning was to ruin Link and make him infamous, to drive him out of Hollywood. This recent negative press has had a more significant impact than last year's hype of Link as a playboy. Continuing this will further tarnish Link's reputation, impacting his box office scores and potentially Guess Pictures too. Isn't that a good thing for us? Why stop?"

Harvey paused and then inclined his voice to a heightened pitch. "Our attack is showing positive results. This moment is not for us to stop but to concentrate more resources on hyping this, so the world recognizes Link's downfall and that he's out of Hollywood sooner."

"Can it be done?"

"Of course! With enough funding and enough media behind us, we can certainly destroy Link's reputation!"

Harvey shouted excitedly.

"Harvey, calm down. Do you know who Link is? According to Wall Street media, he's worth over $4 billion and is one of the richest individuals globally. The Guess Pictures he founded is among the strongest film companies in the entertainment industry, and he is one of the world's most famous directors, with connections in political and judicial circles.

For someone like him, forget about meddling in someone else's marriage; he could murder and escape legal consequences. There are all sorts of criminals in Hollywood, drug dealers, traffickers, everything. Do you think you can take down such a powerful figure on a baseless charge of being a third party?

Have you overestimated your ability to tackle this issue?"

Without waiting for Harvey to respond, Ovitz continued, "In this scheme, the most crucial factor is evidence. Do you have any solid proof that Link interfered in Richard Gere's and Tom Cruise's marriages? I mean concrete evidence, not just empty speculation."

Harvey furrowed his brow, stating, "Without proof, we can fabricate evidence, then use media promotions to make this a fait accompli. We've accomplished similar things before."

"Harvey, your way of thinking leaves me helpless. I'll repeat myself: Link is a billionaire, a global superstar, the top power player in Hollywood. He isn't just a fool or a nameless nobody you can bully. He has more resources and contacts than you can imagine and knows how media manipulation works better than anyone.

Instead of trying to bring him down with baseless allegations, why not consider how to create a blockbuster film that outperforms him at the box office? Additionally, Link is petty and holds grudges. After this mishap, he'll absolutely investigate who the puppeteer is and seek vengeance on you.

Can you guarantee that Link's people won't trace this back to you? Do you want to break ties with Link now?" Ovitz queried fiercely.

Harvey clenched his brows and responded, "Michael, I know you're right. Link is powerful, and it's tough to take him down. But he's just one person, and together, our people have a chance to bring him down."

Ovitz paused at Harvey's remark, feeling exhausted. "Last year, to hype up Link's chaotic personal life and poor character, I had arranged several beautiful women to tempt him and engaged detectives and paparazzi to thoroughly investigate Link, eventually spending six months to gather some evidence.

I thought this move would leave Link in tatters.

What was the result? Even with seven major media groups launching these dirt stories, it didn't faze him at all. Afterward, Ron Meyer, Barry Diller, and others complained that the 'weapons' I provided weren't strong enough, blaming me for their lack of success.

Now you're seeing this old rumor and treating it as some sort of lethal weapon against Link, urging everyone to collaborate to attack him?"

Ovitz was incredulous. If Link was that easy to take down, would he himself have degraded from being the former king of Hollywood to the second-in-command at Disney?

Harvey had replicated the mistakes that he himself had made before -- underestimating Link and overestimating the strength of Hollywood's major studios when united.

"Michael, you're right, but we could convince Cindy Crawford and Nicole Kidman to confirm--"

"Harvey!" Before Harvey finished speaking, Ovitz impatiently cut in, "If you want to get in touch with others and continue to hype this, swell this to grand proportions, I don't mind. But afterward, you cannot tell anyone it was my suggestion. Although the idea of using this to target Link originated from me, my objective is to hinder him at the Oscars and prevent him from winning, not to ruin him with these scandals.

Moreover, we have a partnership with Guess Pictures. If this fallout affects our collaboration on Fight Club, you'll be held fully accountable."

After saying this, Ovitz hung up the phone, snorting with dissatisfaction.

In the past, when he was president of CAA, his words held immense weight, and someone like Harvey wouldn't dare contradict him.

Now that he had fallen from power, Harvey and others began to disrespect him. It was truly a pack of opportunists.

...

Ding-ling-ling!

The secretary called in, telling him that the Chief Investment Officer of Vanguard Capital, Greg Davis, and Senior Partner at J.P. Morgans, Paul Zummo, had called earlier.

Ovitz frowned. These two investment firms were also Disney shareholders, so he needed to treat their call seriously. He instructed his secretary to call them back.

Greg Davis and Paul Zummo had similar goals in mind, given the booming development of Guess Pictures, with revenue ever-increasing. The previous year's The Sixth Sense alone had earned over $500 million for the company.

The dividends shareholders earned from Guess Pictures were greater than those from Disney.

If The Sixth Sense secured several awards at the Oscars, its global box office could see a boost and might even surpass Jurassic Park's box office record to become the highest-grossing film of all time.

This would also raise the market value of Guess Pictures.

At this crucial moment, both wanted Ovitz not to stir the pot since it would not only affect Link but also impact shareholder profits, leading to highly unwanted outcomes.

Ovitz blinked, hurriedly explaining that he wasn't the one behind it and those rumors had nothing to do with him.

"Not you? Then who? Everyone in Hollywood wants to work with Link; who has conflicts with him?" Greg Davis asked.

Ovitz opened his mouth but did not mention Harvey's name. He simply said that he would persuade that person to back off and not smear Link any further.

After ending the call, Ovitz wiped the sweat off his face, cursing Harvey for creating chaos, now making him take the blame.

...

Ding-ling-ling!

The phone on the table rang again.

It was Warner Bros. President Terry Semel, discussing the rumors about Link interfering in two celebrity marriages.

Terry inquired if this gossip was due to Ovitz's tactics, hoping he would take it easy on Link this time. After Batman Forever was released, he could hype whatever he liked, as Warner Bros. would guarantee no interference.

Ovitz nearly lost it at Terry's words. He reiterated that it wasn't him, swearing to God!

"Not you? Then who? Given Hollywood's current atmosphere, everyone wants to collaborate with Link; who is still at odds with him?" Terry questioned.

*****

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