บท 310: Chapter 310: Fans Turn Against Her
In a rest room behind the press hall of the Beverly Hills Four Seasons Hotel, Murphy was discussing public relations strategies with Grace when the door leading to the corridor was pushed open. Bill Rossis walked in.
"Natalie Portman's agent, Martin Miller, just called me," Bill approached Murphy, "He and Natalie Portman want you to cancel this press conference and talk privately."
They had already tried to contact him through William Morris the previous night, but Murphy had refused. Given the extent to which Natalie Portman had stirred things up, Murphy was not interested in a private settlement. Still, he asked, "What terms are they offering?"
Although unaware of the evidence he possessed, the two must have guessed that the situation was not in their favor.
"Natalie Portman will apologize to you in person..." Bill glanced at Gal Gadot, who was sitting quietly next to Murphy, and continued, "She can do it in a very formal way, privately."
Murphy scoffed, "Not a public apology?"
Bill shook his head, "No."
He coughed slightly before adding, "They don't know what we have."
This incident had hurt not just him but also Gal Gadot, who had initially considered Natalie Portman a close friend. Murphy turned to her and asked, "Dear, what do you think?"
Gal Gadot smiled, "You decide."
Murphy stood up, straightened his clothes, and asked Bill, "How are we set?"
"Everything's ready." Understanding Murphy's intention and no longer trying to persuade him, Bill confirmed, knowing that the opponent was an important client of competitor William Morris and that CAA internally supported Murphy, "Reporters, well-known bloggers, and Fox TV are all set, just waiting to start."
"Then let's begin," Murphy stated decisively.
The large press hall was packed with over a hundred journalists, and two cameras set up for live broadcasting were ready. Many were buzzing with anticipation, eager to see Murphy Stanton's response.
Many well-known bloggers had their laptops ready, watching the projector screen at the front of the hall, continuously updating their blogs.
"The press conference is about to begin, Murphy Stanton is entering the press hall..."
Murphy entered on schedule, and Fox TV's entertainment channel had just ended a commercial break, immediately switching to the press conference.
In the suite at the Hilton, Martin Miller watched the live broadcast with a grim expression.
"He actually refused?" Natalie Portman's voice was sharp, like metal scraping against harder metal. "Why would he refuse? Weren't our terms generous enough?"
"Calm down, Nat," Martin sighed, "They might just be bluffing."
"Am I panicking? I've been very calm."
Despite her words, Natalie's incessant pacing and agitated demeanor betrayed her state of mind.
The media frenzy over the past few days had attracted many, particularly Natalie Portman's fans.
Jurgen Minster and his cousin Lisa Adrianna, both fans of Natalie, had been following the press conference online and were seated early in front of the TV, eager to see how the man who insulted Natalie would justify himself, and to continue attacking him on the internet based on his statements.
"A lot of talk has been circulating about me and my new movie 'G'," Murphy said calmly in the packed press hall, appearing as if he was not the focal point of the controversy, "Some have falsely accused me of being a racist. I don't want to make too many excuses. The more I say, the more you think I'm just making excuses, right?"
He snapped his fingers at Bill Rossis, who was controlling the projector, "Start it."
After speaking, Murphy stepped off the podium to avoid blocking the view of the reporters and cameras.
The journalists and cameras all turned toward the projector screen, where a grainy but recognizable video began to play, featuring Natalie Portman as the main subject.
Due to the recording limitations and visual quality, Fox TV's entertainment channel switched to a clearer video provided by Kara Faith.
"Is that Natalie?"
Although the TV image was blurry and filled with noise, Jurgen immediately recognized his idol by the two distinctive moles on her face.
Lisa pointed out another figure in the video, shouting at the TV, "That's Murphy Stanton."
They both realized this might be a video of the conflict between Murphy Stanton and Natalie Portman.
Jurgen and Lisa were stunned, desperate to know what had actually happened.
Back in the Hilton suite, Natalie saw herself in the video at Murphy's office and instinctively backed away, collapsing onto the sofa.
"How could there be a video?" She was bewildered, "I checked carefully; there were no cameras in the office. How could this happen?"
Natalie was completely stunned.
In the press hall, many journalists and bloggers were also shocked, not expecting Murphy to present such compelling video evidence.
In the video, Natalie repeatedly made suggestive remarks to Murphy, eventually making explicit sexual suggestions...
Was this the same Natalie Portman portrayed as virtuous in the media?
As the video showed Natalie kneeling down and reaching for Murphy's belt despite his repeated rejections, Jurgen and Lisa were utterly dumbfounded. How could their idol behave like this? How could she shamelessly pursue a role in such a manner after being rejected?
"FU#$K!"
Overwhelmed, Natalie picked up an ashtray from the coffee table and hurled it at the TV...
"This..." Lisa looked at Jurgen, her world seemingly collapsing, "This can't be true."
She covered her face with her hand, unable to watch the devastating scene on the TV.
Jurgen, older and a male, was more resilient. He muttered, "I don't want to admit it, but... it looks real."
Lisa suddenly stood up, shouting, "Are you saying Natalie lied?"
"Yes, she lied."
Admitting their idol was a fraud was not easy. Jurgen closed his eyes, "If the video is unedited, she's not just lying; she's a complete hypocrite!"
Lisa was stunned, speechless.
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she processed the betrayal of her idol.
But after sadness and disappointment came anger, the fury of being deceived by someone she loved.
"How could she do this!" Lisa suddenly snapped, "Is this what it means to be virtuous? To offer a blowjob after being continuously rejected for a role? Does she have no shame? She has deceived everyone in the world!"
The video ended, and the broadcast switched back to the press conference.
"This video was accidentally recorded by a friend, unedited and unaltered," Murphy announced, ready to counterattack with CAA and 20th Century Fox, "My team has prepared a copy of the video for every media friend here, and we welcome everyone to verify it themselves."
This move would likely kill any subsequent skepticism.
Copies were already being distributed in the hall, and as the media's attention focused on them, Murphy took the opportunity to leave.
Like Natalie Portman's earlier antics, Murphy didn't need to do much more; the media and internet would carry things forward.
And the ensuing storm would certainly have a significant impact on Natalie.
"He's so confident, it must be true," Jurgen analyzed, "Daring to give the video to so many media outlets means it's real."
Listening to Jurgen's murmurs, Lisa, shattered by the disillusionment, slowly recovered and sneered, "Could it be fake? Natalie Portman..."
She spat angrily into a trash can, "Disgusting!"
Lisa watched as the live broadcast of the press conference ended and walked toward her computer. "I'm going online now. I'm going to Natalie Portman's IMDb page, her blog, and any website related to her to expose her. I want everyone to see the true face of this hypocritical, utterly disgusting person!"
The feeling of being utterly deceived by an idol was not easy to bear. While some might continue to blindly follow their idol, others would inevitably turn from fans to detractors. Jurgen was of the latter type.
He jumped up, loudly declaring, "I'm joining you!"
As they prepared to spread their newfound disdain for Natalie Portman across various platforms, the impact of the video continued to ripple through the audience at the press conference and viewers at home.
Back in the press hall, after ensuring the distribution of the video copies, Murphy's calm demeanor had set a resolute tone. He didn't linger in the room but left swiftly, allowing the media and the online community to digest the bombshell he had just dropped.
The strategy was clear: let the facts speak for themselves and allow the public and press to draw their conclusions, which could very likely end in a drastic shift in public perception about Natalie Portman.
At the Beverly Hills Four Seasons Hotel, as journalists began to realize the gravity of the evidence presented, a murmur ran through the crowd. Many were typing furiously on their laptops, updating their articles and blogs with the new information. The press conference had not only served as a venue for Murphy to clear his name but had also turned into a crucible for Natalie Portman's public image.
Meanwhile, in Natalie Portman's suite, the reality of the situation began to sink in. The shock of seeing herself on video, acting in ways that contradicted her public persona, left her rattled and unsure of her next move. The room was heavy with a mix of anger, betrayal, and panic as her team scrambled to formulate a response.
As the fallout continued to unfold, Murphy Stanton had effectively shifted the narrative from being a target of accusations to presenting undeniable evidence of his innocence and Natalie Portman's culpability. The broader implications for her career and reputation were just beginning to surface, and the public, as well as her fans, were now armed with information that could significantly alter their perception of the Hollywood star.
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