How Celebrities Avoid Getting Canceled

rewrite this content and keep HTML tags What PR Agents And Branding Experts Have To Say About Cancel CultureThe days of the disempowered staying quiet are over, but historical biases and confusing rhetoric have changed how we hold wrongdoers accountable.By Shivani Dubey | Published Nov. 9, 2023This story is a part of our weeklong series on cancel culture.Read the other stories here.At one point, the word “Scientology” followed megastar Tom Cruise like a shadow. No matter where he went or what he did, people would mention his connections to the controversial Church of Scientology. Years later, his links to the church seemingly haven’t tarnished his image, and they rarely get mentioned on big stages (except that one time at the Golden Globes). Instead, Cruise has slowly but surely re-branded into the wild stunt guy who wants to save cinema, with people waiting to see the next death-defying thing he will do to top his previous work.But how did he manage this? To put it simply, there is no one more quintessentially Hollywood than Tom Cruise. People wait with bated breath to see what he will attempt in his next film and just how far he will go to get that perfect shot. In fact, a huge part of his marketing ploy for “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One” was giving people a behind-the-scenes look at how he managed to pull off the movie’s biggest stunts. His new image was further cemented with the release of “Top Gun: Maverick,” which earned a Best Picture nod and often gets credited as the film that saved post-pandemic cinema. (Even Steven Spielberg thinks so.)“Tom Cruise is a special type of brand,” said crisis communication expert Molly McPherson. “He is a great example of someone who lives a life that most people are confused by. He has so much built-in admiration as a box-office star that I think it is difficult for people to all of a sudden say they don’t like him anymore.”Tom Cruise in “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One.”There is one thing I’ve noticed over time as “cancel culture” became a phenomenon: Almost no one remains canceled forever. Somehow, nearly each and every person returned to the limelight. But how does this even happen? What goes on behind the scenes to bring canceled stars back to life? How did Taylor Swift turn the downfall of her reputation into a powerful career re-brand? How do people like Winona Ryder and Robert Downey Jr. — celebrities who were arrested and dragged through the mud of tabloids — find their way back to positive media coverage? Well, they don’t just do it on their own. Stars like these have tons of public relations and branding agents tirelessly working behind the scenes, trying to propel them back to an astronomical level of success.“PR and branding are essential elements when a celebrity is facing cancel culture or a crisis of any sort,” said Evan Nierman, the founder of crisis PR agency Red Banyan. “How they interact with the public makes a fundamental difference in navigating high-stakes or crisis situations.”He added: “For a celebrity, their brand is everything. In fact, in Hollywood the actor’s brand often is even more prominent than whatever film in which they are appearing or the products they are promoting.”“In truth, no celebrity is ever publicly uncanceled to the same degree as when they were initially held accountable. The greatest hope is for their grievances to be forgiven.”Rudy Mawer, CEO of Mawer CapitalWhether it is through a total image re-brand, an apology or just making a resurgence after some time out of the spotlight, many celebrities find their way back.Swift offered a master class in lying low at the height of controversy. When Kim Kardashian implied that Swift was a “snake” in 2016, the singer essentially removed herself from media scrutiny for the next year. Swift had claimed that Kanye West, now known as Ye, had not sought her approval when making his song “Famous.” The hit name-checks Swift, calls her a “bitch” and hints that she and Ye “might still have sex.” Kardashian then released a secret recording suggesting that Ye had actually consulted her about the song. Swift issued a statement saying that she was not told about the “bitch” part.Christopher Polk/MTV1415 via Getty ImagesRecording artists Kanye West (L) and Taylor Swift hug during the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards.In 2017, she came back with “Reputation,” which was her answer to everything that went down in the Ye-Kardashian controversy. That year, even amid an album release, Swift deftly avoided paparazzi and only performed a few times — a marked reduction in public appearances for fans who followed her every move closely. A little over two years later, she released the documentary “Miss Americana,” which addressed the breakdown and rehabilitation of her brand while also revealing some of her political views for the first time in her career.“[Swift] did something clever when Kim Kardashian referred to her as a snake,” Nierman said. “Rather than running away from that slight, she just co-opted the imagery of the snake and by doing so defanged (pun intended) its ability to harm her.”There are different crisis management tactics depending on how, why or when an individual is canceled or embroiled in controversy. PR reps often coordinate with parties that can showcase their clients in a favorable light.Take pop singer Justin Bieber before and after his “Purpose” era. In 2014, the singer was arrested on suspicion of driving under influence. The next year, he pleaded guilty to assault and careless driving. There were other legal troubles, as well as his apparent hostility toward fans and the scrutiny over his relationship with actor Selena Gomez. He took some time before “Purpose” was released, participated in a Comedy Central roast and, at the end of it, sincerely apologized for past indiscretions. “Purpose” was very much a reflection of his life and his flaws, and also touched quite a bit on spirituality.Uri Schanker via Getty ImagesJustin Bieber is released from the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center after he was arrested for DUI and resisting arrest on Jan. 23, 2014, in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Uri Schanker/Getty Images)“Being tactful with what you respond to, what you say when you respond and how many comments you put out in regards to the situation can drastically change the outcome,” said Rudy Mawer, the CEO of Mawer Capital. “This is often resolved with an apology tour, charity donations, ‘raw’ interviews or an official statement. Things like this are often crafted by the PR team in order to ensure the client is properly recouping any lost connections.”Leonardo DiCaprio suffered a hit to his popularity when it was revealed that none of his past girlfriends seemed to be older than 25. Rumors soon circulated about a relationship with Gigi Hadid, who was then 27 years old — a move that people online saw as an obvious PR stunt. Their relationship apparently only lasted about a year.Jonathan Majors is a recent example of an extremely high-profile celebrity who everyone was rooting for until domestic violence allegations caused what seemed to be a catastrophic career downfall. Majors has denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to criminal charges against him. Recently, he has been dating actor Meagan Good in what appears to be an attempt to rehabilitate his image in the court of public opinion. After a video of Majors breaking up a fight between two high school girls went viral — and many social media users called the altercation fake — a lawyer for the actor insisted that the scuffle was not staged.“In truth, no celebrity is ever publicly uncanceled to the same degree as when they were initially held accountable,” Mawer said. “The greatest hope is for their grievances to be forgiven.”Alexi Rosenfeld via Getty ImagesActor Jonathan Majors, and his girlfriend, Meagan Good, flanked by his lawyer Priya Chaudhry (R), arrive to Manhattan Criminal Court for his pre-trial hearing on Aug. 3, 2023 in New York City. If convicted, Majors could face up to a year in jail over misdemeanor charges of assault and harassment. (Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)But often, PR-assisted interviews or moments fare well for some notable figures. In the case of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the circumstances of their unpopularity had a lot to do with Britain’s love for the royal family, as well as a lot of (often racist)…

FOLLOW US ON GOOGLE NEWS

Read original article here