"I auditioned for 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest,' and the crew initially decided I would play the witch Tia Dalma. Just as I was about to sign the contract, the male lead, Matthew Horner, appeared."
The speaker in the video was a black woman, and as Matthew stood in front of the computer screen, she looked vaguely familiar.
Helen Herman and David Ellison stood beside him, saying nothing as they continued to watch the video.
The black woman in the video continued, "Matthew Horner had the crew kick me out and replaced me with the white actress Eva Green. We all saw the result; I, a black actress, lost the role of the witch, and Eva Green became the actress who played the witch..."
The video was short, only a few minutes long, and ended quickly.
"Do you know her?" David Ellison asked Matthew.
Matthew gradually remembered, "I think I do."
Helen Herman chimed in, "Her name is Naomie Harris. At the time, someone recommended her to the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' crew, and they did consider her for the role of Tia Dalma, but I had Matthew help recommend Eva Green."
Matthew nodded, "Yes, then Keira Knightley and I jointly recommended Eva Green to the crew. They respected our opinions and replaced Naomie Harris with Eva Green."
David Ellison was puzzled, "Is what she's saying true?"
Matthew shrugged, "Eighty percent of it is true."
"This woman must have someone advising her," Helen Herman frowned. "She didn't directly accuse you of racial discrimination, but the first thing you think of after watching is that Matthew might be racially discriminating."
David Ellison took a step back and forth. "Could this be related to Spike Lee?"
Matthew was calm, "It's hard not to link them together."
"Eighty percent related," Helen Herman said just as Matthew received a text from Bella Anderson.
The text was about another video. Matthew opened it on the computer, and it featured Paula Patton.
This video also directly targeted Matthew. Paula Patton vividly described how Matthew intervened in the casting of "I Am Legend," causing her to lose a supporting role.
"I don't know why it happened, and I don't understand why Matthew Horner helped Alexandra Daddario take the supporting role that was supposed to be mine. Is it just because I'm black and Alexandra Daddario is white?"
These two accusations, coupled with Spike Lee's remarks, caused an uproar on the internet. Despite all the work Matthew and Helen Herman did that night, the wave still hit newspapers and television stations the next day, and the impact was substantial.
Then more people came forward with allegations. Several so-called insiders from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "I Am Legend" crews claimed that it was well known within the crews that Matthew disliked black actors. They said he not only had the two black actresses dismissed but also ostracized other black staff members within the crew.
Although Warner Bros., Disney, and the crews of "300 Spartans," "I Am Legend," and "Pirates of the Caribbean" publicly refuted these claims, stating that casting decisions were made by the crew and had little to do with Matthew, and several black crew members came forward to testify that they were not ostracized by Matthew, the storm did not subside. Instead, it intensified.
Francis Lawrence accused Matthew in a journalist interview, saying that Matthew ousted him from the "I Am Legend" crew because he insisted on using black actors.
An unknown black actor claimed that Matthew insulted him on the set of "The Scorpion King."
A black screenwriter told the media that Matthew forced script changes, reducing roles for black characters and increasing roles for white characters.
In just over a day, judging by the accusations and the news, Matthew could be thrown into a California jail for "racial discrimination."
Of course, Matthew's team wouldn't stand idly by. Helen Herman, acting as a spokesperson, issued a public statement denying the accusations, but the effect was minimal.
Over the past few years, Matthew's career had been smooth sailing. While he was on this upward trajectory, the media seemed to be singing his praises. His current fame and status were partly due to the media's conscious or unconscious star-making efforts.
Creating stars is one of the entertainment media's favorite activities because it attracts readers and attention. Destroying stars after creating them is equally enjoyable for them.
The most typical example is Tom Cruise.
When a star like Matthew, who had been riding high, appeared to be facing significant backlash and seemed about to fall, many media outlets didn't mind switching sides and joining the backlash, stepping in to kick him while he was down.
His opponents were clearly well-prepared, catching them somewhat off guard.
"Mr. Horner, many Hollywood insiders are accusing you of racial discrimination against black actors and staff. Is this true?"
At the entrance of Angel Agency, Matthew had just gotten out of the car when he was surrounded by dozens of reporters.
He and Helen Herman had anticipated this, increasing the number of bodyguards around them, and Angel Agency had set up special guards to deal with the paparazzi.
More than a dozen bodyguards and guards formed a circle, tightly protecting Matthew.
The paparazzi couldn't get close to Matthew, but it didn't stop them from asking questions.
"Matthew, what do you think about the recent media reports accusing you of racial discrimination?"
"As a public figure, don't you feel ashamed for discriminating against black people, Matthew Horner?"
Among the chaotic voices, Matthew heard one sentence and turned to look. It was a black reporter.
"Will you quit Hollywood because of this?"
"Matthew Horner, are all the reports true..."
Various questions were thrown at him, some even very harsh. Even though the incident was still in the accusation stage, and the so-called discrimination was merely mentioned by some individuals without any evidence, these people couldn't wait to nail Matthew to the pillar of shame.
Matthew didn't answer any questions. There was no need to respond now. He had already had Helen Herman issue a public statement refuting the accusations, but it had little effect.
He could understand the mentality of the media practitioners. He maintained constant contact with Elaine Boyar. In this situation, if he weren't a racial discriminator, it wouldn't hold much value for entertainment media. However, if he were indeed a racial discriminator, it would become a nationwide hot topic.
Most entertainment media would undoubtedly choose the latter.
Those orchestrating this were well aware of the media's mindset.
Under the protection of bodyguards, Matthew entered Angel Agency. In just two days, being besieged by reporters had become routine.
"This must be Spike Lee's doing."
In Helen Herman's office, with most of Matthew's team present, she said, "It must be him organizing and initiating this. Spike Lee has done similar things before, but this time, it's the largest scale."
Matthew nodded, "I underestimated Spike Lee."
Elaine Boyar then spoke, "From what I've gathered, the media situation isn't looking good. Many entertainment outlets are preparing to make you the next Tom Cruise, and racial issues are far more serious than Tom Cruise's faith issues."
"But Matthew hasn't discriminated against anyone," Amanda interjected.
Helen Herman glanced at Matthew. Among those present, she was the only one who could vaguely guess some of Matthew's thoughts. But she also knew that Matthew had never shown these thoughts outwardly. They were just ideas that never materialized.
"I have never discriminated against anyone at any time or place," Matthew said confidently. "I know how to handle things and have never acted recklessly."
If he had ever verbally or behaviorally discriminated against anyone, it was only Keira Knightley's chest.
Helen Herman asked Lawyer Wilson, "What about legally?"
Lawyer Wilson replied, "I will send them legal letters, but you know the effect of those..."
Bella Anderson interjected, "Besides that statement, should we do anything else?"
"Yes, of course," Amanda suddenly said. "We..."
She noticed Helen Herman's look and closed her mouth.
Helen Herman said, "We have an appointment with Oprah. We were originally scheduled to appear on her talk show. I contacted her this morning, Matthew, be prepared for some tough questions."
Seeing Matthew nod, she added, "I'll keep communicating with her and try to formalize it as soon as possible."
Meanwhile, others wanted to join the action of kicking a man when he's down.
"Will, this is indeed an opportunity."
In a mansion in Santa Monica, CAA's top agent Kevin Huvane was persuading his top client, Will Smith. "But from what I understand, Matthew Horner and Helen Herman are not simple people. Besides issuing a public statement, they've done nothing, which seems unusual."
He warned, "We must be cautious."
Will Smith nodded slightly, "I know. So, I'll have Jada step in. This way, I can either take a hard shot at Matthew Horner or leave room to retreat. Plus, the awards season is approaching, and my movie 'The Pursuit of Happyness' is targeting the Oscars."
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