Starting last week, negative news about The Fellowship Expedition has been constant. The most sensational rumor involves Billy Boyd and Ian McKellen, whose age-gap friendship has been twisted by some opportunistic media into a "grandfather-grandson romance." Given Ian McKellen's well-known homosexuality, this gossip does carry some plausibility.
While homosexuality alone might not provoke significant backlash, a same-sex relationship with such a significant age gap could face widespread rejection.
Although mainstream newspapers have avoided publishing these rumors, many tabloids have been amplifying them. On the internet, edited images of Gandalf and Pippin gazing at each other affectionately have gone viral. The online sphere isn't Duke's exclusive playground, after all.
It's hard to say how much damage these rumors have caused, but The Fellowship Expedition's box office is undoubtedly taking a hit. Traces of involvement from Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures can be seen behind these smear campaigns.
Meanwhile, due to various scandals surrounding Angelina Jolie and the poor audience reception of Tomb Raider, its box office performance plummeted after the first weekend. After exhausting the gamer demographic, its daily earnings have fallen below $3 million. Other media outlets are piling on the negativity, and Warner Bros. has quietly withdrawn from the main promotional battle.
Initially, neither Duke nor Warner Bros. paid much attention to The Fast and the Furious. For Warner, it was just a small-budget production. As for Duke, although he knew the franchise would later explode in popularity, he had no particular recollection of its early stages, which he assumed were mediocre.
However, they were caught off guard when The Fast and the Furious grossed over $15 million on its opening day, nearly dethroning The Fellowship Expedition from its top spot.
"We made a mistake," Duke admitted bluntly.
Among those present, including Jamie Johnson, Doug Walter, and Panny Kallis, none of them had considered this film a serious competitor.
But on Friday, The Fast and the Furious nearly broke The Fellowship Expedition's daily box office lead since its release.
Jamie Johnson frowned deeply. "According to my information, the film's box office results have far exceeded Universal Pictures and Artists Management's expectations—by more than double their original projections."
"Universal Pictures plans to increase its promotional efforts," Doug Walter said, his earlier confidence noticeably diminished. "They've added $10 million to their marketing budget. From tomorrow through next weekend, The Fast and the Furious will be our fiercest competitor."
Films like Pearl Harbor and The Mummy Returns, released at the start of the summer, now earn only a little over $1 million per day, posing no threat to The Fellowship Expedition. Warner Bros. has shifted its focus away from these titles.
Doug Walter thought for a moment before asking, "Is there anything about this film we can use to our advantage?"
"They're just a bunch of directors and actors who've only recently risen from obscurity. Nobody paid attention to them before," Jamie Johnson shook his head.
Duke struggled to recall relevant details, but his memories were sparse. Paul Walker had passed away in the end, Vin Diesel became the franchise's leading figure, and Jessica Alba, a small-time actress, hadn't left much of an impression on him...
"I do have some information," said Panny Kallis, who had remained silent until now.
She opened her briefcase, pulled out a tabloid, and said directly, "Yesterday, Jessica Alba, the female lead of The Fast and the Furious, visited Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles to see a gynecologist. Paparazzi bribed a janitor at the hospital and obtained a copy of her lab results."
With disdain, Panny added, "Ladies and gentlemen, the results are shocking. The lab report shows that Jessica Alba has herpes—a sexually transmitted disease."
"Is this information reliable?" Jamie Johnson's eyes lit up instantly.
"We can have people verify it overnight," Panny said. "It's not difficult to confirm. We can check her prescriptions, her lab reports, or even interview her assistant."
The meeting quickly reached a consensus. Jessica Alba's character is marketed as sexy, sunny, and healthy. If the actress herself has such an issue, it would undoubtedly affect her role.
While Hollywood stars' promiscuity is no secret, and the public tends to be indifferent to it, contracting a sexually transmitted disease adds a significant stain.
After leaving the meeting room, the visibly aging Panny Kallis didn't leave but instead followed Duke down an empty corridor, eventually calling out to him.
"I know you dislike others interfering in your personal life," Panny said with a tone of concern. "Duke, you are my most important client—and my last client."
She sighed before continuing, "Jessica Alba isn't the first, and she won't be the last."
"Thank you, Panny," Duke said earnestly, recognizing her good intentions. "I'll keep that in mind."
Panny didn't say more, waving goodbye as she left. Duke returned to his office, sat in his chair, and reflected on his publicist's advice. Thinking about Jessica Alba brought a wave of disgust.
Hollywood is notoriously chaotic. Even the most uninformed individuals know that the stars on the big screen aren't angels.
Who knows how many men Jessica Alba has been with—or how many women those men have been with?
Jessica Alba's situation served as a wake-up call for Duke.
Women who party recklessly without taking precautions are certainly not uncommon in Hollywood. What if he ever encountered one?
Duke, who doesn't care much about most things, is extremely mindful of his health.
He could only be thankful that he's not attracted to women like Jessica Alba. In his past life, she was just a minor celebrity who never caught his interest.
Perhaps it's time for a change?
This thought crossed Duke's mind again. The chaos in his private life was beginning to exhaust him.
Billy Boyd and Ian McKellen's relationship remained a focal point of attacks on The Fellowship Expedition. Despite the crew splitting into two teams for promotions and separating the two actors, their connection continued to make headlines.
Speculation such as "guilty conscience" and "protesting too much" dominated discussions over the weekend. Some purists even decided to boycott The Fellowship Expedition entirely.
Public opinion shapes audiences, even when it comes from tabloids. The more famous the individuals involved, the more attention their stories attract. For example, Billy Boyd and Ian McKellen—how many people cared about their alleged "grandfather-grandson romance" before The Fellowship Expedition premiered?
Similarly, no one would pay attention to Jessica Alba if The Fast and the Furious hadn't exploded at the box office on its first day and earned $13.81 million on its second day.
The success of The Fast and the Furious was reshaping Jessica Alba's career. Her sunny, sexy, sweet, and healthy image perfectly aligned with her character's traits, making her far more popular than the other female lead Duke couldn't recall.
Fame, however, brings media scrutiny.
Generally speaking, scandals involving drug use or promiscuity don't harm an actor's films. However, more severe issues like racism or incestuous relationships—such as those involving Mel Gibson, Morgan Freeman, or Angelina Jolie—can noticeably impact a film's success.
Jessica Alba's case falls somewhere in between, but STDs are universally stigmatized.
Furthermore, her film character exudes health and sunshine, yet her personal life involves such a scandal...
For Warner Bros., confirming this issue discreetly wouldn't be difficult.
With The Fast and the Furious dominating theaters and Jessica Alba in the media spotlight, Warner Bros. wouldn't need to do much. Simply spreading these rumors widely would prompt the sharp-eyed media to pick up the story.
That very evening, TMZ, Warner Bros.' gossip website, published an anonymous post revealing Jessica Alba's alleged STD diagnosis after visiting a gynecologist. Attached were her medical center's lab results and prescriptions, solidifying the claim.
By the next morning, print media followed suit. Headlines flooded the entertainment sections, particularly in tabloids, pushing the rising star into the spotlight.
"Jessica Alba Caught at Gynecologist—Confirmed STD Diagnosis..."
"Sunshine Girl Jessica Alba's Chaotic Private Life Leads to Severe Herpes Diagnosis, Damaging Her Reputation and Image."
The public loves seeing celebrities stumble or watching their reputations crumble—it's part of the entertainment.
Soon, the media bribed Jessica Alba's assistant, who immediately became her former assistant and publicly spilled even more details, further corroborating the scandal.
Not just the media, but online platforms also erupted with anti-Jessica Alba sentiment. Unlike the baseless accusations surrounding Billy Boyd and Ian McKellen's so-called "grandfather-grandson romance," the evidence against Jessica Alba was undeniable.
"Jessica Alba is a promiscuous, diseased slut..."
"Good thing I never hooked up with Jessica Alba—what a relief!"
Christopher Rokenkort read these comments with a dark expression, seemingly ready to erupt like a volcano but holding it in.