[Chapter 287: Anger - Anger with No Outlet, What to Do When It's About to Explode]
Michael Ovitz instructed his assistant to contact the paparazzi. He wanted to hand over the numerous rumors they had gathered about Link to the media. The plan was to use the media to hype Link's rumored affairs with various female stars, portraying him as a man with an incredibly chaotic and extravagant private life.
The information collected by the paparazzi indicated that more than thirty of Hollywood's leading ladies had been intimately involved with Link, including celebrity names like Monica Bellucci, Jennifer Connelly, Jennifer Aniston, Renee Zellweger, Sandra Bullock, and Brooke Shields.
When Michael Ovitz saw this information, jealousy flared in his eyes, and the veins in his forehead bulged. As president of CAA, a multi-millionaire, it wasn't easy for someone like him to attract these women, and managing such a number of savvy and complicated women simultaneously was even more challenging.
Yet Link had not only managed to date these stars but also got them to coexist peaceably, even vacationing together in Hawaii. This sheer disparity infuriated Michael Ovitz. They were both men, both rich -- how did Link become so popular?
...
"Damn it, Link, don't get too cocky. Your good days are numbered," Michael muttered under his breath.
"Sir, the publicity department called asking if all of this should be released. Some of these actresses are our clients," his assistant asked as he walked into the office.
"Release it! All of it! I warned them not to get too close to Link, but they didn't listen. They shouldn't blame me for this indiscriminate attack," Michael Ovitz waved his hand angrily.
The list included Judie Foster, Michelle Pfeiffer, Julianne Moore, Madonna, and Angelina Jolie -- all clients of CAA. Since that wager in 1993, everyone in the industry knew his relationship with Link was strained. He had publicly stated multiple times that he wanted his clients to steer clear of Guess Pictures.
Yet these women treated his words as mere noise and continued to associate with Link. This showed that in his battle against Link, these women had betrayed him and chosen to side with Link. The thought of it only fueled Michael's anger, and he was eager to retaliate against these women.
...
Shortly after the assistant left, CAA Vice President Jay Moloney arrived at the office to discuss the potential fallout from using scandals to promote negative news about Link. He urged Michael to reconsider. After all, several key CAA clients were involved in this information, including Judie Foster and Michelle Pfeiffer.
With Judie Foster and the others currently in their prime, their fees and popularity were steadily rising. Any scandal concerning them would undoubtedly affect their careers and income. Moreover, according to contracts with clients, CAA's PR department had an obligation to help refute rumors.
Using media for defamation essentially meant spending CAA's own money. This method served only to harm their own interests, which Jay Moloney couldn't support.
Michael Ovitz's temper flared at Jay's objections, and he was aware that this guy had also been close with Link. Jay Moloney's sudden opposition to the plan felt like a betrayal.
"Jay, I have to remind you that the president of CAA is Michael Ovitz, not you. I decide how we proceed with this, and I don't require your approval," he shouted, pounding the desk.
Jay stepped back a little to avoid Michael's spit. "Michael, I know you are the president and founder of CAA. That's precisely why I'm here talking you out of this decision.
On one hand, it's impractical; on the other, we had a rough year and our resources have shrunk considerably. Internally, competition is intensifying and many of our clients are eyeing other agencies.
In the meantime, firms like WMA, UTA, and ICM are waiting to snatch up our talent. If we were to publicly push our own clients into controversy right now, what would they think? If Judie Foster and others became unhappy and departed for competing agencies, we would suffer even greater losses.
Michael, you're the best agent in the world, highly regarded for prioritizing client satisfaction, so I don't understand what's happening to you now."
Michael's expression shifted at Jay's words. Jay was right; he had once been a renowned agent, valuing his client's opinions deeply. Back when CAA was still becoming a powerhouse in Hollywood, he had accompanied Paul Newman at the park for bumper car rides to sign him.
He had taken Dustin Hoffman to the hot springs and even set him up with a few married women. Then there was Tom Cruise, Martin Scorsese, and Sean Connery -- all of them had been signed under CAA through his genuine efforts, transforming CAA into one of Hollywood's most powerful agencies.
But at some point, he had stopped caring about his clients' feelings and needs, and CAA had not attracted new major names since last year. Instead, they had lost several important clients, including Richard Gere, Robert Downey Jr., Dustin Hoffman, Keanu Reeves, and Sandra Bullock.
With CAA in its current state, it could not afford further disturbances; continuing these antics could leave them vulnerable to their competitors. Michael Ovitz furrowed his brow tightly, his hatred for Link escalating. If it weren't for Link, CAA wouldn't be in its current predicament.
"Fine, we won't expose our female clients for now," he reluctantly agreed.
"Also, it's best to avoid Sofia's name; Director Coppola won't be happy to hear about any scandals involving his daughter," Jay added.
"Damn it! If he can't control his daughter from running around with Link, what's it to him? He needs to manage his own family," Michael replied, contempt in his voice.
"Maybe he just can't," responded Jay.
"Humph! Then let's drop Sofia from the list."
Michael did not wish to escalate matters with Francis Ford Coppola.
"And we've got Jennifer Aniston. We're vying for her to join us, and if she gets hit with negative news now, it'll push her straight to a rival agency. Plus, she stars in Friends, which is a hit show on NBC, and they won't want to see that kind of news either."
NBC's parent company was General Electric, a major player with stakes in various media groups and CAA.
Michael gritted his teeth. "Remove her too! Damn it, I can't understand what makes that guy Link so appealing. What charm does he possess? Why are all these women, knowing he's just a playboy, still getting involved with him? Are there no better men in the world than Link?"
Jay didn't respond, continuing to browse through his documents.
"Damn it! What else are you looking for? Don't tell me there are still people we can't expose." Michael shouted, frustration evident on his face.
After removing those few women from the list, they had cut down the number of actresses to half. With those negative reports, any potential attack on Link would be halved. It was like he was preparing to deliver a punch to Link and now could only throw a half-hearted jab.
That retraction felt like a severe blow to him.
"No more!" Jay Moloney noticed Michael's grim expression and decided to excuse himself.
"Wait!" Michael stared at him. "Jay, you were personally hired by me at CAA, and I believed in you. I know you were close with Link, but for now, let's wrap it up. He's currently under pressure from major studios, and Guess Pictures won't last much longer. Continuing to maintain ties with him won't benefit you."
"Michael, you've misunderstood. My associations with Link primarily revolve around work. He's the head of Guess Pictures, the most commercially valuable director around, and I engage with him to help my clients access resources, not for personal reasons. This won't affect my professionalism," Jay explained.
"You better keep your word," Michael said darkly.
"I will," Jay assured as he took his folder and stepped out.
With a loud slam, Michael slammed his hand down on the desk as he watched Jay's figure disappear through the door.
...
Jay's justification for his relationship with Link, claiming it was purely for resources rather than personal ties, whether it was genuine or not, made a stance clear: he wouldn't sever ties with Link over this incident. Jay's dismissal of Michael's proposal was nothing less than disrespectful.
Michael Ovitz wanted nothing more than to fire this guy, but he couldn't afford to do that. At some point, Jay had garnered the support of board members and key clients, making him one of CAA's influential figures.
If Michael attempted to forcefully expel him, the repercussions would undoubtedly cause upheaval within CAA and diminish his control over the agency.
Thinking through his options, Michael determined to temporarily tolerate Jay. Once he took down Link and Guess Pictures, he would have time to address the workings of CAA and eliminate troublemakers like Jay, reclaiming his authority within the company.
After Jay left, Michael Ovitz ordered the PR team to expedite the delivery of all related materials to the media without giving in to any objections. He could hardly wait to see Link's furious reaction.
*****
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