Another project related to Gilbert was I Am Legend. Will Smith was originally invited, but that went wrong.
Brad Pitt politely declined the film, so Nicholas Cage, representing the Italian faction, stepped up and took the lead role.
Actually, this was good news for Nicholas Cage. Although he still maintained his A-list status, he had been showing signs of becoming the king of bad films in recent years, having starred in quite a few flops.
At the moment, his only notable project was National Treasure 2; beyond that, there was little to pay attention to.
So taking I Am Legend was a positive move for Cage—if the film performed well, it could further solidify his position.
Filming had already been underway for over half a month. Before the crew moved to New York, Gilbert met with Cage.
Nicholas Cage was his usual self: "I heard you ran into some trouble?"
Gilbert smiled: "I don't see it as trouble. I actually see it as an opportunity. Maybe we, the Italian faction, can dominate Hollywood and restore the glory of the last century."
Back in the last century, the Italian faction carried significant weight in Hollywood—from behind the scenes to the front, from directors to actors. But as figures like Francis Ford Coppola retired, the faction gradually declined.
Although Gilbert was also a representative of the Italian faction, he had never led the Italian faction's development in Hollywood.
Now, the situation was different. Gilbert needed to unite the Italian faction's strength to help himself counter others.
Moreover, Gilbert was also a squid faction member. How many supporters he had there remained unknown. During his few days in Los Angeles, Gilbert publicly attended several fundraising galas for the Free Squids, which was rare for him.
At these events, he made a high-profile donation of $15 million, shocking the audience.
Although the Free Squids weren't as powerful as the other faction, many political and business figures were among them.
Gilbert later spoke with several organizers. They were outraged that Gilbert was being unfairly targeted and expressed willingness to help.
Of course, assistance required compensation, so Gilbert promised to provide the organization with no less than $10 million annually, with potential increases depending on circumstances.
This money was primarily for lobbying groups. Where were the Squids strongest? Beyond media influence, their strength lay in lobbying.
However, the opposing faction's lobbying groups were far stronger, so Gilbert needed to support his side and begin lobbying in Washington.
Not to rely on Washington to fight for him, but at least he wouldn't have to fight life-and-death battles in Hollywood and Wall Street, where these old lords might suddenly stab him in the back.
For the past two years, the Red Faction had been in power, so the situation for Gilbert was relatively favorable.
News of Gilbert's donation seemed to send a strong signal that he would not sit idly by.
This appeared to anger the opposition. After Gilbert returned to Toronto, Jada Smith, accompanied by her friend, staged a victimized demeanor during an interview with a limited cable news network.
In the interview, Jada Smith claimed that during the filming of the Matrix series, Gilbert had violated her while she was changing in a trailer.
The moment this news broke, it shocked the entire United States. Various media outlets and newspapers immediately reported on it, and netizens online exploded with discussion.
Suddenly, criticism of Gilbert dominated the discourse. Countless self-proclaimed Gilbert fans expressed disappointment and demanded severe punishment.
Real Gilbert fans initially felt disappointed but then suspicious. After all, Jada Smith was unattractive—would Gilbert really be interested in her?
Indeed, the social media powerhouse Fruit Company immediately guided online public opinion, having prepared for this in advance.
Thus, although trolls and online provocateurs fueled the story, regular internet users were influenced more by Gilbert's fan-driven forces and began questioning Jada Smith's claims.
However, even in today's internet age, there were still many people offline.
These individuals were still influenced by traditional media, and their impression of Gilbert plummeted.
It is well known that Hollywood's glamorous facade often hides a filthy reality. In many cases, film promotion involves both sides exploiting scandals to provoke audience disgust.
Yet scandals of this magnitude were no longer shocking to the public. But if a situation like Michael Jackson's collective targeting occurred, the effect would be tenfold or even a hundredfold.
When all media attack you, even loyal fans hesitate to speak and may start doubting whether the accusations are true.
Compared to Michael Jackson, Gilbert's situation was better: he was part of the Squid faction, and it was now the internet era.
The opposition could not gain an advantage online, and Gilbert's reputation remained relatively secure. At the media level, the donation to the Free Squids proved effective.
A dozen media outlets belonging to the Free Squids immediately came forward, expressing skepticism about the allegations.
Although major newspapers like The New York Times and The Washington Post began aggressively reporting and criticizing Gilbert, the Los Angeles Times, also partially owned by Gilbert, defended him.
There was an interesting story behind the Los Angeles Times. Originally, the editors had intended to stay in tacit agreement with The New York Times. Suddenly, the editor-in-chief received a call revealing that Gilbert was the largest shareholder of the Los Angeles Times.
The editor-in-chief immediately changed course, instructing the staff to support Gilbert. Several editors who resisted were promptly fired.
Who pays the salary matters, right? Loyalty comes with a paycheck.
The editor-in-chief also announced good news: Gilbert had decided to award bonuses to editors based on their performance.
The editors cheered and eagerly prepared to join the battle.
However, the first to voice support was the Los Angeles Business Journal. From an aesthetic perspective, they expressed doubt about Jada Smith, stating that it was impossible for Gilbert.
This reasoning was quickly challenged by other media outlets, with some suggesting that perhaps Gilbert had eaten too many delicacies and just wanted to try some wild vegetables.
Good heavens—Mrs. Smith, a prominent figure, was being likened to wild vegetables. One could only wonder how she felt about that.
Yet, this argument lacked the force of a discrimination claim. Soon, Jada Smith's lawyers issued a legal notice to the Los Angeles Business Journal, warning that they were committing discrimination and reserving the right to pursue legal action.
Gilbert was no longer alone; others knew how to wield a legal notice as well.
And while discrimination existed, it was indeed a forbidden topic for public and media discussion. Originally, the claim was that Jada Smith was unattractive—now it had escalated to racial discrimination against her.
This tactic of shifting the focus was skillfully executed, a maneuver frequently used by Hollywood's African-American community.
Subsequently, Will Smith stepped forward, stating that he had retained lawyers and would file a lawsuit in New York to take Gilbert to court.
Mel Gibson also came forward to revisit the old case, claiming he was innocent and that Gilbert had framed him, insisting that it was Gilbert who orchestrated the setup.
The situation seemed to turn strongly against Gilbert. If it continued this way, he might have to face the courtroom.
Regardless of the truth, his reputation would suffer a significant blow.
It seemed Gilbert had little ability to resist. Although many supported him, in the face of the overwhelming threat of discrimination claims and false accusations, their support seemed insufficient.
At this critical moment, Charlize Theron suddenly agreed to interviews with the Los Angeles Times and ABC.
Originally, Robert Iger had not wanted to get involved, but Gilbert contacted him unexpectedly, discussing matters concerning Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm.
Iger was intrigued and allowed ABC to participate in this media conflict, officially claiming neutrality.
During the interview, Charlize Theron harshly criticized Jada Smith, calling her shameless.
This successfully shifted the focus from whether Gilbert had committed any offense to whether he could even be interested in Jada Smith.
Indeed, when the public saw the confident and stunning Charlize Theron stepping forward, their doubts grew stronger.
Most importantly, Gilbert's companions were all extraordinarily beautiful, making it clear what his aesthetic preferences were.
Could a man like him possibly be attracted to the short, unattractive Jada Smith?
To be blunt, Will Smith probably had to compromise, possibly even closing his eyes to get by with Jada Smith.
At this point, the situation became highly interesting. Any pending accusations lost momentum; without substantive evidence, people began to doubt Jada Smith's claims.
Contrary to expectations, this left Jada Smith a bit unsettled.
More crucially, this was far from the end.
If things went awry, not only could she be excluded from the club, but she might even be silenced—literally.
At the same time, the Smiths realized that Gilbert becoming a major Hollywood director in his twenties wasn't just a matter of luck or connections.
He was not someone to be underestimated.
...
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