When Luke saw the Chicago Post article, his brow furrowed.
He immediately recognized the lethal damage of this kind of manipulative public narrative.
The issue stemmed from Depp's reputation. It was true that many male crew members on the Pirates of the Caribbean set were involved in the "rent-a-wife" scandal.
So, public discussion quickly zeroed in on whether Luke was part of it too.
If the gossip had stayed on that topic, Luke wouldn't have bothered clarifying.
Some things you just can't explain—the more you try, the deeper you sink.
It's like cutting open your stomach to prove how many bowls of noodles you ate. The public just wants drama, not truth.
Hollywood—or the broader Western world—has wildly different expectations for celebrities compared to back home.
In Asian , a confirmed scandal could get an artist soft-banned.
But in the West? Private morals barely matter.
Take Depp's messy personal life. Some might look down on him, but it's not a big deal.
In fact, plenty of people see it as proof of his charm, reinforcing his carefree, bad-boy image. It might even make him more popular!
It's kind of surreal.
So, Depp doesn't sweat the tabloid gossip. His bad-boy persona is rock-solid, immune to collapse.
If the chatter about Luke had stayed limited to baseless rumors, he'd have ignored it too.
But now, the narrative was shifting.
There was clearly a mastermind steering the conversation.
"Hypocrite? Luke Caught in the Rent-a-Wife Scandal"?
That article was downright vicious, like a snake baring its deadly fangs.
In the West, a messy personal life isn't a dealbreaker, but being a two-faced hypocrite? That's unforgivable.
Nobody likes a guy who says one thing and does another.
The article spent most of its length painting Luke as a devoted boyfriend, deeply in love.
Then, halfway through, it flipped the script, questioning whether his devotion was just an act.
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It was obvious the piece was trying to brand Luke as a hypocrite.
Luke had never claimed to be some devoted, romantic guy.
For one, that wasn't him. For another, that kind of persona is a death trap.
If he had to pick a persona, it'd be "invincible" or "powerful."
No way that could collapse!
But now, someone was trying to pin a "good guy" image on him just to tear it down.
This cheap trick is supposed to take me out?
Who do they think they're messing with?
Luke shook his head in disdain and pulled out his phone to call Mr. Eisen…
…
…
Soon, a video popped up online:
"The Women in Luke's Life Over the Years!"
The explosive title instantly grabbed the internet's attention.
When people clicked, the first thing they saw was a steamy scene between Luke and Zhang Ziyu.
It was clearly a clip from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Not everyone had seen the movie, and even those who had didn't mind a second look.
As the clip played, the top-right corner displayed the name of the woman Luke was getting cozy with: Zhang Ziyu.
Next to it, a bold Arabic numeral: 1.
Then the scene switched, showing multiple kiss scenes between Luke and Annie.
The editing was flawless, smoothly stringing together every kiss.
In the top-right corner: Annie's name and a big number 2.
Next up, number 3: Gao Yuanyuan.
A passionate scene between Luke and Gao Yuanyuan from Hero.
Then number 4: Yuffie.
A kiss scene from who-knows-where.
Followed by number 5: Yui Aragaki.
Luke with his arm around Yui, strolling affectionately through a bustling street. This clip came from a shoot in Japan with GAKKI for a GG ad.
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The audience didn't care where it came from—they were eating it up!
Finally, number 6: Taylor Swift.
This last clip was different.
It showed Luke as a quarterback, sprinting across a football field to clinch a game-winning victory.
Taylor rushed into his arms, and they shared a passionate kiss.
Paired with the scene was a smooth, catchy tune from her upcoming single, You Belong With Me.
The video exploded online, racking up over six million views, a million-plus likes, and more than 80,000 comments in just three days.
"So Luke's been cozy with this many gorgeous women? That's more like it! A guy like him's gotta spread the love!"
"Exactly! A few days ago, someone tried to paint him as a devoted romantic. What a joke!"
"Luke's taste… unreal. Every single one's a knockout. Damn, I'm jealous!"
"Didn't you notice? All the women he's with are tall. Dude's totally into long legs!"
"Your focus is wild, but you're not wrong!"
"With all these women, can Luke even keep up?"
"If Luke can't handle it, who can? Have you seen his stamina? No question there."
"I'm not jealous, but muscles don't mean he's strong there. Look at me—all flab, but every woman's been happy!"
"Keep telling yourself that, buddy. Fool others, not yourself!"
"Most of these are just scenes from movies, right? Doesn't prove he's a player."
Some comments were rational, but they drowned in the sea of gossip. People were here for the drama, not the truth!
"What's that last song? It's so good! Where can I hear the full version?"
Plenty of people noticed Taylor's song, its catchy melody giving it an edge.
"It's been years, and only these women? Step it up, man! Can't you take a page from Jackie Chan's book?"
Most comments were just stirring the pot for fun.
Overall, the public narrative flipped fast.
Everyone was buzzing about Luke's romantic escapades, and nobody was calling him a "devoted good guy" anymore.
With this video out there, trying to pin a "good guy" label on Luke?
The public was too busy envying his love life, and his image was quietly shifting toward that of a charming playboy.
But Luke's playboy vibe was different from Depp's.
Depp's bad-boy rep made people think women ended up heartbroken after him.
Luke, somehow, became the "jackpot" type—people figured any woman who got with him, even if it ended, came out ahead!