Hollywood What If Chapter 405
Reese Witherspoon was an actress who had been steadily gaining popularity lately. For actors and actresses, it was difficult to maintain fame in Hollywood due to the intense competition. Showbiz was a brutal industry where people constantly came and went.
She hadn't had any connections in the industry when she started. She was just a young woman who dreamed of reaching stardom. She had worked as a waitress in Los Angeles while searching for film roles to work.
Her status was modest compared to other actresses who came from well-connected Hollywood families. She was not like Angelina Jolie or Drew Barrymore, who both came from celebrity lineages.
Then, in September 1994, Reese met a director who was in his mid-twenties. The director was serious and mature for his age. He possessed remarkable patience, especially considering Reese's dozens of NGs on set.
His passion for filmmaking was genuine. Perhaps that was the reason Reese fell in love with the director.
She was grateful for the things the director had done for her. Kazir Grey was one of the main reasons she had reached her current standing.
She had no regrets about meeting him. She had no regrets about falling in love with him. She also had no regrets about moving on and taking the steps needed to heal her broken heart. The memories she created with Kazir were a blessing.
This blessing of a man was something she never wanted to forget. One of her sweetest memories.
And now, Kazir was facing a scandal that could damage his career. The media had begun painting Kazir as a predator.
Knowing the director, Reese could say without hesitation that the allegations were untrue.
In the grim, dark world of Hollywood, Kazir was one of the few people who still preserved his humanity. He hadn't sold his soul to demons.
She clearly understood that the media was spreading false information simply to destroy Kazir. After all, who cared whether the news was true? As long as the gossip was interesting, people would consume it.
A famous director who had created one blockbuster after another was now being persecuted as a predator.
His immense talent had become his greatest vulnerability.
......
...
...
Reese was walking down the streets of New York to attend a fashion show. She was one of the ambassadors of the clothing brand and was scheduled to walk the runway. In a way, she was practicing her walk and strut on the sidewalk to attract attention… If this had been around 2020, the streets of New York probably wouldn't have been the right place to do so, as New York would be considered a dangerous city around that year.
Regardless, Reese was practicing for a reason, not caring about the people glancing at her. That was her intention anyway: to draw attention. This was the job of a model, to draw attention as they strutted on the runway.
While doing so, Reese noticed from the corner of her eye two people approaching her. One of them was holding a camera.
"Tch…"
Reese was no stranger to this. She immediately recognized that these two people were paparazzi.
Reporters and paparazzi might technically share the same profession, but the first was generally respected, while the latter was not.
Reporters typically worked for news agencies and maintained some level of professional reputation. However, some reporters resorted to contemptible tactics such as stalking and fabricating allegations.
If reporters retained a shred of dignity, paparazzi had none at all. The word 'paparazzi' was universally disliked by celebrities. Celebrities could never like paparazzi, as most of them were stalkers who invaded their privacy just to obtain juicy stories.
Without hesitation, the cameraman pointed his camera at Reese.
Reese showed no outward sign of disgust. She was an actress, after all. Though deep inside, she wanted to slap the two of them.
Fortunately, it didn't take long for her bodyguard to step in and block them.
"Miss Witherspoon, can we ask you about Director Grey? Is it true that Director Grey forced himself on you in exchange for a role in Napoleon Dynamite?!"
"Hah!"
Reese let out a snort she couldn't control. That was the most ridiculous thing she had heard all day. Kazir was never forceful… In fact, Kazir had actually declined Reese's advances twice before their relationship ever blossomed.
To Reese, those memories were beautiful. She couldn't stand that these two people were trying to smear the wonderful moments she had shared with Kazir.
She shot them a fierce glare.
Most of the time, she would avoid engaging with these pests and simply walk away quietly. But not today. Today, she was angry.
"What you're claiming never happened. Kazir is a good man, and he never did that to me. The fact that this kind of false information is spreading just shows how idiotic the media is. I will sue your company if you try to twist my words."
She quickly walked away after that, biting her lip in frustration as she entered her car. Her mood had plummeted.
As for the two reporters, they looked at each other.
"Is that enough?"
"Yeah, she said Kazir's innocent, so I think we're good."
"Did we really have to provoke her? Why didn't we just send a formal request for an interview to her team?"
"We had to capture her genuine emotions. Did you see her reaction just now?"
"Yeah, I got goosebumps when she glared at me."
"That explains it."
The two reporters were actually from 20th Century Fox. Kazir was an important asset to the company, and they couldn't allow the director to sink under these accusations.
Since the allegations revolved around Kazir allegedly exploiting actresses, why not go straight to the actresses who had worked with him over the past decade to uncover the truth?
.......
.....
...
That day, news about the actresses who had worked with Kazir was circulated by Sony-Columbia, Warner Brothers, and 20th Century Fox. To help clear Kazir's name, they decided to interview and question every actress who had collaborated with Kazir over the past ten years.