In 2005, when TMZ was founded, it was met with disdain in Hollywood. The reason was simple: paparazzi had always been looked down upon. The abbreviation "TMZ" stood for the "thirty-mile zone", specifically referring to the greater Los Angeles area, and its intent was clear.
But in Hollywood, where the spotlight always shone, and entertainment reigned supreme, no one could deny that gossip was one of the most vital elements. Whether within the industry or outside it, gossip slowly bred, intermingling between glances, banter, and chance encounters. As a result, TMZ's position in the industry grew increasingly important, and with their exclusive coverage of Michael Jackson's sudden death in 2009, this website that thrived on explosive entertainment news officially became the leader of all American entertainment websites.
Even those within the industry had to acknowledge TMZ's status.
Though TMZ primarily focused on sensational news, exposing internal affairs, and spreading rumors and gossip, their news sources were extensive and reliable. Reports from TMZ often carried a credibility rate of over eighty percent. By 2017, one of the standards people used to discern the truth of gossip was whether TMZ had reported it.
This showed just how influential TMZ had become in the industry.
Jasmin Francis walked over to her desk with a cup of coffee, turned on her computer, and, as was her routine, opened several major websites. She then organized the newspapers and magazines on her desk. Every morning, her first task was to browse the news from various media outlets, collect news about Morgan Fisher's artists, and gather any sensational breaking news.
Compared to other times, this was when Jasmin was most relaxed. Morgan hadn't arrived for work yet, and this moment was entirely her own. She only needed to interact with her computer, newspapers, and magazines.
She dropped two sugar cubes into her coffee, stirred it lightly with her left hand, and let the aroma of the coffee waft through the air. Then, she used her mouse to open those webpages, enjoying a moment of leisure in the morning. Out of habit, she visited TMZ's official website. The headline on the front page, written in large letters, caught her eye.
"Chris Hemsworth's Successful Audition Secret: "Borrowing" Roommate's Script."
"Pfft!" Before she could even sip her coffee, her lips accidentally brushed against the rim of the cup, scalding her. Jasmin quickly moved the cup away, narrowly avoiding spilling coffee on her keyboard. She was flustered for a moment, but her eyes were fixed on the computer screen, reading and re-reading.
The deep black letters were striking and piercing. She even spelled out each letter of "Chris Hemsworth's" name. Jasmin's face turned ghostly pale for an instant, but she forced herself to stay composed. She rapidly moved her mouse, reading the entire article.
This wasn't difficult because the entire news article was less than three hundred words—concise, precise, and every word significant.
TMZ claimed to have unearthed highly confidential information from Paramount. In the fierce competition for the role of "Thor", Chris's secret to success lay in the script. Before his audition, Chris had evidently read the script thoroughly, gaining a comprehensive understanding and insight into the character's image. He had crafted a perfect Thor that perfectly aligned with the creators' vision.
Indeed, Chris had secured the role based on his own talent, but without the script, everything afterward would have been impossible. So, where did Chris's script come from? Because before this, Chris hadn't been able to obtain a script. According to internal leaks, this script belonged to Renly.
Initially, "Thor" had indeed extended an invitation to Renly, and under Kenneth's guidance, they even provided Renly with the script. Unfortunately, Renly had shown no interest and didn't come for an audition. Not long after, Chris, with an absolute show of strength, surpassed all other contenders and successfully secured the role.
In the final paragraph of the article, TMZ continued its tradition of saving the most explosive news for last: "According to insiders, Chris "borrowed" Renly's script, but Renly had no knowledge of this."
Boom!
At this moment, readers finally understood the meaning behind the quotes around the word "borrowed" in the news headline. Borrowing without consent, borrowing without notifying the owner—what could this behavior be defined as? Legally, it had a clear explanation: theft.
So, was this news true? What did Chris say? What did Renly say? What about Paramount? Were TMZ's sources reliable? Accurate? Was this the whole story, or were there other hidden secrets?
On this, TMZ didn't provide any further analysis or speculation. The leak seemed to stop here, leaving countless unanswered questions and presenting a "to be continued" posture, igniting curiosity in readers.
But Jasmin knew that TMZ didn't need to say more; leaving readers with suspense would only fuel their curiosity. Readers didn't need to exert themselves; all they had to do was search for related news from the past week on Google.
Chris had adamantly stated that he and Renly had never discussed the audition. He also insisted that Renly hadn't offered any assistance. Chris maintained that he had secured the role purely through his own efforts.
These were Chris's own words, as published.
In other words, Chris himself had denied the possibility of Renly lending or gifting him the script. So, what should readers think?
Facts spoke louder than words; this was where TMZ excelled the most, increasing the credibility of this exposé.
Los Angeles was experiencing a high of twenty-seven degrees Celsius today, even though it was only early April, making it feel like summer had arrived early. But Jasmin felt like she was in an icehouse, shivering uncontrollably, with her entire back soaked in sweat.
The worst-case scenario had finally come to pass.
Taking a deep breath, Jasmin tried repeatedly to calm herself down through slow, deep breaths, but her mind remained in chaos, making it impossible to think clearly.
One moment she thought about yesterday's news about the rumored discord between Renly and Chris, then she thought about how the news of Chris stealing the script was probably impossible to hide, and the right time had come—Renly only needed to confirm it, and there would be no chance to overturn it. Then she thought about Chris's confident demeanor in front of the media the day before, implying that Renly had been acting high and mighty, refusing to contact him for half a year. Then she thought about Paramount Pictures' fury, fearing that the entire "Thor" publicity team was going insane right now...
Countless thoughts began to churn, making it impossible to make sense of it all. "Mr. Fisher!" Jasmin finally grasped a lifeline and immediately picked up the phone, dialing Morgan's mobile. The phone rang only twice before Fisher's voice came through. "Fisher." A concise and clear introduction of herself, without any unnecessary embellishments, showcasing her firm stance.
"Mr. Fisher, something's happened." Jasmin felt threads unraveling in her mind, not knowing where to start. "TMZ has exposed Chris's situation, and then there's Renly's script."
"Jasmin!" Morgan's voice, steady and commanding, sounded like a thunderclap, leaving Jasmin momentarily stunned. Her words halted abruptly, and in her anxiety, she let out a hiccup, her face filled with fear and apprehension. "What happened? You better clear your thoughts or you'll be wasting my time."
The no-nonsense style, as always.
In her shock, Jasmin finally managed to calm down and provided a detailed description of TMZ's report. On the other end of the phone, there was a silence, a long silence that made Jasmin even more anxious. "What should we do now?"
Morgan's brain, too, momentarily seized up. It was like a chess game, and the players weren't just two people; it wasn't just Chris and Renly, nor was it just him and Renly. There was also the media, Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, and Andy Rogers standing behind Renly.
He had predicted Renly's next move but hadn't foreseen the paparazzi's next move.
Morgan was no outsider; he knew well that there were no secrets in Hollywood, and every secret had its day in the sun. But what he hadn't anticipated was how quickly the paparazzi had acted, how impatient the leaker had been, and, most importantly, how Paramount Pictures had slipped up internally.
In the past year, every day had been an opportunity to leak, especially during the initial publicity phase of "Thor". Renly had just received an Oscar nomination and was in the spotlight; it was the perfect time for a leak, and the world was watching. But those in the know had chosen to keep their mouths shut. Morgan had naively thought that only the top brass knew, and the underlings were in the dark. This meant that the secret was safe for the time being.
Because, compared to Chris, it was Paramount Pictures that would least like to see negative news. "Thor" wasn't just a movie; it directly affected Paramount's overall strategy for this summer's box office!
He guessed that Renly's next move, but he didn't anticipate the paparazzi's next move.
However, now, what use was there in investigating these matters? TMZ had already exposed it, and the paparazzi had picked up on the news. The situation had spiraled out of control, and their task wasn't to assign blame but to solve the problem.
But how could they solve it?
Morgan's temples began to ache. He took a deep breath, regaining his composure. "After you hang up, go through all the news from that day, I mean all of it, including the tabloids. Then search for keywords and see how much TMZ's news has been shared and how far it has spread, both in the United States and internationally...," there were too many things to consider, far too many, "Well, let's leave it at that for now. I'll be at the office in twenty minutes."
With that, Morgan hung up the phone. Even without seeing him, she knew that the media was going wild, and the world was in chaos. Looking at the tall palm trees and the golden sunlight outside her window, it was an open expanse. Perhaps this was the biggest crisis of her career, but she would never surrender.
The whole of North America was exploding! No one was exempt. This was undoubtedly the most explosive news since 2011, eclipsing even the stunt double scandal.