In the face of this dramatically different turn of events, readers and viewers were a bit confused, unsure whose side to take. Those who watched Laila's video found themselves unconsciously siding with Downey if they were Laila's video viewers. On the other hand, those who had read other reports felt that Downey indeed had the despicable character the media portrayed.
One point against Downey was his past record, involving a history of prohibited substances and his prison sentence, which cast a shadow on his credibility. Reports against him focused on this aspect, leading readers to doubt his character and unconsciously view the incident from a biased perspective.
Laila's opponents extended beyond news media and film production companies discreetly supporting Downey; there was also the behind-the-scenes puppet master she had always known about but couldn't trace—Faaris.
With such a golden opportunity, Faaris wouldn't waste it. When Cooper informed him of the situation and explained the potential consequences, he immediately decided to capitalize on her misfortune.
Backed by Faaris's finances, some media outlets that were initially supportive of Laila immediately changed their stance. Larger media organizations approached the matter more delicately, questioning the situation less directly to avoid repercussions if the truth were to come out later.
However, tabloids became more audacious, throwing dirt to earn substantial sums of money. They completely shifted their narrative overnight, targeting Laila, Downey, and the upcoming "Iron Man" movie.
Faaris, being wealthy, was willing to spend money on this campaign. The widespread influence resulted in an abrupt shift from a balanced view to a situation where Laila became the targeted party.
In retrospect, Laila's decision to expose the incident early and interpret it from their perspective seemed wise. If she had let other media outlets reveal the incident, those eager for sensationalism would undoubtedly have steered the narrative in the most attention-grabbing direction. Downey wouldn't have had a chance to prove his innocence by the time the truth came out.
By preemptively releasing the video, with a time gap, most of those who watched it ended up siding with Downey.
This was partly due to the emphasis on Cole's drugging action and his attempt to shift blame to Downey after falling. To many, someone who shamelessly blamed Downey for an incident where he clearly fell and declared that breaking two legs might be forgiven, was not a person of good character. Such an individual with questionable morals could indeed resort to despicable acts like drugging a beautiful girl.
Laila closely monitored the online sentiment. When she saw someone making such comments, she immediately issued several commands.
The most crucial one was instructing her online army to divert everyone's attention to the blurred individual. Blurring Cole was intentional, not just for the sake of privacy but also to create a sense of mystery.
Mysterious things tend to pique people's curiosity, and letting others discover Cole's identity on their own would have a more significant impact than exposing him initially. It was another form of "thirst marketing."
As expected, with the guidance of her dedicated online army, many people began to focus on the blurred man and speculate about his identity.
Some recognized the bar as a popular spot for celebrities, with sophisticated decor and occasional performances. The beautiful girls who frequented the place usually had ulterior motives, such as wanting to get to know a celebrity and perhaps land a small role.
Usually, such consensual encounters weren't a big deal, especially if they didn't involve major roles. Those with some influence within the film industry could easily handle such situations.
After someone disclosed this information, people started speculating that the blurred man was likely not an ordinary person, perhaps even a celebrity or someone wealthy.
Amid speculation, someone managed to uncover Cole's true identity. It wasn't through obtaining the original surveillance video but by somehow accessing the police records related to the case. When they saw the name Cole West, was there anyone who didn't recognize the blurred person?
With Cole's name exposed, public opinion began to shift once again.
Indeed, Downey had a dark past—periods of debauchery, substance abuse, brawls, and a series of reckless actions that resulted in the loss of his son and wife.
However, compared to Cole, people began to think that Downey wasn't so bad after all and could be redeemed. Since joining Laila's company, Downey has achieved visible success. Laila had been subtly using the media to improve his image, and his reputation had significantly improved over the past few years.
As for Cole, he was now a certified super VIP scandal source by all tabloids. Wherever he went, scandalous stories followed, ranging from late-night encounters with female celebrities to a rumored miscarriage of a certain young model, and even a public brawl with his father over a woman.
Perhaps it was a family trait, but his father was a lecherous old scoundrel, and Cole, representing the new generation, was no different.
Why did upper-class individuals avoid too much involvement with their families? It was because they couldn't afford to lose face. The upper echelons of society had their rules; one could play around, but it had to be done with dignity. Behaving like an animal, especially in front of women, was not the behavior of a charming man but a beast.
It was precisely due to Cole's notorious reputation that most onlookers shifted their opinions towards Downey. No matter how far Downey had fallen or how recklessly he behaved, he harmed only himself. On the other hand, people like Cole harmed others, and all of them were exceptionally beautiful women, making him the enemy of many young men and women.
Moreover, it was his name and notorious reputation that made people trust Laila's words in the video even more.
For someone like Cole, using drugs to take advantage of young girls was unfortunately not uncommon; there had been similar cases before. These cases had caused a considerable stir initially, but eventually, the parties involved reached a settlement, and the matter was hushed up. It was widely believed that money played a role in smoothing things over.