Back in Los Angeles, Matthew gave himself a week off, taking a good rest. During this time, all training and learning were put on hold as he fully entered a state of relaxation. The year had begun with a fake romance with Keira Knightley, and the tension in his mind had been constant since then, necessitating some unwinding.
Throughout that week, aside from a few escapades at the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel with Jessica Alba, he mostly stayed at home. Jessica Alba proved to be an excellent temporary companion, open and fun-loving.
Their dalliance was no secret, and occasionally, after handling official business, they would go out to eat, inevitably leading to rumors of him and Jessica Alba circulating in the tabloids.
Hollywood gossip spreads quickly, and TMZ leaked that during the filming of "Dawn of the Dead," insiders revealed that Matthew and Jessica Alba had become involved, often getting together in makeup rooms or other spots right after shooting, without even removing their makeup.
Gossip magazines, focused on celebrity scandals, confidently stated that Jessica Alba had completely replaced Keira Knightley as Matthew's new girlfriend.
The spread of such rumors was not unrelated to efforts by Matthew, Helen Herman, and Jessica Alba's sides to leverage the situation, with even Sean Daniel possibly having a hand in it.
Hollywood gossip can be of two types: those genuinely caught by paparazzi and those deliberately leaked for publicity.
The latter constitutes a significant proportion. It's well understood that, for the American public and the global audience, Hollywood essentially serves for entertainment, making celebrity gossip as valuable as the movies produced.
Using gossip for publicity is incredibly efficient.
Not only were Matthew and Jessica Alba directly involved in stoking the flames, but even Keira Knightley and the "King Arthur" crew from faraway Great Britain joined in.
"Keira Knightley unable to forget past love, weeps alone on 'King Arthur' set..."
"Jessica Alba blocks Matthew's reunion path with Keira Knightley, leaving Knightley depressed and temporarily leaving 'King Arthur' to vacation alone and heal..."
Such gossip appeared on many media outlets and websites, drawing significant attention.
Clearly, "King Arthur" and Keira Knightley successfully clung to his popularity.
"Being leveraged for popularity means you're truly famous now, with significant influence,"
In a seaside café in Malibu Paradise Bay, under a large sun umbrella, Elena Poliar said while sipping on a cold drink and speaking to Matthew across the table, "This is good for you. It's normal for celebrities to be used for publicity, and you benefit too."
Matthew, wearing sunglasses and leaning back in a wicker chair, replied, "Yeah, I've benefited too."
Elena put down her drink and leaned in to ask, "Is that thing with you and Jessica Alba in the makeup room true?"
"I don't know," Matthew rolled his eyes.
"With your track record, it must be true. And you didn't spare even eighteen-year-old Keira Knightley. Could it be that Jessica Alba didn't offer enough benefits for such a coordinated publicity stunt?" Elena inferred.
Matthew remained noncommittal.
"Analyzing it gives a clear conclusion," Elena demonstrated her professional gossip journalist skills. "Though Jessica Alba started as a child star, she lacks a signature role. Both 'Dark Angel' and last month's 'Honey' received lukewarm responses. At best, she's a third-tier star without significant backing or an influential family. Other than being attractive, what does she have?"
Elena glanced at Matthew, "Don't tell me you're just being nice, helping her out of goodwill."
Matthew shrugged slightly, only responding, "Jessica Alba is indeed attractive." He changed the subject, "You wanted to meet for a reason, right?"
"Nothing urgent, just wanted to thank you," Elena appeared sincere. "When I switched jobs, you gave me a timely exclusive, helping me secure my position at TMZ. Last month, TMZ officially signed a contract with me."
"Oh?" Matthew asked curiously, "What position?"
With some pride, Elena said, "Deputy editor of the entertainment scoop section, with a base salary of a hundred thousand dollars a year, plus bonuses for hot news."
Matthew jokingly said, "All I get for helping you land such a great job is a cold drink as thanks?"
"What do you propose?" Elena snorted playfully, "To do like Jessica Alba? That would require some thought..."
"No need to think!" Matthew had no such intentions, "You're overthinking it, Elena!"
Yet Elena continued, "With your fame and conditions, it seems I'm getting a great deal."
Suppressing the urge to flip her off, Matthew said, "You'd probably set up a camera in the room to secretly record and then leak it, even if the woman involved was you!"
"Really?" Elena pondered seriously before saying, "Not doing so would be a waste of resources."
Dropping the joke, she spoke earnestly, "I wanted to meet to ensure your stance, as I'd like our collaboration to continue."
"Of course, it will continue," Matthew had no intention of changing media partners. "Elena, aside from you, I don't trust any other entertainment journalist."
Their partnership had lasted years. Despite both being somewhat unscrupulous, they maintained a basic trust.
More importantly, as he rose in fame, Elena's career also soared. If she were still a lowly entertainment reporter, he and Helen Herman would have sought a new collaborator.
Elena nodded, "For scoops or publicity, just call me. I'm always open."
She understood the value of a rising star like Matthew to an entertainment journalist.
Matthew knew well the inseparable relationship between celebrities and media, saying, "In this regard, you and Helen are my top choices."
Their recent publicity around him and Jessica Alba, although not as massive as with Keira Knightley, showed Elena's professional aptitude in practice.
Regardless of external speculation, there was no chance for Matthew and Jessica Alba to become an actual couple.
In fact, after his week off, Matthew's interaction with Jessica Alba quickly cooled, a typical response given their mutual interest was more physical. Their passion faded as quickly as it arrived.
After the break, Matthew resumed his planned life, focusing on acting skills, writing practice, and martial arts training at the gym, reducing Jessica Alba's appeal.
Additionally, he managed his blog.
After years of updates and fame, Matthew's blog had attracted a six-figure following, with daily active users exceeding ten thousand, ranking it among the top celebrity blogs in Hollywood.
Many A-list Hollywood stars also blogged, but few prioritized it as much as Matthew, who foresaw the potential of social media to create stars and discussions.
This advantage wasn't shared by others.
As October neared its end, "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" was wrapping up its screenings. The film's North American box office had reached $352.27 million, surpassing Pixar's "Finding Nemo" and temporarily claiming the top spot for the year.
However, this figure didn't guarantee the year's box office crown, as "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" was yet to premiere.
Media and industry insiders agreed that after the buildup of the first two films, "The
Return of the King" was poised for a blockbuster finale.
Professional outlets like "Premiere," "Empire," "Entertainment Weekly," and "The Hollywood Reporter" believed that as long as Peter Jackson maintained the quality of the first two films, "The Return of the King" would not only succeed at the box office but also receive positive recognition from the Oscars.
Some optimists even suggested the Oscars might break tradition and award this epic with Best Director and Best Picture.
The final outcome would be revealed in March of the following year.
"Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" described its box office success as explosive, with equally impressive international earnings. Since its July release, the global box office had hit $752.7 million, temporarily securing the global box office crown for the year.
However, the outcome before "The Return of the King" was uncertain.
The blockbuster success benefited director Gore Verbinski and stars Matthew, Johnny Depp, and Keira Knightley, especially in negotiations for the sequel with Disney, where they held the upper hand.
After over three months of negotiations from mid-July to late October, an agreement was gradually reached.
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