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July 25, 2006
Christie Brinkley, Peter Cook, Adultery and Reputations in Crisis
PHOTO: Christie Brinkley and her husband, Peter Cook
“This is an aberration. I’m sorry. I’m contrite. I’m stupid. Foolish. No excuse.”
Commented Peter Cook, 47, Christie Brinkley’s husband, after admitting to a year-long affair with 19-year-old teen Diana Bianchi in the Hamptons.
Christie Brinkley's architect husband, Peter Cook, has publicly apologized to his estranged wife following revelations that he'd had a year-long affair with a teenage girl.
"I love my wife. I have loved her since the day I met her. Please … I love her," Cook told New York Post columnist Cindy Adams via his lawyer, Norman Sheresky. "For a lifetime, I've tried to prove how much I love her. This is an aberration. I'm sorry. I'm contrite. I'm stupid. Foolish. No excuse."
Asked about divorce plans, Sheresky said, "There is no divorce proceeding that is proceeding. Christie Brinkley has not sued her husband." Cook, he said, "hopes there's no divorce. If she wants one – and he certainly hopes this doesn't happen, but if – it will not be nasty. She can have whatever she wants."
PHOTO: Christie Brinkley in happier times
On July 12th, Brinkley, 52, announced her separation from Cook after 10 years of marriage.
One of Brinkley’s friends told People Magazine the model was devastated by the discovery of the 47-year-old Cook's relationship with former employee Diana Bianchi, 19. Bianchi's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, is investigating a possible sexual harassment lawsuit.
Referring to Cook's relationship with Bianchi, Shereksy told the NY Post that Cook "denies that any relationship with that person was nonconsensual. … As he told it to me, quote, 'I took no advantage.' "
Explaining that Cook "got involved, in over his head somehow, and he wants to make it up to (Christie) for the rest of his life," Sheresky added, "He didn't invent adultery. He didn't invent the certain kind of person who would engage in it with him, either."
On July 18th, pop singer Samantha Cole revealed that she'd had a romantic relationship with Cook a decade ago, when she herself was 19. On Monday, Cole told MSNBC's Rita Cosby that she and Cook have "maintained our friendship through the 10 years, on and off," and that he had contacted her recently to warn her that "some people might call you."
Cole said she eventually broke up with Cook when she went to Los Angeles to record an album, adding that they'd been arguing so much that it left her voice "raspy." A month after the breakup, Cole said, Cook was engaged to Brinkley.
Brinkley so far has not commented about the separation, and on Tuesday her publicist, Elliot Mintz, told the Associated Press that he didn't think she would ask him to issue a response. "This is not the way for people to have a discourse or a discussion about private matters," he said.
PHOTO: Diana Bianchi, the teen seduced by Cook
According to the NY Post, Bianchi's father, Brian Platt, a local police officer, spoke with Cook several times about the architect's relationship to his daughter and each time Bianchi’s father receiving the brush off from Cook.
A few comments from the Reputation Doctor regarding Brinkley and Cook:
Now Cook must back up his apology to Brinkley with clear and appropriate actions to save both his marriage and repair his reputation.
Peter Cook did the right thing by apologizing. However, he better be prepared to apologize over and over again if Christie, the family, friends and the public ask him about the subject for the rest of his life. That is the price he must pay for his actions. If he only wants to apologize it once, his reputation is doomed. This is an important message not only for Cook, but also for his attorney. Why? This situation is less about the law and more about reputation. His attitude moving forward will dictate his latitude.
Christie Brinkley will forever be a public figure with public responsibility..
When Brinkley signed her first modeling contract many years ago, she became a public figure with public responsibilities. This happened before she ever met Billy Joel or Peter Cook. I tell all of my celebrity clients that is the day they gained a lot and gave up a lot. They are not private citizens. They are public citizens and there is a big difference with very different expectations and responsibilities. Bottom line: Christie has a public responsibility – forever. It is something Cook, Brinkley and her entire family must understand. It might not seem fair, but the entertainment and modeling business is never fair, even when you are semi-retired. Her public status lasts a lifetime, like it or not.
The Brinkley/Cook family reputation is on the line. It is time for both parents to think of their kids, first.
Christie is already trying to protect her kids by taking them away and trying to control their access to computers, radios and newspapers. Her goal is to prevent them from hearing the stories in the news about their father and stepfather, Peter Cook. She must learn how to communicate the bad news directly to her kids. They are smarter than she thinks. They will learn the truth and it is best to learn it directly from her. If she needs help doing so, she should seek help from an expert. Is Cook thinking similarly regarding protecting his kids or is he focused on myself? He must immediately begin thinking of his family first, especially the children, to best repair the damage he has done and do the right thing moving forward. His personal reputation and the reputations of Brinkley and the entire family are all on the line. Cook needs to make some important changes in his life. Honesty, transparency, accountability, humility and consistency must key pillars in his action plan and backed up with more patience than he has ever had before.
Trust and reputation are built over a lifetime, but can be gone in seconds based on our own behavior. However, they can both be repaired with the right tools and the right heart.
Remember, do the right thing when your reputation is in crisis and seek the counsel of an experienced reputation management expert. It will be a major challenge, but ultimately the rewards of repairing your reputation will be great. Why? Because Your Reputation Is Everything! ™
About Mike Paul
Mike Paul is editor of The Reputation Doctor blog. The Reputation Doctor is a nickname given to him by various clients. Mike's blog is located at www.ReputationDoctor.com. He appears regularly on Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, Court TV, ABC News, ESPN, CBS News, BBC, and others as a weekly contributor and expert in the global news regarding leaders, celebrities, corporations and other organizations with reputations in crisis. Mr. Paul is also president and senior counselor of MGP & Associates PR (www.mgppr.com), a leading strategic public relations and reputation management firm based in New York. For interview requests, speeches, senior counseling or other business opportunities with Mr. Paul, call 212-595-8500 or email info@mgppr.com.
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/Christie Brinkley/ Reputation PR Peter Cook
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July 17, 2006
Zidane - You Are No Jackie Robinson!
PHOTO: The Head-Butt Seen ‘Round the World
“I can't regret what I did because it would mean that he was right to say all that.”
Commented French soccer star Zinedane Zidane in a ridiculous attempt at an apology after getting thrown out of the World Cup final against Italy for angrily head-butting Italian soccer star Marco Materazzi in the chest.
According to ChronWatch.com, Frenchman Zinedine Zidane, the 34-year-old superstar of international soccer, claims to have been goaded into the vicious head-butt of his opponent’s sternum because of insults his Italian foe leveled at his mother.
His impulsive act – which disbarred him from the closing minutes of a tied game – probably cost his team the World Cup, his country a degree of pride absent for years, and the chance to heal the racial divide that recently saw various communities in France rioting in the streets.
In short, Zidane could have healed that divide by uniting France under the banner of a world championship, but he blew it. It was no isolated incident: Zidane had been kicked out of a Champion’s League match for head-butting another player in 2001, as well as stamping an opponent in the 1998 World Cup in response to an “insult”. Altogether, he’s been kicked out of 14 games in his career.
Zadine's immature and extremely violent reaction to the words – mere words – of his opponents recalls another world-class athlete and his very different response to provocations far worse than anything the pampered, multimillionaire European soccer star faced last week.
PHOTO: Baseball Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson, as everyone knows, was Major League Baseball's first black player and, unlike Zadine, a man of great integrity. Robinson, by dint of his character, refused to be goaded into losing his head, even as he faced indignities and provocations that were far more egregious than those Zadine ever encountered. In fact, Robinson, against all odds, kept his eye on the prize, i.e., his country, his race and his sense of personal dignity.
Today, sadly, "the prize" seems to be – Zidane is a good example - utter self-interest. Robinson didn’t lose his head because he appreciated that not only did his Brooklyn Dodger teammates need his talents to help them get to the World Series (which they played in 6 times in Robinson’s 10-year career) but that millions of black Americans depended on him to help forge a new future for them in the United States. Jackie knew that their hopes depended on his behavior.
One can only imagine Mr. Robinson laughing an ironic laugh at the excuse Zadine offered: "You mean someone said something mean about his mother? That would have been a good day for me!"
And, of course, it would have been, for a couple of not nice words were the least of what Jackie Robinson faced every day he put on his Dodgers uniform -- words so vile that today we only describe them with their first letter (the “n” word).
But Robinson faced more than mere words. More than once, opposing managers ordered their pitchers to throw 100-mile-per-hour fastballs at his head. Many players slid into second base, cleats high, in order to injure or intimidate him. Death threats were not uncommon.
But Jackie Robinson, unlike Zidane, was an uncommon man. In spite of treatment never endured to that extent – before or since – by any other major sports figure, he persevered, winning Baseball’s highest honors: the Rookie of the Year award in 1947, the Most Valuable Player award in 1949, a world’s championship in 1955 and election to the Hall of Fame in 1962. All this while winning the hearts and minds of Americans and changing the world in doing so.
Jackie Robinson once said that an individual life is not important, except in its impact on the lives of others. If only Zidane had understood these words before he chose to resort to violence in front of a billion people, many millions of them children who considered him a hero.
PHOTO: Zidane Receiving a Red Card and Thrown Out of World Cup Final
Zidane chose to hit the man who taunted him. Jackie Robinson chose to ignore the men who taunted him. Instead, he hit a baseball.
A few comments from the Reputation Doctor regarding Zidane vs. Jackie Robinson:
Zidane’s false pride would not allow him to give a true apology.
As I’ve said many times, a true apology has no ifs or buts. Zidane tried to justify his actions instead of taking full responsibility for his actions.
One’s character and reputation are built in the verbal line of fire.
Trash talking in sports worldwide is as old as sports itself. How do you handle both the pressure of the game and the pressure of insults from others, including trash talking of all kinds in the game? You do so like a champion with great patience and the ability to block out anything in the way of reaching your goal. Obviously Zidane failed miserable in handling the pressure. As a result, it will affect his reputation for life. He let down his team, he let down his family, he let down his country and, most importantly, he let down himself, and his pride still stands in the gap of reality/humility and stupidity.
Zidane didn’t have a worst-case scenario plan for his reputation, but Jackie Robinson did.
Branch Rickey chose Jackie Robinson to be the first African-American player in Major League Baseball for not only his excellent playing ability, but also for his great character. Jackie Robinson had to handle racism and death threats on a daily basis from baseball fans, players on other teams and even fellow team members. Rickey helped Robinson to expect the worst and think of something greater than himself to overcome the pain of the daily threats. Rickey worked personally with Jackie Robinson to handle the verbal and physical threats both on the field and in life off the field. Robinson had a plan and Zidane didn’t. As a result, Zidane’s legacy and reputation will be forever tarnished.
I am proud to say I have done some PR work over the years for with the Jackie Robinson Foundation and I am privileged to know Jackie Robinson’s wife Rachel and her daughter Sharon Robinson, who now works for Major League Baseball, as friends. Jackie Robinson’s reputation is in safe hands because of the legacy he left for his family. His character lives on within the entire Robinson family and is an excellent example for us all.
Remember, do the right thing when your reputation is in crisis and seek the counsel of an experienced reputation management expert. It will be a major challenge, but ultimately the rewards of repairing your reputation will be great. Why? Because Your Reputation Is Everything! ™
About Mike Paul
Mike Paul is editor of The Reputation Doctor blog. The Reputation Doctor is a nickname given to him by various clients. Mike's blog is located at www.ReputationDoctor.com. He appears regularly on Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, Court TV, ABC News, ESPN, CBS News, BBC, and others as a weekly contributor and expert in the global news regarding leaders, celebrities, corporations and other organizations with reputations in crisis. Mr. Paul is also president and senior counselor of MGP & Associates PR (www.mgppr.com), a leading strategic public relations and reputation management firm based in New York. For interview requests, speeches, senior counseling or other business opportunities with Mr. Paul, call 212-595-8500 or email info@mgppr.com.
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July 3, 2006
Star Jones and Barbara Walters Both Take a Hit to Their Reputations
PHOTO: The Old Cast of The View in Happier Days
“"I hope you'll stay with us as long as you want.”
Barbara Walters, to Star Jones, on the day Jones announced she was leaving The View.
“Barbara and Bill orchestrated this from day one. She's known since April she didn't want to renew my contract.”
Commented Star Jones Reynolds to Larry King on CNN.
According to the Southbend Tribune, many of us will never have the chance to stick it to our boss on national TV, a la Star Jones Reynolds in last week's dust-up with Barbara Walters over Star’s departure from the ABC talk show "The View." The goal is to leave a job gracefully and maintain your dignity. It seems Star Jones, Barbara Walters and ABC all have lessons to learn in how to handle future employment and exit challenges.
Star, whose contract was not renewed for next season, “ambushed” co-producer Walters on Tuesday with the surprise announcement that she would not return to the show in the fall. She had been set to make the departure public Thursday.
In response, the network immediately sent her packing.
Last Wednesday Walters told viewers, "We worked closely with her representatives, and we gave her time to look for another job. And we hoped that she would announce it here on the program and leave with dignity."
Whether in front of the camera or inside the confines of a cubicle, there are dos and don'ts to telling the boss that you're out of here." A person's reputation is a very valuable asset, and a messy resignation can harm that," said Mike Crant, a professor of management at Notre Dame.
PHOTO: Star Jones as Cinderella
Alexandra Levit, author of "They Don't Teach Corporate in College," agreed: "If you've worked so hard to achieve a strong reputation in the company, to have it diminished in the last couple of weeks is a waste."
In her book, she gives tips to "fireproof your bridges and make a smooth exit," such as tell your boss first, give two to four weeks' notice, and to stay for that full period.
"Unless they ask you to leave immediately ... you're expected to stay on top of your responsibilities until 5 p.m. on your last day," Levit said.
Emotions can run high during these times, but Kathy Roberts, a senior professional in human resources and operations administrator at Press Ganey in South Bend, stressed maintaining professionalism no matter the reaction from your employer or your personal feelings. Even when you have one foot out of the door, Levit warns not to let everything you may have been holding in off of your chest.
"Resist the urge to bad-mouth people in your company during exit interviews," she said. "It might be true, but you never know when you're going to run into these people again. ... A lot of times, industries are very small."
"At that point, you're leaving, so what good does it do?" she added. "You want to leave under as good circumstances as possible."
This also applies to the employer.
"How a person was hired and fired should be between the employer and the employee, and not made public," said Fran Boykins, the president of Michiana's Society for Human Resource Management chapter.
PHOTO: Humility is a Tool for Life
A few comments from the Reputation Doctor regarding Star Jones, Barbara Walters and ABC's The View debacle:
Humility was lacking by all.
Star was not humble. Barbara was not humble and ABC was not humble. Spinning and hiding the truth was the approach of the day and all took a reputational hit as a result.
Burning bridges never helps..
ABC is owned by Disney and Disney is a major player in the entertainment business. Star Jones Reynolds will never be welcomed back in the Disney family. It didn’t have to be that way. She made her choice and must also live with the consequences of her choice and her communication.
Can’t we all just get along?
Reputation management 101: when someone has to choose between their own reputation and another’s, they will choose their own reputation first ever time. As a result, Star is defending herself and ABC is defending the rest of the ABC family, including Barbara Walters. Star is no longer on the ABC team and is now considered the enemy. Why? Because of Star’s attitude and comments upon leaving - even when ABC and Barbara Walters handled the situation poorly themselves. Ultimately, Star's attitude demonstrated her latitude – about curb high. Some are now calling her the Omarosa of daytime TV.
Remember, do the right thing when your reputation is in crisis and seek the counsel of an experienced reputation management expert. It will be a major challenge, but ultimately the rewards of repairing your reputation will be great. Why? Because Your Reputation Is Everything! ™
About Mike Paul
Mike Paul is editor of The Reputation Doctor blog. The Reputation Doctor is a nickname given to him by various clients. Mike's blog is located at www.ReputationDoctor.com. He appears regularly on Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, Court TV, ABC News, ESPN, CBS News, BBC, and others as a weekly contributor and expert in the global news regarding leaders, celebrities, corporations and other organizations with reputations in crisis. Mr. Paul is also president and senior counselor of MGP & Associates PR (www.mgppr.com), a leading strategic public relations and reputation management firm based in New York. For interview requests, speeches, senior counseling or other business opportunities with Mr. Paul, call 212-595-8500 or email info@mgppr.com.
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