America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 267, Section 266: Escalating Further

Reporters from Lionheart, YouTube, and Yahoo gathered at the MGM Grand building, preparing for their upcoming interviews.

As for the paparazzi from major TV stations and newspapers, they were all turned away.

However, while this approach prevents them from obtaining useful information and posing challenges to Eric, it doesn't stop them from disgusting themselves.

Because these TV stations chose to broadcast live, their cameras were pointed directly at the MGM gates.

The main point is that MGM closed its doors to the public and refused interviews, suggesting a guilty conscience; Eric Cooper must have something to hide.

If you have no problem, why are you afraid to accept our interview? If you don't accept, then there is a problem.

Without considering MGM and their hostile stance, the logic makes sense, since the vast majority of people in the world are a mob.

These people are incapable of independent thinking; they believe whatever the media says and are best suited to be used as pawns.

Compared to the later era of self-media, this situation was also serious, but compared to the people of this era, there is no doubt that the people of this era were more ignorant and foolish.

Thanks to the extensive hype from the six major media outlets and television stations, the flames of public opinion have been ignited.

Many people went to MGM's official website to leave abusive messages and demand that Eric apologize and give an explanation.

Some people even threatened to stop giving Lionheart.com members next month and to boycott Transformers and The Hunger Games in order to oppose Gal Gadot, that bitch.

Many people are also calling on Los Angeles prosecutors to take action and investigate whether Eric sexually assaulted a minor.

"Let go of me! You're hurting me, you bastard!"

"Impossible, I will never let go. You are my love, and you always will be."

In the lounge, Eric forcefully pulled Gadot into a hug and pinned her to the sofa.

Although she apologized over the phone, even the most obedient Gadot immediately launched into a tirade against Eric.

He could only keep apologizing, expressing his regret and love, and then trick the other person into coming to this interview.

Of course, a few words of apology were clearly not enough to dispel Gadot's dissatisfaction and hatred. Even though she gave Eric face in front of outsiders, she still couldn't help but punch and kick him when the two were face to face.

At Eric's request, Gadot has been working out ever since she arrived in Hollywood. Although she's not a muscular woman, her strength is not to be underestimated.

Knowing he was in the wrong, Eric had hoped she would beat him up to vent his anger, but after taking a few punches, he almost vomited up his bile.

Sure enough, while sex is physically demanding, it can't replace exercise.

Fortunately, Gadot still cared about him. Seeing his pained expression, she didn't continue, and was then pushed onto the sofa.

Eric kept kissing her, trying to pry open her mouth but never succeeded. Suddenly, he felt a salty taste stimulating his taste buds.

Looking up, I saw two lines of tears sliding down Gadot's face from her eyes.

Eric felt a pang of pain in his heart and hurriedly helped her up, saying, "I'm sorry, baby, please don't cry! Crying will only make me feel worse!"

Gadot remained silent, but tears streamed down her face.

Eric didn't know what to do, so he could only continue apologizing and holding her tightly in his arms.

After a while, Gadot finally spoke softly, "I'm going home. You've disappointed me, Eric. We're over!"

"No, don't say that, darling. How could we be over? I want to be with you forever. I want to be with you for a hundred years."

"Hmph! You should go back to those women, Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, the Olsen twins. You have some serious taste. The twins disgust me. After this interview, I'll go back to Israel and pretend we never met."

"Wait, Gadot, you can't do this! Have you forgotten your dream? You want to become a world-class superstar. Once you finish filming 'The Hunger Games,' that dream will come true. You're about to succeed! How can you give up!"

Gadot shook her head, her eyes red: "Eric, that's your dream, not mine. It doesn't matter if I don't act or make movies; it wasn't part of my life plan to begin with."

"I thank you for letting me dream of becoming a star for two years, but let's stop here. I can't film a movie while thinking about you being intimate with other women. I'm not that magnanimous and loving."

"I'm not in the mood to make 'The Hunger Games' anymore. Although I don't have enough money to pay the breach of contract penalty, I still have a 1% stake in MGM."

"Use this 1% stake to pay off the debt. I think it's worth more than 100 million, enough for you to reshoot it."

Seeing that Gadot had even planned out her escape route and seemed determined to leave, Eric was even more troubled.

"Darling, you can't do this, you can't just abandon me like this. There's something else I want to tell you."

"What is it?" Gadot asked weakly.

"My mother wants to see you."

Gadot was somewhat surprised upon hearing this.

"Why do you want to see me? Did you tell her?"

"Yes, she was very happy after she learned about our relationship and invited you to her home for dinner. My father also found out, and they are willing to accept you as a member of the Cooper family."

Gadot paused for a moment, then asked calmly, "When?"

Seeing that her attitude had softened, Eric breathed a sigh of relief: "You must come on Friday. I've already promised them they'll persuade you to come to the house. Don't embarrass me."

"Hmph! We'll see, I need to think about it."

call.

Eric let out a long sigh of relief. Dealing with women's affairs was far more tiring than fighting the Six Greats.

You can use any means necessary to fight those old bastards, but when it comes to your own woman, all you can do is apologize and appease her; the outcome depends entirely on her mood.

I'm so tired, so incredibly tired. No wonder they say chasing after your wife is like going through a crematorium.

"Mom, everything depends on you! Make your son proud!" Eric roared inwardly.

After wiping away her tears and touching up her makeup to make sure no one could tell she had been crying, the two attended the interview together—or rather, a group of people.

Set up the camera and aim it at the lens.

Lionheart.net continues to use the live streaming model, while the other two use edited and pre-recorded content.

The advantage of this is obvious: others cannot maliciously edit your work to smear you.

The staff signaled that we could begin, and the Yahoo reporter started asking questions.

Yahoo is taking the lead in this, so that no one will say Eric is trying to whitewash himself. Yahoo isn't my man, so it has some credibility.

"Mr. Cooper, are you aware of what Barrefali said? Many people are hoping MGM will provide an explanation."

Eric turned on the microphone: "I know, today is specifically to clarify this matter."

"Clarify? You mean to say that everything Barrefali said was false?"

"Yes, it's completely fabricated, not credible at all. Barrefaeli was instructed to deliberately frame me and Gadot, and to frame MGM. It's a conspiracy."

"In her fabricated lies, Gadot and I became heinous slave owners, as wicked as Satan."

"But the truth is, her ability to come to Hollywood and achieve her current level of fame is all thanks to the opportunities provided by MGM."

"It sounds like there are many untold stories behind this," the reporter said, his eyes shining.

"I want the public to know everything. Gadot, you tell the story," Eric said, glancing to the side.

Gadot nodded, and then recounted in detail how she and Barrefali came to the United States from Israel and what happened in between.

Her tone and expression were filled with anger and incomprehension: "I still don't understand why Lefari would frame me? We've known each other for a long time, lived under the same roof for two years, and I've always considered her my closest family member, but she has disappointed me so much!"

"I don't know if Lefari was threatened or had other difficulties, but I hope she will come forward and tell the truth. I'm willing to help her, and we are all willing to help her."

"So, you mean you never exploited or oppressed Ballevali?" the reporter continued.

Eric chimed in, "I also want to ask many of the skeptics: if Barrefaeli's life is really as miserable as she claims, how do you explain all that she's achieved?"

"First it was The Walking Dead, then House of Cards. Both were big-budget shows that were bound to be hits, and her characters were very likable and had significant roles in both."

"I'd like to ask, looking across all of Hollywood, how many people can enjoy the same treatment as Barnacleffe? Sherry, you're the most qualified to answer this question."

The camera focuses on the representative of the Actors Guild, whose task this time is to handle the matter impartially and unbiasedly, only stating the facts as they are known.

"If we look at the number of actors registered with the Screen Actors Guild, there is no doubt that Balrefali's luck and treatment surpass that of 99% of actors, as she was able to debut in a major role in a hit series."

"That's right. The reason she's able to get commercial performances and attend the Emmy Awards is because I'm promoting her, not exploiting her."

"But Barrefaeli betrayed my trust. She was willful and thought that she could do whatever she wanted just because she had some fame, and she didn't follow the rules on set."

"I still gave her more than a week to reflect, but she did not cherish the opportunity, so MGM was forced to fire her."

"These are not things I made up; there is evidence to prove them."

After speaking, Frank Darabont showed the set attendance records and related photos from this period, which were also confirmed by the Screen Actors Guild.

Representatives such as Rick, Daryl, and Daniel Wu also shared their views.

The one who truly delivered the fatal blow was Barrefaeli's agent. She'd been driven to the brink of madness by this whole affair, and she hated that bitch to the core.

In her account, Barrefaeli is portrayed as a temperamental, jealous, ambitious, and scheming woman.

As people shared their experiences, many viewers who watched the live stream changed their attitudes.

"I said long ago that what Barrefali said might not be credible. At least MGM can provide evidence, while she can only make empty promises."

"Eric Cooper said it was an elaborate trap. The TV stations and newspapers broadcast it around the clock as soon as he got into trouble. It's obvious who was behind it."

"I almost got scammed by that bitch, and I even cursed her for a long time. I should apologize to Eric Cooper and Gal Gadot."

"Heh. Eric Cooper is a powerful figure with vast resources. If he wants to hold a whitewashing event, who among these people wouldn't cooperate?"

"Completely unbelievable! Why were only reporters from Yahoo, YouTube, and Lionheart allowed in? MGM is clearly guilty; this was all pre-arranged. Don't be fooled!"

"I still prefer to believe in Barrefaeli's character; she's closer to us, isn't she?"

"What kind of bullshit reason is 'closer'? She earns hundreds of thousands of dollars for a single movie, can you?"

At the scene, the reporter looked at the interview list and raised another very important question.

"Mr. Cooper, your relationship with Gal Gadot is also a major point of interest for everyone. Was she an adult when you started dating?"

Eric reached out and took Gadot's hand: "No, she was 17 at the time, but I can assure you, we never crossed that final line before she turned 18."

Gadot spoke solemnly, "This is a private matter between us, and I don't want everyone to pay too much attention to it."

"Throughout my time with Eric, he has always acted like a gentleman and has never done anything excessive."

"I appreciate everyone's concern, but let's leave it at that."

Seeing that the reporters had no more questions, Eric concluded by saying, "The truth will never be buried or covered up, and those hiding behind the scenes will eventually be exposed."

"If Barrefali dares to admit that what she said is true, then stand up and confront her here; otherwise, she doesn't deserve any sympathy!"

Eric doesn't know how many people this interview will win back; all he can do is try his best.

Afterwards, he wanted to take Gadot to see the new house, but the girl was clearly still angry and refused his invitation.

The following day, with Yahoo and YouTube releasing interview videos, the discussion about this matter reached a new level.

But it did have some effect. There were significantly more voices supporting MGM, and many people were urging Barry Fali not to hide, saying that true gold fears no fire.

Some people think it's absurd to keep focusing on Eric and Gadot's relationship.

They're both willing to give and receive, and their relationship is going so well, why are you meddling in other people's business?

However, many people believe that a thorough investigation is necessary, otherwise it would be tantamount to condoning sexual crimes committed by minors.

Major television stations and newspapers have been putting pressure on the Los Angeles judicial system over this matter, but have yet to receive a response.

Meanwhile, some tabloids and magazines have once again published the so-called interviews.

In these interviews, Eric and Gadot, just as Barrefaeli described them, were utterly wicked villains and bullies on set.

Without exception, the interviewees were either people whose identities could not be revealed, or people in the industry whose names could not be disclosed, or, more often, extras who had participated in MGM projects.

Anyone with a modicum of independent thinking knows that the credibility of this kind of interview is very low.

However, the sheer number of people sharing the same message can be overwhelming. When many people around you are spreading the same information, rumors can spread like wildfire, and even falsehoods can be embellished and become accepted as truth.

YouTube interviewed many Hollywood stars that Eric knew, and the feedback was generally positive.

On Facebook, Deadpool, Chris Evans, Hugh Jackman, Peter Jackson, and others also expressed their support for Eric's character.

The two sides were locked in a tug-of-war, but without the support of mainstream media, MGM was at a disadvantage.

The box office of "Million Dollar Baby" was also severely affected, and even its IMDb rating dropped below 8.

Eric has been too lazy to go out these past few days, spending his time appeasing his darlings while plotting a famous counterattack.

Thursday arrived in the blink of an eye, and under immense public pressure, the Los Angeles judicial system finally succumbed, announcing that it would investigate whether Eric had sexually assaulted a minor.

"Mr. Eric Cooper, this is Local Prosecutor Leonard. I am issuing you this inquiry. Please cooperate!"

A bespectacled man in uniform, accompanied by two police officers, entered Eric's office.

(End of this chapter)