Congratulations to Tom and Katie. Whatever anyone may think of them as celebrities, actors, parents, Scientologists, or otherwise, they accomplished something very few celebrities are capable of, which is to have a quick divorce that stymies the media’s ability to work into a frenzy over all the details of
what may or may not be happening.
Though we may all be disappointed that the details of this case will likely never surface to the public, this is a perfect example of exactly how this, and all other celebrity cases, should be handled. I judge a celebrity case to be a success when: 1) The media either learns of the case after its conclusion or shortly before its conclusion; 2) The details of all aspects of the case are never leaked to the media; and, if there are children, 3) The children are protected at all costs from exposure to the media.
A celebrity case is a different animal in that you are attempting to arrive at a fair and equitable settlement of the outstanding issues as well as trying to mitigate the potential damage to your client’s reputation. In the celebrity world, this could result in a significant loss of revenue. In other words, some actors, athletes and other persons of note may lose future job opportunities, current and future endorsements, ability to focus on their craft which could result in a deterioration of their skill set, etc.
Take Tiger Woods for example: his very public divorce, though the financial details were suppressed, resulted in a major blow to his previously pristine image, a loss of endorsement deals and a significant downturn in his golf game, all of which have negatively impacted his star quality and earning power.
Though celebrities want everyone to know about their next movie, concert, game, tournament, or show, they are no different than the rest of us when it comes to their private lives. Though our culture has become voyeuristic, when it comes to our families, we are all the same. None of us want our dirty laundry aired to the public. So, again, congratulations to Tom and Katie and kudos to their respective counsel for getting their dispute done quickly and quietly and putting the media frenzy to rest.
To learn more about how Katie used a disposable cell phone to plan her divorce from Tom Cruise, click below:
