To be fair, although Vin Diesel had made a name for himself through the Fast & Furious series, in the talent-saturated Hollywood, a performer like him, whose other works were mediocre at best, could only be considered a second-tier star. Outside of the Fast & Furious franchise, his other films had minimal impact.
If it weren't for his accidental death, it would never have caused such a huge stir.
For stars who are important symbols in popular consumer culture, death often leads to a significant boost in their influence—a harsh yet absurd fact. Especially when Hollywood stars die young at the peak of their careers, it sparks public mourning and admiration, strengthening recognition and worship of the star.
From James Dean, who embodied the "fallen generation," to River Phoenix, who perished amid drugs and recklessness, to Jonathan Brandis, who fell after reaching his peak, all followed this pattern.
More recently, the sudden death of Heath Ledger from prescription drug overdose not only garnered global mourning but also helped The Dark Knight achieve massive success and secured him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
In today's social context of popular culture, the essence of a celebrity is essentially a commodified image. As a commercialized and content-stripped pure image, stars are inevitably constrained by the commercial system; even death cannot free them from the grip of the industry.
Not only the somewhat known Fast & Furious 5 cast in Hollywood, but even the movie's main antagonist, Mel Gibson—who had long disappeared from Hollywood—also appeared in this marketing spectacle.
"Vin Diesel was a good man. He was diligent, never let Hollywood get to his head. He knew life was far more important than Hollywood and lived accordingly. Knowing him was a blessing."
In the lounge of Duke's mansion-style estate, the TV broadcast showed Mel Gibson being interviewed. Duke sat on the sofa, left hand supporting his chin, watching the interview quietly until it ended.
The face on TV was noticeably aged and somewhat unfamiliar; Duke had nearly forgotten him. Indeed, Mel Gibson hadn't appeared in North American mainstream media for many years.
He had long known that Vin Diesel and David Ellison had brought Mel Gibson from Australia to star in Fast & Furious 5. He didn't interfere much, as it couldn't change Gibson's fate anyway.
It wasn't until Vin Diesel's fatal car accident, when Universal Pictures and Sky Flim Productions launched massive publicity, that Duke remembered Gibson could still be utilized.
Tina Fie, sitting beside him, quickly skimmed a document delivered by Panny Kallis, confirmed it, and handed it to Duke.
She said, "After all these years, this Aussie wildman still hasn't improved a bit."
Duke flipped through it briefly, then placed it on the coffee table between the two sofas, nodding to Tina Fie. "Proceed according to plan."
"Mm."
Tina Fie took the document, stood up, and left the lounge.
Fast & Furious 5's publicity over the past ten days had been unusually intense. Leveraging Vin Diesel's death, it almost completely overshadowed The Avengers.
Though Duke didn't believe it would affect The Avengers' opening, Fast & Furious 5 was releasing the following weekend. If the sentimental effect kicked in, Fast & Furious 5 would explode at the box office, and The Avengers' second-weekend revenue would surely take a huge hit.
He was well aware of the terrifying power of sentimental marketing.
Thus, Duke and Warner Brothers devised corresponding strategies. While they couldn't eliminate the impact of Vin Diesel's death, they aimed to disrupt part of the sentimental effect.
"Fast & Furious 5 is a pig being hyped up; don't over-consume Vin Diesel in marketing."
Similar voices gradually appeared in Warner-related media.
Paul Walker was undoubtedly a key figure in memorializing and promoting Vin Diesel's posthumous influence, and much media attention focused on him.
Warner's TMZ repeatedly published articles revealing, "Most of Paul Walker's friends are photographers, stunt personnel, and other crew. He and actor Vin Diesel weren't really close. Though he tried to hide it, while they might interact publicly to promote films, privately they avoided contact. After Vin Diesel's death was announced, Paul Walker immediately flew to California to handle many affairs and visit his family. To his friends, these actions seemed ridiculous and ironic."
Mel Gibson was also scrutinized by many Warner media outlets, revealing not only past drug use but also connections with multiple extremist organizations in Australia and the Middle East…
However, none of this could truly impact Fast & Furious 5.
The real attack point was still on Vin Diesel himself.
Under certain people's incitement, Vin Diesel's current girlfriend, Paloma Jiménez, accepted a TMZ exclusive, claiming she would officially sue the deceased Vin Diesel and handed some key evidence to the media.
There were two video recordings, posted immediately on TMZ, social media, Google, and Warner's online media in highly visible positions. Thanks to the effect of Vin Diesel's fatal accident, the videos garnered over fifteen million views in just three days.
Viewers saw a Vin Diesel very different from the one they mourned and sympathized with. Beneath his robust physique was a twisted heart.
The first video lasted eight minutes, showing Vin Diesel abusing his girlfriend Paloma Jiménez. The burly man in the film not only slapped his girlfriend but also shouted furiously with a bat: "I really want to smash your head with this cricket bat! You have no brain or soul left. I'll bury you in the garden!"
The second video showed a conversation between Vin Diesel and Paloma Jiménez, in which he admitted to abusing her.
In the footage, Paloma Jiménez accused him: "What kind of man are you? I'm holding our child, and you just knocked out my teeth."
Vin Diesel sneered coldly: "Oh, are you angry? You deserve it."
Then, almost perverse, he raged: "You didn't satisfy my sexual needs, your function is defective, you must always smile."
When Paloma said she wanted to stay at a friend's house, Vin Diesel went even more insane: "You treat her better than me, I treated you so well, yet you see me as trash."
Paloma could only reason with him: "You should see a doctor; it seems you're seriously ill."
Vin Diesel laughed coldly: "I don't need a doctor; I need a fully functional woman!"
Then, he violently attacked Paloma Jiménez again, even using a whip.
After exposing the evidence to the media, Paloma Jiménez formally reported to the Los Angeles Police Department and admitted that she had been suffering sexual abuse from Vin Diesel.
The Los Angeles Police also announced that even though Vin Diesel was deceased, they would conduct a thorough investigation into the case.
The media scene became even more intense, with voices both praising and slandering Vin Diesel everywhere. Those glorifying Vin Diesel could only rely on sentimentality, while those tarnishing him produced real evidence, such as the videos.
This undoubtedly affected many who had sympathized with Vin Diesel.
Duke and Warner Brothers did not hope this would cause a major negative impact on Fast & Furious 5, but only aimed to reduce some of the sentimental effect stemming from Vin Diesel's death.
Two days later, adult film actress Violet Kowal from the San Fernando Valley released a video to the media, in which she and Vin Diesel were the main participants.
The adult actress clearly sought publicity through this, but the clear footage made her claims quite credible.
In an interview, she stated that during Paloma Jiménez's pregnancy, she had encounters with Vin Diesel in his office and residence eight times, and that he indeed had abusive tendencies. She also expressed willingness to testify for Paloma Jiménez and submit to a polygraph test.
Although this could not fundamentally reverse public sentiment, it did affect the public's sympathy for Vin Diesel's death in the car accident.
In the comments section of Vin Diesel's official social media account, praise and memorial messages were no longer unanimous; some dissenting voices appeared.
"Your actions are simply disgusting."
"Scum like you should have died sooner."
Several women's rights organizations across the U.S. also stated they would intervene in the abuse case between Vin Diesel and Paloma Jiménez, emphasizing that if Paloma's evidence was true, Vin Diesel did not deserve any sympathy from women.
Hollywood is a battlefield without gunfire, where all participants fight for money and fame. It is an arena as intense as any business circle, and Duke never feared competing with anyone.
Universal Pictures and Sky Flim Productions, of course, did not sit idle and continued counterattacking, but Duke and Warner Brothers were well prepared. The Avengers had a far more solid foundation than the Fast & Furious series and was not easily shaken by anyone.
A fiercely competitive summer blockbuster season had officially begun. To emerge victorious, one not only had to perform well oneself but also suppress competitors. Every Hollywood company operated this way; the notion of a smooth, competition-free release that collects box office revenue exists only in fantasy.
Aside from tarnishing Vin Diesel's image, Duke never relaxed in promoting The Avengers.
.....
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