At the end of the meeting, the public relations manager reiterated some important points to Keanu Reeves, asking him to follow them. Despite his rising fame, Keanu Reeves was still just a star, an actor, in the eyes of Disney and Warner. He had to cooperate with the film companies' demands.
Robert Iger, seeing that Gilbert remained silent, asked, "Gilbert, do you have any thoughts you'd like to share?" All the executives looked at Gilbert, knowing that he was adept at film marketing, given his Super Bowl advertising plan. So, in such a crisis, everyone wanted to hear Gilbert's insights.
Gilbert looked through the negative keywords compiled by the public relations department and said, "I don't think these negative stories are a big deal. Isn't everyone doing these things anyway? Since they're using this to attack us, we should use it to attack them too."
"What do you mean?" an executive asked.
Gilbert closed the file, slapped the table, stood up, and loudly declared, "Since everyone's doing it, then no one is innocent. In terms of media power, are Disney and Warner really worse than them?"
Everyone understood what Gilbert was trying to convey. Robert Iger naturally grasped Gilbert's meaning: "Of course not. I understand what you mean. Arrange for our affiliated tabloids to dig up dirt on everyone. All summer blockbusters releasing in May are our targets."
Doug Walter scanned all the executives and stated, "Warner will fully cooperate..."
Digging up dirt on other films naturally excluded other films distributed by Disney and Warner Bros. Of course, Disney and Warner's tabloids wouldn't target "Speed" with negative stories.
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## The Mud-Slinging War
After the counter-attack plan was set, what started as several film distributors ganging up on "Speed" quickly turned into an all-out brawl. One day, a celebrity was exposed for having an "orgy," the next, another celebrity was accused of drug use, and the day after that, yet another celebrity's illicit affair was revealed. In short, the North American entertainment section in March and April 1993 became a major war of mutual smear campaigns.
There's a saying: if everyone else isn't doing something, and only you are, then you're wrong. But if not just you, but everyone else is doing it, then you're not wrong. Objectively speaking, Keanu Reeves and his two friends were quite severe among Hollywood addicts. But what was done was done; the public only knew they did it, not the difference in dosage.
Thus, the negative publicity that stemmed from the Super Bowl's popularity escalated into a mud-slinging war, dragging other celebrities down with it. However, this incident caused the most harm to Keanu Reeves. Data from a survey commissioned by Disney showed that over 25% of interviewed moviegoers said they were affected by the scandal and would not go to see the movie. The Super Bowl had its benefits, but its downside was the immense attention it drew; even minor issues were magnified, let alone the negative baggage Keanu Reeves carried.
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## The Death of River Phoenix
Although other Hollywood celebrities were more or less exposed for various scandals, the most severe impact was on Keanu, River Phoenix, and Johnny Depp. The three friends were now like rats scurrying across the street. If the internet had been as developed then, they would likely have been thoroughly lambasted by netizens.
Reportedly, due to extensive media defamation, River Phoenix's mental state deteriorated significantly. He had stopped working for a long time and even needed to see a psychologist. Disney's PR department, upon hearing this, immediately arranged for Keanu Reeves to undergo psychological treatment and then reported it through the media to garner public sympathy. This strategy had some effect, but what Disney didn't expect was that River Phoenix wasn't just depressed; he was truly at his limit.
Although Keanu Reeves cooperated with the crew and with Disney and Warner's promotional efforts, he was only going through the motions and not taking it very seriously. All three friends shared this devil-may-care attitude, which is why they got along so well.
However, on April 8th, just over twenty days before the film's release, River Phoenix was found dead at his home in North Los Angeles. Suddenly, all of Hollywood was shocked. In the midst of the mutual mud-slinging war, Keanu Reeves, River Phoenix, and Johnny Depp had endured immense attacks and defamation, leading to extreme psychological pressure.
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## Aftermath and Revelation
Many details were subsequently disclosed. According to River Phoenix's agent, River Phoenix had taken a large amount of sleeping pills when he was heavily defamed by the media. Disney and Warner Bros. quickly reacted, realizing this was an opportunity, and immediately contacted River Phoenix's family and friends. Under Disney and Warner's arrangement, they all gave interviews, expressing their grief and accusing the media that had harmed River Phoenix.
River Phoenix's girlfriend, Martha Plimpton, tearfully told the media, "River was always full of hope for life. He once described our beautiful life together in the future. We would have children together, and he would take them horseback riding, fishing, and playing... But now with River's passing, all of that has become a fantasy."
River Phoenix's brother, Joaquin Phoenix, angrily stated, "Those media outlets that harmed my brother are like vampires, completely devoid of media ethics."
While he was alive, everyone fought tooth and nail, wishing for each other's downfall. But when tragedy actually struck, the media outlets that had previously participated in defaming the trio suddenly fell silent. At this moment, no one dared to say "serves him right" or anything similar. Society is very lenient towards the deceased, and continuing to pursue the matter would only incite public sympathy.
Martha Plimpton's tears were perfectly timed, and Joaquin Phoenix's condemnation was effective. The scene of the mud-slinging war immediately quieted down, and all the tabloids stopped talking. Instead, Disney and Warner's media outlets published eulogies commemorating the genius actor River Phoenix, even changing their newspaper layouts to black and white.
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## The Truth Kept Hidden
Meanwhile, Keanu Reeves and Johnny Depp also appeared in public, looking very gaunt. River's death truly shocked them both.
Unlike what the public generally believed—that River died of depression caused by media defamation and an overdose of sleeping pills—the two friends knew the true cause of River Phoenix's death. The Los Angeles Police Department's forensic autopsy report stated that River Phoenix had consumed a large amount of marijuana and cocaine, with the dosage being eight times the lethal amount. So, those tabloids weren't entirely wrong; River Phoenix was indeed an addict.
Thankfully, due to "Speed," the LAPD had a good relationship with the crew and informed Gilbert immediately. Gilbert requested that the police not publicly release the autopsy report. Coupled with the request from River Phoenix's family, the autopsy report was never made public. This is why the rumor spread that his death was due to depression caused by media defamation, shifting the blame onto those media outlets.
The media and the underlying distribution companies certainly knew there was something fishy, but at that moment, the entire North American society sympathized with River Phoenix and his family. They dared not spread any more negative stories; what if another person died?
This incident had the greatest impact on Keanu Reeves and Johnny Depp. Both were despondent for many days, neglecting much of their work. Keanu Reeves barely participated in the upcoming promotions for "Speed," leaving Gilbert, Sandra Bullock, and Dennis Hopper to carry the burden.
Since he had lost a good friend, and despite it being self-inflicted, Gilbert didn't force Keanu Reeves to participate in the promotion. He knew River Phoenix would die, but he never imagined that it would be indirectly due to Keanu Reeves and "Speed." Gilbert felt no guilt about this; it wasn't his fault that the three friends lived such chaotic and reckless lives. What goes around comes around. If this was fate, it was truly strange.
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