The pros and cons of touting a product.
Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: Upasna Khosla, a public relations executive working with fashion titan Valentino, may need some PR help of her own after landing in some hot water.
Khosla, who is the company’s “celebrity relations manager,” sent out a press release to media outlets that actress Amy Adams (Catch Me if You Can) was carrying a brand new, $2,500 Valentino bag while she was supposedly out on the town Thursday evening, in New York City.
“We are pleased to announce Amy Adams carrying the Valentino Garavani Rockstud Duble bag from the Spring/Summer 2014 collection on Feb. 6 in New York,” said the press release, which was accompanied by photos of Adams and her husband, Darren Le Gallo, getting out of a car and keeping their heads down, noticeably withdrawn and morose.
It turns out that’s because Adams was on her way to the wake of fellow actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, who died on Sunday from a heroin overdose and with whom Adams co-starred in the 2008 drama, Doubt.
Now, the actress’s representatives are firing back at Khosla and Valentino for what they’re calling a “truly appalling” action, accusing both parties of trying to market their new product at the expense of privacy and allowing Adams to grieve over the loss of her dear friend. “Amy Adams is not a paid spokesperson for Valentino and the suggestion she would use this moment to participate in a promotion is truly appalling.”
Adams and Hoffman were quite close — in addition to Doubt, both actors co-starred as husband and wife in 2012’s The Master, and their respective performances in both films netted them Academy Award nominations both times. Adams broke down in tears on Inside the Actors Studio earlier this week when speaking about her late friend, who was just 46 when he died last weekend, alone in his New York City apartment.
Valentino swiftly issued an apology, claiming it was unaware of the circumstances in which Adams’s picture was taken: “We regret releasing a photo of Amy Adams with a Valentino bag. Unaware of the circumstances it was a mistake and we apologize to Ms. Adams.” But social media has already reacted unfavorably to the company, calling the press release, among other things, “tasteless.”
There is no word yet on if any action will be taken against Khosla, who clearly should have investigated how and where the pictures were taken before sending out a press release. Adams is currently doing the press rounds for her latest film release, American Hustle, which is nominated for 10 Academy Awards this year, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Adams for Best Leading Actress.
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com