April 30, 2025 • 22 mins
A football legend avoids the one question everyone’s asking. A Hollywood power couple frames advocacy through a lens that feels just a little too curated. And a trusted draft analyst unravels on-air when his favorite prospect freefalls. This episode covers three high-profile figures—Bill Belichick, Blake Lively, and Mel Kiper Jr.—each caught in a reputational storm of their own making.
The instinct to protect ego is understandable—but it’s also where most people go wrong. When public figures refuse to adapt or acknowledge the obvious, they don’t protect their image—they invite scrutiny. Whether it’s personal relationships, unresolved legal issues, or professional misfires, the damage isn’t just in the mistake. It’s in pretending the mistake doesn’t exist.
- Silence isn't strategy—it’s speculation fuel
- Doubling down rarely works when credibility’s at stake
- The Streisand Effect is still undefeated
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Molly McPherson (00:00):
We've all felt it.
That moment after the mistakeDo you own it or do you dig in
that powerful instinct tojustify, deflect and double down
, whispering just push harder,keep going, it will fix itself.
It's also dangerously seductive.
(00:21):
It's also a deeply human reflex.
But let's be clear, it's oftendisastrous.
A speech at a gala, a legendaryfootball coach in a
relationship with a 23-year-oldand a veteran ESPN
prognosticator who went nuclearafter a Colorado quarterback
(00:43):
plummeted to the fifth roundit's an instinct to protect ego,
but it's the wrong one.
Whether you're trending or justtrying to save face in a group
chat, the rules of reputationare the same.
Welcome back to the PRBreakdown, your weekly deep dive
into the PR.
Disasters, image meltdowns andthe reputation fails hiding in
(01:08):
plain sight.
I'm your host, molly McPherson,and each week I'll dissect some
of the headlines, spot thecracks in the spin and ask how
did this go so wrong?
And boy, do I have one thisweek.
Because, let's be honest,everyone life is PR and we could
(01:29):
all use a little crisismanagement.
Let's get into it.
Did you happen to watch theinterview on CBS Mornings with
former NFL coach, now UNC coach,bill Belichick, now in my home
Patriots coach?
He was revered and for a reason.
He's second in all-timevictories and he holds a record
(01:51):
six Super Bowl wins.
I'm betting most of you watchedthe Super Bowl wins but not the
interview at least the fullinterview on CBS, but I am
certain you heard about it.
If you did not watch theinterview, would you be
surprised to learn thatBelichick has a new book coming
(02:11):
out?
I was.
I had no idea.
The book titled the Art ofWinning Lessons from my Life in
Football.
There was a reason why thattitle fell way below the
headline, because there's onlyone story about Bill Belichick
that everyone is talking about.
This is what you missed Homageto the hoodie.
(02:34):
Belichick was wearing a Navysweatshirt, had holes all over
it.
A nod to his father, who was anassistant coach for the Naval
Academy football team.
Very on brand for him.
He also talked about Tom Bradyand there was some commentary on
the owner of the Patriots,robert Kraft.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Do you feel like you were treated with dignity and
respect when you were let go byRobert Kraft?
Yeah well, it was a mutualdecision for us to part ways.
Molly McPherson (03:18):
He said fired it was a mutual decision.
Oof, that's harsh.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
But here's the part that you definitely heard about.
You have Jordan right overthere.
Everybody in the world seems tobe following this relationship.
They've got an opinion aboutyour private life.
It's got nothing to do withthem, but they're invested in it
.
How do you deal with that?
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Never been too worried about what everybody
else thinks.
Just try to do what I feel likeis best for me and what's right
.
How did you guys meet?
Speaker 4 (03:41):
Not talking about this.
Speaker 5 (03:43):
No.
Molly McPherson (03:43):
No, now let's be clear.
This isn't a morality podcast.
Love is love, but when theinternet gets their hands on a
story like this, resistance isfutile.
Now I get it.
Belichick's brand is that hegives zero Fs.
He famously hates interviews Fs.
(04:09):
He famously hates interviews.
He wears crappy sweatshirts,bad wardrobe, totally on brand.
Now does Bill Belichick owe usan explanation on his girlfriend
?
No, but now he's doubling downon his relationship with Jordan
Hudson.
The guy is entitled to privacy,but the problem is he's someone
(04:29):
who's still in the spotlight,who needs a little oomph behind
him.
After all, he has a book.
He's no longer in the NFL, he'scoaching at UNC.
Bill Belichick still needs alot of that juice behind him.
He needs that image that he is,this legendary coach who's now
(04:49):
decided to take a step intocollege.
The money that is going into theUNC program has to be backed up
with image and reputation, butwhen there is something that is
impacting his reputation likethis, well then you gotta come
through and explain thisrelationship.
When it is someone who isnearly 50 years younger than
(05:15):
than Bill Belichick, jordanHudson graduated from
Bridgewater State not that longago.
When they met back in 2021, shewas 19 years old?
She's 23 years old, like she'sthe age of my daughter.
If my daughter were to comehome with Bill Belichick, you
(05:37):
don't think that, as a parent,as anyone who would know her,
would have an opinion?
Of course everyone in theirlives have opinion, so why
wouldn't the public have one aswell?
They're all over social media.
Listen to how Bill explains it.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
You joined Instaface, as you put it.
I love that.
There's some great pictures ofyou in Jordan where you're a
fisherman and she's a mermaid.
It's that there's some greatpictures of you and Jordan where
you're a fisherman and she's amermaid.
It's charming.
It's a different side of you.
What's the reaction been like?
What's it been like To havethese different sort of photos?
There's another one whereyou're doing I know you're not
into meditation or yoga orPilates You're balancing Jordan
(06:17):
on your feet and she's doingkind of the Titanic pose.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Yes, so I'm on some of those social media platforms
but I honestly don't follow them.
Let's say, I enjoy football.
I enjoy the whole process of it.
Molly McPherson (06:35):
Jordan calls herself a social media
influencer.
Sorry, but if you're a coach, a70-something coach, and you are
now trying to rebrand yourselfas a college coach
extraordinaire and you want tosell this book on the art of
football, I think the public hasevery single right to start
asking questions.
When Bill Belichick does this,is that really going to make the
(06:59):
story go away?
He's putting a lot of faithinto his girlfriend.
Next, the setup At the 2025Time 100.
Gala Blake Lively stoodalongside her mother and
delivered a speech that walked atightrope between personal
revelation of her mother andcalculated omission.
(07:20):
Take a listen to part of thespeech.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
I have so much to say about the last two years of my
life, but tonight is not theforum.
She is a survivor of the worstcrime someone can commit against
a woman.
My mom never got justice fromher work acquaintance who
attempted to take her life whenshe was the mother of three
young kids years before I wasborn.
Molly McPherson (07:44):
It's not for us to have shame, it's for them
Never underestimate a woman'sability to endure pain, her
mother's survival of a traumaticattack as a bit of an emblem of
female resilience, whilesidestepping direct mention of
(08:06):
her own ongoing legal battlewith her former co-star, justin
Baldoni, whom she accused ofsexual harassment and
retaliation.
Is that case still movingforward?
Oh, yes, it is.
So every move that we see fromBlake Lively and her husband,
ryan Reynolds you've heard metalk about them in the past many
times on this podcast and onsocial media the reason is
(08:29):
because they don't stop.
These PR moves are anotherversion of doubling down on a
victim narrative that BlakeLively is 100% the victim.
This was a speech that shiftedthe room, revealing that her mom
had survived an attack by awork acquaintance before Blake
(08:49):
was born.
She spoke of her mother's quoteundeserved shame end quote and
the power of hearing anothersurvivor's story A moment that
she implied saved her mother'slife, quote never underestimate
a woman's ability to endure painend quote.
Her voice was sending a veryclear message and it was no
(09:12):
longer about her mother's pain.
It was very much about BlakeLively's pain.
Because the unspoken context,that speech landed in the middle
of Blake Lively's pain.
Because the unspoken context,that speech landed in the middle
of Blake Lively's very publiclegal battle with.
It Ends With Us co-star JustaBaldoni, whom she has accused of
sexual harassment and he hasdenied the claims and
countersued for defamation.
Though she never mentionsBaldoni by name she never does
(09:35):
nor does her husband, ryanReynolds they always find ways
to reference that time in herlife In her speech.
The reference quote the lasttwo years of my life end quote
hung very heavy in that speechNow in the audience.
If you watch the video, mygoodness, I did a live on
(09:55):
YouTube last week where Iwatched the video with everyone
online.
You can find it on YouTuberight now.
Just head to my channel,youtubecom slash at Molly
McPherson.
The live is right up front.
I break down watchingstep-by-step of that speech and
I had noted during it the peoplebehind her.
(10:16):
It was very similar to watchingRyan Reynolds at the SNL 50th
anniversary the people behindhim nodding in approval, either
in the SNL piece or in this Time100 address that Blake Lively
(10:37):
was giving.
Everyone is a mix betweenshell-shocked, confused,
incredulous.
Nobody is supporting them inthe background.
What made this speech even moreproblematic, not just for me,
but for a lot of people onlineTime 100's list of the most
influential people of 2025,.
I was shocked not surprisedthat Blake Lively would be on
(11:00):
the list.
There's certainly a number ofpeople on that list who deserve
to be on it.
They are changemakers.
Then the rest of the list iscompiled of people who just made
news and that's what makes theminfluential.
So I think it's a mix betweeneditorial at Time Magazine but
also publicists heavy handedones looking at you, blake and
Ryan's publicist, getting themin that type of a room that
(11:23):
every person who was nominatedfor this honor had a blurb
online.
The person writing Blake's writeup was Sherilyn Ifill.
She's a civil rights lawyer.
She's also the cousin ofjournalist Gwen Ifill.
She discussed in her pieceLively's attention to school
(11:44):
education learning about theworld and about history also her
philanthropy world and abouthistory also her philanthropy
and a lot of skeptics likemyself noted some of the irony
there.
Donating money around 2019,2020 was a very Hollywood thing
to do.
Also, her connection to theNAACP could time to the negative
(12:11):
outcome from her wedding.
Her and Ryan Reynolds weremarried at the Boone Plantation
in Charleston, south Carolina.
You cannot be surprised that amulti-million dollar A-list
celebrity couple getting marriedon a plantation in an area that
literally is right next toslave quarters.
(12:32):
I know this because I've beenthere.
That's where the weddings are,right next to the slave quarters
.
I think it's very difficult tobe at a wedding on that
plantation without noting that.
So what do they do?
Likely is donate money to theNAACP Legal Defense Fund, and
that's where Sherilyn Ifill camein.
(12:54):
Now one would think livelyspeech might be about.
That had nothing to do withthat.
She didn't even mention Ifill.
She didn't even mention thewrite-up.
Instead she wanted to talkabout the pain of her mother.
She leveraged her mother'sstory for her own story.
And then the optics, hoursafter the gala, lively and Ryan
(13:16):
Reynolds post a jovial selfiebecause now we've moved on to
Ryan's investment.
It's an emotionalcompartmentalization or worse,
even worse, it's justperformative advocacy.
Blake Lively got a lot of griefand frankly, it's well-deserved
.
Blake, and with Ryan Byer'sside, they will refuse to admit
(13:40):
any legal maneuverings againstBaldoni and that their team made
a mistake.
They're going to keep going downAll right.
Next we had the NFL draft andthere was one story that really
took over and that was the fateof Colorado quarterback Shadur
Sanders.
He, of course, is the son offamed NFL player Deion Sanders,
(14:03):
who's also the coach.
There was a lot of interest inthe NFL draft, which the NFL
they love that because Taylorand Travis aren't talking points
anymore, so let's bring thisnarrative in the mix.
But there was one veteran ESPNanalyst who's been long
celebrated for his draft takes.
Speaker 5 (14:23):
This past weekend Mel Kiper bordered on imploding in
on himself like a dying starover Shador Sanders.
He had Shador rated as hisnumber one overall quarterback
and then Shador fell to thefifth round and I don't know how
upset Deion was, but it palesin comparison to how upset Mel
Kuyper was.
Molly McPherson (14:42):
Mel Kuyper faced a lot of scrutiny during
this draft because he was suchan advocate for Sanders.
Such an advocate for Sanders.
Kuyper had Sanders rankednumber five overall, even ahead
of the top pick, cam Ward.
He doubled down on Sanders andthere were a lot of on-air
(15:05):
eruptions.
He said the NFL has beenclueless for 50 years evaluating
QBs.
This is disgusting.
He received a lot of backlashbecause he refused to
acknowledge Sanders' documentedflaws.
There was an assistant coachwho came out not on the record,
it was an anonymous source andit was on background talking
(15:27):
about why Sanders is aquestionable pick, that he has
questionable decision-making,off-field distractions, that
he's arrogant, and there werepeople and colleagues who pushed
back on him saying the NFLteams have legitimate concerns
about him.
Meanwhile, the Cleveland Brownsget Sanders at a steep discount
(15:50):
, which is what they called it.
Get Sanders at a steep discount, which is what they called it.
In addition to the backlash, italso undercuts Kuyper's
narrative and exposes a gapbetween his evaluation prowess
and the league-wide skepticism.
Many people applaud his passion,which is great.
Everyone loves passion insports but there are a lot of
(16:11):
scouts out there and a lot offans who criticized his blurred
objectivity Someone just diggingtheir heels in, and when you
refuse to give in, it becomes areferendum on one's own
credibility.
Looking at these three stories,the mistake Bill Belichick
refuses to address, the onething that makes him interesting
(16:33):
right now this is what I wouldtell him to do Lean into the
curiosity about her.
Bill Belichick doubling down onnot wanting to give in to the
public's curiosity and themedia's curiosity about his
girlfriend.
Instead, he'll talk more aboutRobert Kraft, someone he doesn't
(16:53):
even talk about.
He avoids it completely.
It's not even in his book.
Yet he talked more about RobertKraft than he did about his
girlfriend, and he lets hisinfluencer, girlfriend Jordan,
dominate the spotlight while hetries to remain silent but he's
not because he's on a publicitytour.
The fallout it's the Streisandeffect in full swing.
If you're not familiar with it,yes, it's that Streisand.
(17:16):
It's Barbara Streisand.
Years ago, when there werephotographs of her home online
and she was trying to find legalremedies for no one talking
about it online anymore.
Well, guess what happened?
Everybody talked about herproperty online and posted
photos.
That's why, when you hear ofthe Streisand effect, it's a
very bad thing.
This girlfriend is going to bea part of his permanent record.
(17:38):
Now.
It's going to be a part of hisreputational legacy.
Dating someone much youngerthan you okay, there's nothing
necessarily wrong with that.
But to try and dismiss it as atalking point and again it's
like looking down at the publicfor being curious.
No, bill, everyone's curious.
The psychology ego projectionI'm Bill Belichick.
(17:59):
I don't have to explain myself.
The illusion of control,believing silence equals power
when it actually is creates morespeculation and the audience
capture.
His brand was built on nodistraction, but now he and his
girlfriend are the distractions.
(18:20):
The lesson you can't do yourjob if you're too busy
pretending the job hasn'tchanged.
If Belichick fails at UNC, itwon't just be about the X's and
the O's, it will be about alegend who forgot that even
icons have to adapt.
Blake Lively the mistake usingher mother's trauma to deflect
(18:42):
from her legal battle withJustin Baldoni, the Double Down.
Lively leveraged her mother'spain as her own pain and framed
criticism as cruelty.
The internet is split, butthere are more people who see
through Blake Lively and RyanReynolds.
They are losing reputationalgoodwill Every time they show up
.
They make it worse.
(19:03):
They keep doubling down onadvocacy when it's really more
like exploitation.
The psychology, moral licensing.
She's saying I'm a good personbecause I support survivors, so
my motives can't be questioned.
And also the Streisand effectEvery time, blake and Ryan
ignore anything about JustinBaldoni and the feud makes it
(19:26):
the only thing that peoplediscuss.
And the lesson if you're in aPR hole, stop digging.
And the lesson If you're in aPR hole, stop digging.
Mel Kuyper Jr all right, heflubbed a pick.
He called someone a top fivepick when there were glaring
flaws with the player.
The double down blaming theentire NFL when Sanders fell
(19:49):
round after round after roundthe fallout.
Other analysts question ifKuyper cared more about being
right than being accurate.
The psychology thereconfirmation bias Kuyper ignored
stats that didn't fit hisnarrative.
Also, ego projection Saying theleague is wrong is much easier
(20:12):
than saying I am wrong.
He let emotion take overanalysis.
The common thread in all threecases silence isn't strategy.
He risks looking out of touch.
When Blake Lively ignores her PRcrisis, she only makes it worse
(20:34):
.
And when Mel Kuyper ignores hisbad evaluation, it changes his
legacy.
Why do smart people make dumbdefensive moves?
All three examples fell intothe same trap.
The sunk cost fallacy I'veinvested too much to quit now.
Cognitive dissonance if I'mwrong, what does that say about
(20:55):
me and this idea of audiencecapture.
My fans expect this version ofme.
All Belichick needs to do isjust acknowledge the
relationship, acknowledge thatit's a little bit different.
Lively really should addressthe case head on.
Lively really should addressthe case head on.
That would go a long way inrepairing her image.
(21:16):
Every event, every interviewwhere she doesn't address it
directly, she's harming herbrand, along with her husband,
ryan Reynolds and Kuyper.
All he needs to say issomething simple.
Here's where I miss JudgeSanders.
People are going to admire it.
The real takeaway the quickeryou face your mistake, the
(21:39):
quicker you control thenarrative.
Whether you're a legendarycoach, an A-lister or a draft
guru, there's only one thingmore damaging than being wrong.
It's pretending you aren't.
Or, as Belichick once put it doyour job, and sometimes the job
is simply saying I was wrong.
That's it for this week.
You can find my extendedcommentary and weekly media
breakdowns on my sub stack,prbreakdownmedia, or you can
(22:03):
follow me there on sub stack atMolly McPherson.
Members of my sub stack haveaccess to exclusive workshops
for comms and PR pros, moreoff-the-record takes and
exclusive lives.
You're going to get the PRupdates you won't find anywhere
else.
Thanks so much for listening.
Bye for now.
We've all felt it.
That moment after the mistakeDo you own it or do you dig in
that powerful instinct tojustify, deflect and double down
, whispering just push harder,keep going, it will fix itself.
It's also dangerously seductive.
(00:21):
It's also a deeply human reflex.
But let's be clear, it's oftendisastrous.
A speech at a gala, a legendaryfootball coach in a
relationship with a 23-year-oldand a veteran ESPN
prognosticator who went nuclearafter a Colorado quarterback
(00:43):
plummeted to the fifth roundit's an instinct to protect ego,
but it's the wrong one.
Whether you're trending or justtrying to save face in a group
chat, the rules of reputationare the same.
Welcome back to the PRBreakdown, your weekly deep dive
into the PR.
Disasters, image meltdowns andthe reputation fails hiding in
(01:08):
plain sight.
I'm your host, molly McPherson,and each week I'll dissect some
of the headlines, spot thecracks in the spin and ask how
did this go so wrong?
And boy, do I have one thisweek.
Because, let's be honest,everyone life is PR and we could
(01:29):
all use a little crisismanagement.
Let's get into it.
Did you happen to watch theinterview on CBS Mornings with
former NFL coach, now UNC coach,bill Belichick, now in my home
Patriots coach?
He was revered and for a reason.
He's second in all-timevictories and he holds a record
(01:51):
six Super Bowl wins.
I'm betting most of you watchedthe Super Bowl wins but not the
interview at least the fullinterview on CBS, but I am
certain you heard about it.
If you did not watch theinterview, would you be
surprised to learn thatBelichick has a new book coming
(02:11):
out?
I was.
I had no idea.
The book titled the Art ofWinning Lessons from my Life in
Football.
There was a reason why thattitle fell way below the
headline, because there's onlyone story about Bill Belichick
that everyone is talking about.
This is what you missed Homageto the hoodie.
(02:34):
Belichick was wearing a Navysweatshirt, had holes all over
it.
A nod to his father, who was anassistant coach for the Naval
Academy football team.
Very on brand for him.
He also talked about Tom Bradyand there was some commentary on
the owner of the Patriots,robert Kraft.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Do you feel like you were treated with dignity and
respect when you were let go byRobert Kraft?
Yeah well, it was a mutualdecision for us to part ways.
Molly McPherson (03:18):
He said fired it was a mutual decision.
Oof, that's harsh.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
But here's the part that you definitely heard about.
You have Jordan right overthere.
Everybody in the world seems tobe following this relationship.
They've got an opinion aboutyour private life.
It's got nothing to do withthem, but they're invested in it
.
How do you deal with that?
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Never been too worried about what everybody
else thinks.
Just try to do what I feel likeis best for me and what's right
.
How did you guys meet?
Speaker 4 (03:41):
Not talking about this.
Speaker 5 (03:43):
No.
Molly McPherson (03:43):
No, now let's be clear.
This isn't a morality podcast.
Love is love, but when theinternet gets their hands on a
story like this, resistance isfutile.
Now I get it.
Belichick's brand is that hegives zero Fs.
He famously hates interviews Fs.
(04:09):
He famously hates interviews.
He wears crappy sweatshirts,bad wardrobe, totally on brand.
Now does Bill Belichick owe usan explanation on his girlfriend
?
No, but now he's doubling downon his relationship with Jordan
Hudson.
The guy is entitled to privacy,but the problem is he's someone
(04:29):
who's still in the spotlight,who needs a little oomph behind
him.
After all, he has a book.
He's no longer in the NFL, he'scoaching at UNC.
Bill Belichick still needs alot of that juice behind him.
He needs that image that he is,this legendary coach who's now
(04:49):
decided to take a step intocollege.
The money that is going into theUNC program has to be backed up
with image and reputation, butwhen there is something that is
impacting his reputation likethis, well then you gotta come
through and explain thisrelationship.
When it is someone who isnearly 50 years younger than
(05:15):
than Bill Belichick, jordanHudson graduated from
Bridgewater State not that longago.
When they met back in 2021, shewas 19 years old?
She's 23 years old, like she'sthe age of my daughter.
If my daughter were to comehome with Bill Belichick, you
(05:37):
don't think that, as a parent,as anyone who would know her,
would have an opinion?
Of course everyone in theirlives have opinion, so why
wouldn't the public have one aswell?
They're all over social media.
Listen to how Bill explains it.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
You joined Instaface, as you put it.
I love that.
There's some great pictures ofyou in Jordan where you're a
fisherman and she's a mermaid.
It's that there's some greatpictures of you and Jordan where
you're a fisherman and she's amermaid.
It's charming.
It's a different side of you.
What's the reaction been like?
What's it been like To havethese different sort of photos?
There's another one whereyou're doing I know you're not
into meditation or yoga orPilates You're balancing Jordan
(06:17):
on your feet and she's doingkind of the Titanic pose.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Yes, so I'm on some of those social media platforms
but I honestly don't follow them.
Let's say, I enjoy football.
I enjoy the whole process of it.
Molly McPherson (06:35):
Jordan calls herself a social media
influencer.
Sorry, but if you're a coach, a70-something coach, and you are
now trying to rebrand yourselfas a college coach
extraordinaire and you want tosell this book on the art of
football, I think the public hasevery single right to start
asking questions.
When Bill Belichick does this,is that really going to make the
(06:59):
story go away?
He's putting a lot of faithinto his girlfriend.
Next, the setup At the 2025Time 100.
Gala Blake Lively stoodalongside her mother and
delivered a speech that walked atightrope between personal
revelation of her mother andcalculated omission.
(07:20):
Take a listen to part of thespeech.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
I have so much to say about the last two years of my
life, but tonight is not theforum.
She is a survivor of the worstcrime someone can commit against
a woman.
My mom never got justice fromher work acquaintance who
attempted to take her life whenshe was the mother of three
young kids years before I wasborn.
Molly McPherson (07:44):
It's not for us to have shame, it's for them
Never underestimate a woman'sability to endure pain, her
mother's survival of a traumaticattack as a bit of an emblem of
female resilience, whilesidestepping direct mention of
(08:06):
her own ongoing legal battlewith her former co-star, justin
Baldoni, whom she accused ofsexual harassment and
retaliation.
Is that case still movingforward?
Oh, yes, it is.
So every move that we see fromBlake Lively and her husband,
ryan Reynolds you've heard metalk about them in the past many
times on this podcast and onsocial media the reason is
(08:29):
because they don't stop.
These PR moves are anotherversion of doubling down on a
victim narrative that BlakeLively is 100% the victim.
This was a speech that shiftedthe room, revealing that her mom
had survived an attack by awork acquaintance before Blake
(08:49):
was born.
She spoke of her mother's quoteundeserved shame end quote and
the power of hearing anothersurvivor's story A moment that
she implied saved her mother'slife, quote never underestimate
a woman's ability to endure painend quote.
Her voice was sending a veryclear message and it was no
(09:12):
longer about her mother's pain.
It was very much about BlakeLively's pain.
Because the unspoken context,that speech landed in the middle
of Blake Lively's pain.
Because the unspoken context,that speech landed in the middle
of Blake Lively's very publiclegal battle with.
It Ends With Us co-star JustaBaldoni, whom she has accused of
sexual harassment and he hasdenied the claims and
countersued for defamation.
Though she never mentionsBaldoni by name she never does
(09:35):
nor does her husband, ryanReynolds they always find ways
to reference that time in herlife In her speech.
The reference quote the lasttwo years of my life end quote
hung very heavy in that speechNow in the audience.
If you watch the video, mygoodness, I did a live on
(09:55):
YouTube last week where Iwatched the video with everyone
online.
You can find it on YouTuberight now.
Just head to my channel,youtubecom slash at Molly
McPherson.
The live is right up front.
I break down watchingstep-by-step of that speech and
I had noted during it the peoplebehind her.
(10:16):
It was very similar to watchingRyan Reynolds at the SNL 50th
anniversary the people behindhim nodding in approval, either
in the SNL piece or in this Time100 address that Blake Lively
(10:37):
was giving.
Everyone is a mix betweenshell-shocked, confused,
incredulous.
Nobody is supporting them inthe background.
What made this speech even moreproblematic, not just for me,
but for a lot of people onlineTime 100's list of the most
influential people of 2025,.
I was shocked not surprisedthat Blake Lively would be on
(11:00):
the list.
There's certainly a number ofpeople on that list who deserve
to be on it.
They are changemakers.
Then the rest of the list iscompiled of people who just made
news and that's what makes theminfluential.
So I think it's a mix betweeneditorial at Time Magazine but
also publicists heavy handedones looking at you, blake and
Ryan's publicist, getting themin that type of a room that
(11:23):
every person who was nominatedfor this honor had a blurb
online.
The person writing Blake's writeup was Sherilyn Ifill.
She's a civil rights lawyer.
She's also the cousin ofjournalist Gwen Ifill.
She discussed in her pieceLively's attention to school
(11:44):
education learning about theworld and about history also her
philanthropy world and abouthistory also her philanthropy
and a lot of skeptics likemyself noted some of the irony
there.
Donating money around 2019,2020 was a very Hollywood thing
to do.
Also, her connection to theNAACP could time to the negative
(12:11):
outcome from her wedding.
Her and Ryan Reynolds weremarried at the Boone Plantation
in Charleston, south Carolina.
You cannot be surprised that amulti-million dollar A-list
celebrity couple getting marriedon a plantation in an area that
literally is right next toslave quarters.
(12:32):
I know this because I've beenthere.
That's where the weddings are,right next to the slave quarters
.
I think it's very difficult tobe at a wedding on that
plantation without noting that.
So what do they do?
Likely is donate money to theNAACP Legal Defense Fund, and
that's where Sherilyn Ifill camein.
(12:54):
Now one would think livelyspeech might be about.
That had nothing to do withthat.
She didn't even mention Ifill.
She didn't even mention thewrite-up.
Instead she wanted to talkabout the pain of her mother.
She leveraged her mother'sstory for her own story.
And then the optics, hoursafter the gala, lively and Ryan
(13:16):
Reynolds post a jovial selfiebecause now we've moved on to
Ryan's investment.
It's an emotionalcompartmentalization or worse,
even worse, it's justperformative advocacy.
Blake Lively got a lot of griefand frankly, it's well-deserved
.
Blake, and with Ryan Byer'sside, they will refuse to admit
(13:40):
any legal maneuverings againstBaldoni and that their team made
a mistake.
They're going to keep going downAll right.
Next we had the NFL draft andthere was one story that really
took over and that was the fateof Colorado quarterback Shadur
Sanders.
He, of course, is the son offamed NFL player Deion Sanders,
(14:03):
who's also the coach.
There was a lot of interest inthe NFL draft, which the NFL
they love that because Taylorand Travis aren't talking points
anymore, so let's bring thisnarrative in the mix.
But there was one veteran ESPNanalyst who's been long
celebrated for his draft takes.
Speaker 5 (14:23):
This past weekend Mel Kiper bordered on imploding in
on himself like a dying starover Shador Sanders.
He had Shador rated as hisnumber one overall quarterback
and then Shador fell to thefifth round and I don't know how
upset Deion was, but it palesin comparison to how upset Mel
Kuyper was.
Molly McPherson (14:42):
Mel Kuyper faced a lot of scrutiny during
this draft because he was suchan advocate for Sanders.
Such an advocate for Sanders.
Kuyper had Sanders rankednumber five overall, even ahead
of the top pick, cam Ward.
He doubled down on Sanders andthere were a lot of on-air
(15:05):
eruptions.
He said the NFL has beenclueless for 50 years evaluating
QBs.
This is disgusting.
He received a lot of backlashbecause he refused to
acknowledge Sanders' documentedflaws.
There was an assistant coachwho came out not on the record,
it was an anonymous source andit was on background talking
(15:27):
about why Sanders is aquestionable pick, that he has
questionable decision-making,off-field distractions, that
he's arrogant, and there werepeople and colleagues who pushed
back on him saying the NFLteams have legitimate concerns
about him.
Meanwhile, the Cleveland Brownsget Sanders at a steep discount
(15:50):
, which is what they called it.
Get Sanders at a steep discount, which is what they called it.
In addition to the backlash, italso undercuts Kuyper's
narrative and exposes a gapbetween his evaluation prowess
and the league-wide skepticism.
Many people applaud his passion,which is great.
Everyone loves passion insports but there are a lot of
(16:11):
scouts out there and a lot offans who criticized his blurred
objectivity Someone just diggingtheir heels in, and when you
refuse to give in, it becomes areferendum on one's own
credibility.
Looking at these three stories,the mistake Bill Belichick
refuses to address, the onething that makes him interesting
(16:33):
right now this is what I wouldtell him to do Lean into the
curiosity about her.
Bill Belichick doubling down onnot wanting to give in to the
public's curiosity and themedia's curiosity about his
girlfriend.
Instead, he'll talk more aboutRobert Kraft, someone he doesn't
(16:53):
even talk about.
He avoids it completely.
It's not even in his book.
Yet he talked more about RobertKraft than he did about his
girlfriend, and he lets hisinfluencer, girlfriend Jordan,
dominate the spotlight while hetries to remain silent but he's
not because he's on a publicitytour.
The fallout it's the Streisandeffect in full swing.
If you're not familiar with it,yes, it's that Streisand.
(17:16):
It's Barbara Streisand.
Years ago, when there werephotographs of her home online
and she was trying to find legalremedies for no one talking
about it online anymore.
Well, guess what happened?
Everybody talked about herproperty online and posted
photos.
That's why, when you hear ofthe Streisand effect, it's a
very bad thing.
This girlfriend is going to bea part of his permanent record.
(17:38):
Now.
It's going to be a part of hisreputational legacy.
Dating someone much youngerthan you okay, there's nothing
necessarily wrong with that.
But to try and dismiss it as atalking point and again it's
like looking down at the publicfor being curious.
No, bill, everyone's curious.
The psychology ego projectionI'm Bill Belichick.
(17:59):
I don't have to explain myself.
The illusion of control,believing silence equals power
when it actually is creates morespeculation and the audience
capture.
His brand was built on nodistraction, but now he and his
girlfriend are the distractions.
(18:20):
The lesson you can't do yourjob if you're too busy
pretending the job hasn'tchanged.
If Belichick fails at UNC, itwon't just be about the X's and
the O's, it will be about alegend who forgot that even
icons have to adapt.
Blake Lively the mistake usingher mother's trauma to deflect
(18:42):
from her legal battle withJustin Baldoni, the Double Down.
Lively leveraged her mother'spain as her own pain and framed
criticism as cruelty.
The internet is split, butthere are more people who see
through Blake Lively and RyanReynolds.
They are losing reputationalgoodwill Every time they show up
.
They make it worse.
(19:03):
They keep doubling down onadvocacy when it's really more
like exploitation.
The psychology, moral licensing.
She's saying I'm a good personbecause I support survivors, so
my motives can't be questioned.
And also the Streisand effectEvery time, blake and Ryan
ignore anything about JustinBaldoni and the feud makes it
(19:26):
the only thing that peoplediscuss.
And the lesson if you're in aPR hole, stop digging.
And the lesson If you're in aPR hole, stop digging.
Mel Kuyper Jr all right, heflubbed a pick.
He called someone a top fivepick when there were glaring
flaws with the player.
The double down blaming theentire NFL when Sanders fell
(19:49):
round after round after roundthe fallout.
Other analysts question ifKuyper cared more about being
right than being accurate.
The psychology thereconfirmation bias Kuyper ignored
stats that didn't fit hisnarrative.
Also, ego projection Saying theleague is wrong is much easier
(20:12):
than saying I am wrong.
He let emotion take overanalysis.
The common thread in all threecases silence isn't strategy.
He risks looking out of touch.
When Blake Lively ignores her PRcrisis, she only makes it worse
(20:34):
.
And when Mel Kuyper ignores hisbad evaluation, it changes his
legacy.
Why do smart people make dumbdefensive moves?
All three examples fell intothe same trap.
The sunk cost fallacy I'veinvested too much to quit now.
Cognitive dissonance if I'mwrong, what does that say about
(20:55):
me and this idea of audiencecapture.
My fans expect this version ofme.
All Belichick needs to do isjust acknowledge the
relationship, acknowledge thatit's a little bit different.
Lively really should addressthe case head on.
Lively really should addressthe case head on.
That would go a long way inrepairing her image.
(21:16):
Every event, every interviewwhere she doesn't address it
directly, she's harming herbrand, along with her husband,
ryan Reynolds and Kuyper.
All he needs to say issomething simple.
Here's where I miss JudgeSanders.
People are going to admire it.
The real takeaway the quickeryou face your mistake, the
(21:39):
quicker you control thenarrative.
Whether you're a legendarycoach, an A-lister or a draft
guru, there's only one thingmore damaging than being wrong.
It's pretending you aren't.
Or, as Belichick once put it doyour job, and sometimes the job
is simply saying I was wrong.
That's it for this week.
You can find my extendedcommentary and weekly media
breakdowns on my sub stack,prbreakdownmedia, or you can
(22:03):
follow me there on sub stack atMolly McPherson.
Members of my sub stack haveaccess to exclusive workshops
for comms and PR pros, moreoff-the-record takes and
exclusive lives.
You're going to get the PRupdates you won't find anywhere
else.
Thanks so much for listening.
Bye for now.
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