Maggie's Farm

From the Financial Times on Hollywood’s Pellicano scandal:

“The scandal in Hollywood, by contrast, is about that community’s special currency, deal-making leverage. The leading man is Anthony Pellicano, a private investigator, who has been indicted for bribery, racketeering and illegal wiretapping. Mr Pellicano is alleged to have secretly listened in on celebrities and entertainment industry figures, including Nicole Kidman (when she was divorcing Tom Cruise), on behalf of industry big shots. At issue in the ongoing investigation is whether the agents and studio executives who hired Mr Pellicano to gain the upper hand in their negotiations and lawsuits understood his methods.

 “It may be far from routine for Hollywood bigwigs to stick spies on their enemies or send goons to intimidate prying journalists, as is alleged in this case, but the ruthlessness and aggression that prompted producers, agents and L.A. lawyers to hire Mr Pellicano are perfectly normal in Hollywood. This is merely a hyperbolic expression of the narcissism and paranoia that characterise the movie mogul’s relentless drive for dominance in pursuit of mediocrity.”