This archive report was first published on 29 July 2019.
Published on July 29, 2019, a shocking revelation has come to light in the Hollywood entertainment industry. A veteran publicist has exposed the truth about fake celebrity romances, used to generate hype around a star's new project and distract from negative headlines.
According to Jack Ketsoyan, a former publicist who admits to staging two relationships during his career, fake relationships are a common practice in Hollywood. He revealed that stars often sign 'love contracts' that require them to 'date' for at least a year, which can lead to a significant career boost.
One major female celebrity, who remains unnamed, is said to have benefited from such an arrangement and is now a 'household name'. Jack explained that fake relationships were once used to cover up the fact a popular actor was gay, but now it's all about generating 'hype'.
'It's to be able to sell the hype of it – whether [it's] a concert, album… or getting people to go to see the movie, it all about the hype at the moment,' Jack said in an interview.
He also pointed out that the social media world has made it easier for fake relationships to spread quickly, as 'nobody is reading magazines as they used to, things spread like wildfire'. Hollywood is a small town, and people talk.
While celebrities are reluctant to admit to faking relationships, Steve-O has claimed that his 'fling' with Nicole Richie in 2006 was just for publicity. He told The Howard Stern Show that the relationship was a 'big publicity stunt' and that Nicole would often call the paparazzi to get them to follow them.
Other instances of fake relationships include British pageant queen Amy Willerton's experience with reality star Joey Essex on I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2013, and former Married At First Sight stars Jessika Power and Nick Furphy, who have been accused of faking their relationship for publicity. However, Jessika insists that their romance is genuine.
