I wondered a few weeks back how openly gay publicist Howard Bragman felt about repping Isiah Washington, particularly in light of his client's recent interviews where he hangs everyone out to dry...except himself. Bragman - of Fifteen Minutes Public Relations - speaks in the current issue of the Los Angeles Business Journal.
Of the controversial Washington he says: "I adore Isaiah. Before any of this happened, a mutual friend said “You should talk to Isaiah,” so I did. We talked on the phone for hours and met for breakfast for two hours. My biggest issue was that I didn’t want to represent someone who is homophobic. His history, his life – I’ve met his friends, his family – this man is not homophobic. Somebody who’s homophobic does not play gay in movies, does not have gay friends. I think Isaiah has more gay friends than I do. I do not think he is homophobic; I couldn’t. I believe he really used the wrong word in a situation and he will acknowledge that."
OK, if he says so.
Anyway, Bragman also comments on the celebrity of Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears who seriously annoy me: "They’ll be replaced. Right now, it’s like a reality show, and it moves so fast. People like to follow it. The magazines like People and US and OK, they are really smart because they pick about a dozen characters – Angelina, Brad, Jennifer, Britney Lindsay, Paris – because people’s attention is limited. And we continue to follow these people, in spite of the fact that we should be paying attention to other things and other people. And it will continue until the ratings go down, in whatever way."