I am Hollywood

[Chapter 1134: Talk Show Response]

Manhattan.

In the late morning, at a cafe inside the Rockefeller Center.

After waiting for more than ten minutes, Stephanie Seymour finally spotted Cindy Crawford walking in casually dressed with a tote bag. She eagerly stood up and stepped forward, saying, "Hi, Cindy! How have you been?"

"Doing great, how about you?"

Cindy embraced Stephanie and set her bag down as she took a seat in the booth.

"Not too bad," Stephanie nodded and waved over a waiter. Leaning in slightly, she lowered her voice and asked, "Did you hear about it?"

"Just a glass of water for me, thanks," Cindy instructed the waiter, then smiled at Stephanie, asking, "Hear about what?"

"Come on," Stephanie made a vague gesture and quickly laughed, "You must know! So, what's your relationship with him like now?"

"Pretty good, but can you tone down the gossiping?"

Though Cindy's tone was casual, Stephanie clearly detected a hint of satisfaction in it, which stirred a twinge of jealousy within her. She recalled their last encounter and that unapologetic slap, eliciting a grinding of her teeth.

"Honestly, even if you aren't into other guys right now, it wouldn't hurt to be with Linda. Why persist with him? He's just a playboy. Look at what he did yesterday; he made everyone's life miserable trying to hide his own mess. Peter had to hold a meeting just to warn the heads of the company's newspapers and magazines not to provoke him. What a bastard."

The waiter brought over a glass of water, and Cindy took a sip before chuckling, "Alright, stop badmouthing him behind his back. Be careful, or he'll find out and get you."

Stephanie instinctively glanced around, feeling a bit embarrassed about her reaction, then said, "How could he do anything to me now? I'm not a Victoria's Secret Angel anymore."

Cindy placed her glass down and changed the subject, asking, "What have you been busy with lately?"

At this question, Stephanie's expression soured a bit. "What can I do? Looking after the kids, taking on occasional jobs. I'm about to become a house pet."

"I saw your cover shoot for ELLE last month; you've been looking great."

"It caused a huge fight with Peter just to get that cover."

"Oh? So he doesn't want you to work anymore?"

Stephanie didn't understand why Cindy had suddenly asked this but replied, "Isn't that how men are? They'd rather keep us cooped up at home."

Cindy's expression showed some hesitation at Stephanie's words.

But then Stephanie understood. "Cindy, are you here for a specific reason?"

Cindy thought it over and nodded, saying, "I'm looking for a new host for America's Next Top Model."

"Ah?!"

Stephanie's eyes widened in surprise. The one thing she envied Cindy the most was that, even though both had technically reached retirement age, Cindy still held a popular reality gig.

The truth was, America's Next Top Model not only provided Cindy with a lucrative, steady income but also kept her in the public eye, which was crucial. For models, endorsements were the main source of income. But only by maintaining popularity would advertisers consider you for endorsement deals.

Now, Cindy casually mentioning stepping down as the host was shocking to Stephanie.

Although five years had passed, America's Next Top Model was airing its eighth season, and the show remained at its peak in both popularity and ratings. The first few episodes of the latest season pulled in over six million viewers, averaging over five million -- numbers that no other fashion reality shows could come close to.

Many media outlets had predicted that America's Next Top Model could easily make it to at least twenty seasons, becoming one of the longest-running reality shows.

However, instead of pondering why Cindy suddenly wanted to quit hosting, Stephanie instinctively recognized this was a golden opportunity for her.

So, she was surprised for just a second before she immediately said, "Cindy, are you saying you want me to try out for the host position?"

Cindy nodded and smiled, "If your husband agrees."

"He will definitely agree," Stephanie said without hesitation, then added, "So, what should I do?"

"I must confess, Stephanie, you're just one of the candidates. Although I won't be hosting anymore, I'll still be the producer. I don't want to mess up the show, so if you're interested, I'd like you to record a pilot episode to see how it goes."

Stephanie felt a bit let down but also knew she would do the same in her situation. She quickly nodded, "Sure, Cindy! I appreciate you giving me a shot. Can I ask why you're doing this?"

Cindy shook her head, "I can't say right now."

"Oh, well, forget it," Stephanie was more focused on how to seize this chance. After a moment of thought, she asked, "So, Cindy, can you tell me what I should do?"

"Uh, I don't think we can do that today," Cindy glanced at her watch. "I should head home soon."

"Is it that urgent?" Stephanie asked. "Do you have guests?"

"No, I just, uh," Cindy hesitated then smiled, "I want to go home and watch TV."

"I don't get what you're thinking," Stephanie assumed Cindy was joking and said, "Can I come watch with you? I heard you bought a nice apartment. I haven't visited yet."

"Sure, but we have to hurry."

Without hesitation, after the two women settled the bill, they left the cafe in high spirits.

...

Leaving Rockefeller Center, the two women drove two kilometers north along Madison Avenue and arrived outside Cindy's apartment building on 75th Street.

They parked the car and headed up to the top floor of Cindy's apartment via an internal elevator. As soon as they walked in, Stephanie couldn't help but admire her surroundings. "This place is incredible."

After changing her shoes, Cindy led Stephanie to sit in the living room. Grabbing the remote, she turned on the TV. Since they had some time, she moved to the corner bar to prepare a pot of green tea, joking, "Why should you envy me?"

Stephanie's husband, Peter Brant, had a net worth of a billion dollars. While he might not rival the very top billionaires, he belonged to the upper echelon of society, and his mansions were certainly on par with Cindy's.

"Of course I envy you! You earned all this yourself," Stephanie said from the sofa, turning to look at her. "If I could earn money like you, I wouldn't want to rely on a man."

"But I rely on a man too."

"That's not the same," Stephanie thought of a certain someone again but added, "That guy, while annoying at times, is actually better than most men in many ways."

Cindy smiled, "He's obviously better than all men. Show me another billionaire with a $400 billion fortune."

"If I found a second one, I'd definitely hide it," Stephanie joked, then marveled, "But $400 billion? I wouldn't even know how to spend that. Have you ever been on his private jet? I heard he bought three Boeing 747s at once. What a flash!"

"Don't be so salty," Cindy brought over the pot of green tea, pouring herself and Stephanie a cup before glancing at the TV screen. "He seems to have a fear of confined spaces and doesn't like being in small areas for long, so he flies in larger planes. And honestly, for his wealth, a few 747s aren't a big deal. It's like having a net worth of $10 million and casually spending $10,000 on jewelry -- pretty normal."

Stephanie held the green tea Cindy passed to her, feeling it was a bit too hot, and set it down on the coffee table. "Why are you always defending him when he's not even here?"

Cindy chuckled lightly, "It's a matter of perspective. Would you speak badly about Peter in front of others?"

"What do you want me to say? I'll say it to you."

Cindy rolled her eyes, "I could care less to hear."

...

The clock was nearing ten in the morning. Typically, housewives had sent their husbands off to work and their kids to school and were now free to relax in front of the TV for the remainder of the morning.

Hence, The Oprah Winfrey Show premiered at 10 AM.

Of course, unlike TV shows that have a syndication cycle of several years, The Oprah Winfrey Show replayed across dozens of major networks in North America and overseas within just two days of the premiere, a clear indicator of its immense influence.

They continued chatting, and after another break for ads, the signature opening of The Oprah Winfrey Show appeared on the TV screen.

Initially, Stephanie wasn't too engaged, but when Oprah came out and began introducing that day's guests, it hit her. She turned to Cindy and said, "You rushed back just to catch him on the show? Cindy, you're hopeless!"

Cindy's gaze, however, was fixed on the figure appearing in the studio.

Eric was dressed casually in a light blue shirt and white pants, tall and smiling, radiating a calm demeanor intertwined with a hint of the boy-next-door charm. His good looks combined with a series of prestigious identities made him immensely attractive to the opposite sex.

It wasn't just Cindy who was glued to the screen; Stephanie found herself equally entranced. The female audience members in the studio were completely unfazed by the previous day's news, bursting into excited cheers.

...

Eric and Oprah exchanged brief hugs before sitting down on the sofa.

Oprah patiently looked at the cheering women before finally speaking up, "I know everyone is excited, but if this keeps up, we won't be able to proceed with today's show."

Following her light-hearted remark, the audience quickly settled down.

Once things quieted down, Oprah got straight to the point. "As you might know, just yesterday morning, some news about Eric and his three children broke online." She turned to Eric and asked, "Is that true, Eric?"

Eric nodded, "Yes, regarding the three children, it is true."

"Oh..."

With Eric's affirmation, a low sound of disappointment rolled through the audience.

...

In Cindy's living room, Stephanie couldn't help but comment, "He's so honest, just admitting it like that."

Cindy simply smiled, keeping her eyes glued to the screen.

...

On the television, Oprah wore an appropriately surprised expression, but quickly followed up with, "So, Eric, you're not married and so young but already have three kids. What's it like being a father?"

...

Stephanie's expression shifted slightly as she seemed to grasp something with that question.

In fact, this inquiry had been carefully considered.

While children born out of wedlock and illegitimate children essentially held the same meaning, in the minds of many, children resulting from extramarital affairs carried a slightly pejorative connotation of being "illegitimate." Especially in modern society, where lifestyle attitudes have grown more liberal, many couples are having children before they marry. This trend is increasingly accepted, and both kids and parents rarely face discrimination from others.

Thus, Oprah bringing this point to light was also a subtle hint.

Eric had not married and had simply had children with his girlfriend, meaning his situation didn't warrant the moral condemnation often directed toward men who fathered children through affairs.

However, it also shaded the issue somewhat, given that Eric had children with two different women.

...

In the studio, Eric pondered for a moment before answering, "More than anything, it's a responsibility of being a father, oh, I guess it's three-fold. Although I regard Emma as my own daughter, I still want to clarify that Emma is my adopted daughter, not a child of mine and Julia's. If she were, I would definitely acknowledge it, just like Kevin and Elia."

"I'm aware of that," Oprah immediately replied, "Emma is the daughter of Ms. Roberts's brother. I recall seeing the news of Ms. Roberts adopting Emma, but I'm curious, why did she become your adopted daughter?"

"Because Julia's situation wasn't suitable for raising Emma. She has a pretty carefree character and is too busy with work. Once, she even forgot to prepare dinner for Emma, and when I happened to see it, I got really mad. At that time, Kevin and Elia had just been born, and I told her, if you can't take care of her, just let Vicki and Joan take care of this kid," Eric said with a touch of nostalgia, then smiled, "The outcome was great. Vicki and Joan took excellent care of Emma."

*****

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