Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic; ABCAnd we thought Olivia Pope had been kidnapped!
Sony Pictures Entertainment has hired Olivia Judy Smith, the real-life inspiration for Kerry Washington's Scandal character, to handle its PR crisis in the wake of the hack attack, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
After leaked emails shed light on the grizzly politics happening in behind-the-scenes Hollywood, Smith will be advising Sony exec Amy Pascal and the studio on its message and next steps after many A-listers slammed the company for pulling The Interview from theaters.
President Barack Obama was among the naysayers who disapproved of the studio's decision, saying that North Korea shouldn't dictate what America releases to its moviegoers.
"I am sympathetic to the concerns that [Sony] faced," he said in a press conference. "Having said all that, yes, I think they made a mistake."
He added, "We cannot have a society in which some dictator some place can start imposing censorship here in the United States." After the president criticized Sony for pulling the satire altogether, Sony released another statement saying that it canceled the releases because the top five major theater chains in America had decided on their own not to show it.
"The decision not to move forward with the December 25 theatrical release of The Interview was made as a result of the majority of the nation's theater owners choosing not to screen the film," the statement said. "This was their decision."
But Pascal and her studio will be in tremendously good hands, as Smith has worked with some of the most powerful people in the world. Prior to starting her own company, she worked as deputy press secretary to President George H.W. Bush before starting her own crisis management firm. Called Smith & Company, the group has helped clients such as Monica Lewinsky and Wesley Snipes.
Smith also serves as co-executive producer on Shonda Rhimes' Scandal.