In the wake of the Wuthering Heights backlash and swirling cheating allegations involving Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, questions about “affair-baiting” and manufactured narratives have taken center stage.
Last month, during the promotional tour for their film, the married Margot was hit with intense cheating accusations, echoing past frenzy-fueled speculation surrounding Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell.
Highlights
- A media and communication expert breaks down Hollywood’s decades-old “affair-baiting” tactic, and why it’s still used to generate buzz today.
- From Elizabeth Taylor to Sydney Sweeney’s co-star affair rumors, the expert reveals how off-screen romance speculation can make or break a film’s success.
- While romance rumors can boost ticket sales, the expert warns they may also cause “serious harm” and damage to stars’ reputations and real-life relationships.
Now, an expert is weighing in on how leaning too heavily into promotional storylines or “manufactured” relationship rumors can spiral into real-world fallout, reshaping a star’s public image in ways that are often difficult to undo.
“You really can’t be with actors. There’s just no way u can do this wo falling in love, with the excitement, the music, the travels, the spotlight,” one social media user wrote.
A media and communication expert weighed in on Hollywood’s tactic of generating movie buzz through “affair-baiting” narratives
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Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, who portrayed Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff in the film adaptation of Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, directed by Emerald Fennell, revealed in multiple interviews that they developed a “mutual obsession” during filming.
During the film’s promotional press tour, Robbie, who has been married to husband Tom Ackerley since 2016, shared in an interview with Fandango that she became so “codependent” during filming that she felt “unmoored” whenever Elordi wasn’t nearby.
In the same interview, Elordi admitted, “I was enamoured by her.”
The pair was also seen wearing matching signet rings engraved with the line, “Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same,” reportedly gifted by Robbie to Elordi.
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Additionally, while filming last Valentine’s Day, Elordi, despite not being scheduled to work, reportedly showed up on set and filled Robbie’s room with roses.
“You made my day and, as Heathcliff, filled my room with roses. It was so cute. I remember thinking on Valentine’s Day, ‘Oh, he’s probably a very good boyfriend, ’cause there’s a lot of thoughtfulness in this,’” the Barbie star told Elordi during an interview with Vogue Australia.
As these moments circulated online, many viewers questioned their dynamic, with comments such as, “How is this not cheating?” sparking widespread speculation and accusations directed at Robbie.
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Amid the discourse, Andrea McDonnell, Professor of Communication at Providence College, explained that “there have been numerous instances in which Hollywood studios have promoted romances between leading actors as a way of generating publicity and speculation about a film.”
She shared with Bored Panda, “All this hype helps to drive attendance and sales. Even when audiences don’t necessarily have an awareness of this history, we do have an understanding that there is image management around celebrities that may result in these types of stories emerging in the press.”
Andrea McDonnell discussed how “bad behavior can ruin the reputations” of stars, citing examples such as Elizabeth Taylor and Kristen Stewart
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“Alternately, even when we don’t think that there is this type of narrative being built, on screen romances that seem authentic or passionate may make it difficult for audiences to separate what happens in the fictional world from real life events. This can contribute to rumors of romance or even infidelity.”
Addressing how this promotional tactic affects stars’ “existing partners or relationships,” McDonnell called it a “difficult truth” for them.
She added, “Sometimes, fans are even excited to see romance between on screen characters develop into real life. There can be something satisfying in seeing the fictional world made tangible…”
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“[But] if the buzz becomes too strong or fan reaction too intense, this can disrupt our understanding of the stars' real life relationships. When you have someone like Margot Robbie, who has an image that is generally positive and norm-abiding, we don’t expect her to engage in scandalous behavior.”
According to the expert, rumors that Margot “could be cheating with a co-star” might be purposeful in driving hype around the film. However, such speculation “may ultimately damage her brand as a role model or positive public figure more broadly.”
In the recent past, during the promotion of their 2023 rom-com Anyone But You, Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell were heavily rumored to be dating in real life, leading to “affair” and “cheating” accusations at the time.
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The situation became even more controversial, and a pop-culture flashpoint, when Powell and his then-girlfriend Gigi Paris broke up after three years of dating.
Shortly after Powell’s breakup, in March last year, the Euphoria star called off her engagement and split from partner Jonathan Davino after seven years of dating.
When asked whether cheating rumors can negatively impact a film’s reputation and press cycle, Andrea McDonnell noted, “This really depends. Sometimes the adage ‘all publicity is good publicity,’ rings true, at least financially.”
“There’s a strong sense of discomfort… Feel like deliberate affair baiting taken too far,” reacted one social media user
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McDonnell cited one of the most infamous examples in Hollywood history - the highly publicized affair between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton during the filming of Cleopatra.
The scandal significantly altered the film’s public narrative and contributed to its massive commercial success.
At the time of their 1962 meeting, both stars were married, Taylor to singer Eddie Fisher and Burton to actress Sybil Williams, making their relationship a “scandalous event” that unexpectedly provided a substantial source of free promotion for the film.
Emphasizing this, Andrea said, “Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton started having an affair on the set that led to loads of public scrutiny and a tabloid frenzy. While this ultimately cost both actors their marriages, the film was a box office hit. It became the highest grossing film of that year and won four Academy Awards.”
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However, she added that while the controversy may have worked in favor of Cleopatra at the time, “but bad behavior can also ruin reputations, and if a film is perceived as being too messy or its actors unlikable, then the audience may shy away, especially in our current moment where movie going is in decline.”
Despite the film’s commercial success, 20th Century Fox reportedly sued Taylor and Burton for $50 million, alleging that their affair damaged the film’s reputation and commercial prospects. The lawsuit, however, was unsuccessful.
McDonnell further emphasized that such incidents can lead to “stars’ images being permanently damaged by serious claims or harm,” noting that Taylor and Burton’s relationship was considered so scandalous that the Vatican publicly denounced Taylor for “erotic vagrancy” in the 1960s.
Image credits: Getty/Jeff Kravitz
The professor concluded, “Most rumors typically do d*e down once the film is released or the press tour ends; however, if the controversy gets too big or stars' images are permanently damaged by serious claims of harm, it is possible for an actor’s brand to be marked by such events.”
“I’m thinking about the controversy surrounding Kristen Stewart during the Snow White and the Huntsman filming which, for a time, caused a lot of backlash towards her and she retreated from the public eye for a bit.”
Andrea also highlighted that “affair-baiting” PR strategies are often hit-or-miss and can, at times, cause “serious harm”
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For those unfamiliar, Stewart’s 2012 affair with director Rupert Sanders had a profound impact on both the film franchise and her reputation within the industry.
The Twilight alum was not asked to return for the 2016 follow-up, The Huntsman: Winter's War.
Originally conceived as a traditional sequel, the project was ultimately reworked into a spin-off/prequel centered on Chris Hemsworth’s Huntsman character, reportedly to distance the franchise from the controversy.
At the time, Stewart was in a real-life relationship with her Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson, and she faced intense public backlash from fans.
Image credits: Vogue
The scandal also prompted Stewart to step away from major studio blockbusters for several years, instead focusing on independent films.
The broader discussion resonated online. One social media user wrote, “They selling and we are buying it have we not learned [it’s] all PR,” while another added, “They have no other PR spins for movies other than an entire fake romance stunt.”
“It’s so annoying this new marketing strategy… We don’t need them to fall in love in real life to want to see the movie.”
“Is [PR romance] meant to convince me to see the movie? Because it does not… There’s something weird about it,” wrote one angry netizen
