In the wake of an international scandal involving a dispute between the U.S. Olympic swimmers and the Brazilian police, Ryan Lochte has hired Justin Bieber’s former crisis publicist. Matthew Hiltzik, a New-York based consultant, will try to repair Lochte’s image after he got himself into hot water for fabricating a story about being held up at gunpoint by a Brazilian police officer.
Hiltzik has been one of the premiere publicists in the entertainment world as his client list includes the likes of Justin Bieber, Harvey Weinstein, NFL player Manti Te’o, Katie Couric, Alec Baldwin, and now 12-time Olympic gold medalist Ryan Lochte. As a licensed attorney, Hiltzik has also worked in New York state politics and also has strong connections in government circles.
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While Lochte has issued an apology for the incident, his lawyer, Jeffrey Ostow, has denied that Lochte lied to the police. The 32-year-old swimmer has been getting hammered by the media all over the world so it comes as no surprise that the athlete wants to bring in the help of a professional media specialist to handle the situation. Lochte may be facing criminal charges for falsely reporting a crime.
To make a long story short, four of the US swimmers (Ryan Lochte, Jack Conger, Gunnar Bentz, and Jimmy Feigen) went out partying until early Sunday morning. The athletes stopped at a gas station in one of the suburbs of Rio and vandalized a gas station bathroom, which prompted an altercation with an armed security guard before they returned to the Olympic village. Lochte and the other swimmers claimed they were robbed at first, but then security footage at the Olympic village showed the athletes returning with the wallets in hand. Thus, the controversy ensued.
Do you think Ryan Lochte’s new publicist, Matthew Hiltzik, will be able to repair Lochte’s tarnished image?
Update: According to ABC News, the International Olympic Committee will set up disciplinary commission in Ryan Lochte case.
[H/T The Hollywood Reporter]
