Absurd rumors

When the entertainment news media focused their attention on the aftermath of the 36th Grammy Awards, the "Sleepless in Seattle" crew, which had been completely ignored, suddenly burst into the spotlight with a news story that attracted a lot of attention.

This news, released by Anthony Stewart of the National Enquirer carried the shocking headline, "Hugo Lancaster Commits Suicide?" and drew many people's attention. The accompanying image showed a "believable" picture of Hugo being dragged ashore by a group of people.

In the picture, there was a person with their back to the camera, being pulled onto a platform by a group of people standing on a balcony, while another person in the water was helping. The lighting around was sufficient, but because the protagonist's face couldn't be seen, it couldn't be confirmed if it was Hugo. However, the person in the water turned out to be Joseph Hugo's manager, and the others on the balcony were all holding blankets and coats, rushing over in a frenzy. Paired with Anthony's mention of the treatment of the "lead actor", it was easy to associate the person being dragged ashore with Hugo.

In this news article, Anthony mentioned two things. One was the series of suspicions and pressures that weighed heavily on Hugo, causing the immense pressure endured by the "Sleepless in Seattle" crew. Anthony believed that the entire production crew and producers were putting pressure on Hugo, which made Hugo's situation unbearable.

The other thing was Hugo's relationship with Uma. Whether it was the premiere of "A Few Good Men" or the Golden Globe Awards ceremony, Hugo and Uma appeared in public as a couple. However, in the past month, there had been no news about Uma and Hugo, especially when Hugo was in a low state, Uma didn't show up. Anthony believed that there were serious problems in their relationship.

In this situation, Anthony boldly concluded that Hugo, facing multiple pressures and setbacks, finally broke down and chose to "commit suicide by jumping into the lake" during the filming of the crew. Anthony's deduction was not unfounded, as Hugo had previously experienced such a low point in the second half of 1991. His state of drug abuse, alcoholism, and decadence led to scandals, and he almost disappeared from the view of anyone involved in the production of any work. This time, Hugo's breakdown symptoms were also traceable.

After this news came out, it caused a strong reaction among many media outlets. If Hugo had indeed attempted suicide, then this matter would be sensational enough. Although many reporters found it absurd because Hugo had shown no symptoms before this, especially after getting the opportunity to appear in "Sleepless in Seattle", which was at least a chance for him to make a comeback, and the credibility of the National Enquirer was questionable. However, upon careful consideration, in the past month, Hugo had not appeared much in the news, and no one was sure if Hugo had really broken down, not to mention that the photo from the National Enquirer was quite clear.

As a result, within a short day, a large number of media outlets flocked to Seattle, all heading towards the "Sleepless in Seattle" crew.

No one in the entire crew subscribed to the National Enquirer, so nobody knew that Anthony had once again targeted Hugo without making a sound, and nobody even realized that Anthony had been hiding next to the crew, ready to attack Hugo like a venomous snake. When everyone was celebrating two nights ago, no one noticed that there was actually a journalist lurking nearby.

Therefore, when the journalists swarmed in, the crew, who were in the midst of intense filming, were startled. Since the start of "Sleepless in Seattle," they had been like completely ignored children, quietly working in Seattle on the shoot. Not even a single journalist had followed Hugo to Seattle upon his arrival. Now, suddenly, a large group of reporters had arrived, their sharp eyes fixed on the crew like prey, leaving the crew members somewhat bewildered.

In general, when facing such a situation, the crew would usually assign specific personnel to receive journalists and conduct interviews. This task is often handled by producers or production assistants, and the selection of interviewees is varied, with directors and lead actors being more likely candidates.

Although the crew members were surprised, the production assistant quickly stepped forward and organized the chaotic scene. Since Hugo and the others were currently filming, the production assistant could only ask the journalists to wait for a while. However, out of curiosity, he couldn't help but ask, "May I ask what is the reason for your sudden visit to the set?"

Among the journalists who came to interview today was James Rudd from Us Weekly. Ever since he wrote the news about the Golden Globe Awards celebration brawl involving Hugo and subsequently confirmed Hugo's role in "Sleepless in Seattle", he had stood on Hugo's side. James had faced immense pressure during both instances, but he received rewards both times. The sales of Us Weekly had achieved impressive results, which further strengthened James's belief.

When faced with the question, James took the initiative to speak, saying, "There were rumors yesterday that Hugo attempted suicide."

"What?" The production assistant's voice rose two octaves, and the incredulous expression on his face clearly conveyed his astonishment. "Are you talking about Hugo?"

The production assistant's expression gave the journalists the most direct answer. Without any preparation, he provided the most genuine response, without any concealment or calculation. James could see it all in his eyes. He knew that it seemed they had been manipulated by Anthony once again.

Hugo was in the midst of finishing a scene and discussing the blocking and filming of the next one with Nora when he received a shocking piece of news that left him dumbfounded. "Who is attempting suicide?" Hugo's question received everyone's gaze, searching for their own answers. "Me? Why don't I know about it?"

Not only Hugo, but Nora also wore a bewildered expression. "Hugo, should I handle this?"

"No, no, I think I can handle it myself," Hugo shook his head, a hint of amusement appearing on his face. It seemed that the entertainment industry was indeed filled with many strange things.

When the journalists saw Hugo, they all stood up simultaneously. It had been a while since Hugo had seen so many journalists, and the memories of his previous encounters with the press flooded back, making it difficult for him to remain calm. However, Hugo steadied himself and silently encouraged himself. Although he kept a distance of three steps from the journalists and raised his hand to signal them not to come closer, he still turned his gaze to the most familiar face, James. "What happened?"

"Two nights ago, did you jump into the lake?" James asked in a more cautious manner than before, not directly diving into the topic. After receiving Hugo's affirmation, James continued, "Then Anthony from the National Enquirer claimed that you attempted suicide." At the same time, James handed a copy of the National Enquirer newspaper to Hugo.

"Hahaha..." That was Hugo's first reaction after seeing the headline and picture in the newspaper. His hearty laughter made the surrounding journalists feel somewhat embarrassed. If Hugo were really contemplating suicide, this sunny and cheerful demeanor wouldn't be present. Clearly, Hugo responded to these rumors in the most direct way.

After his laughter subsided, Hugo spoke up, "Sorry to disappoint Anthony." This sarcastic remark brought amusement to many journalists present. The affair between Hugo and Anthony was apparent to everyone, and the mockery in Hugo's words couldn't be clearer.

"Hugo, what really happened?" James, not minding at all, had never believed the authenticity of this news before he set off. However, he couldn't help but have some doubts, and now that his doubts were met, he felt relieved.

"That night we had a late-night feast, and things got a bit wild. Just an adventure," Hugo replied simply. Reflecting on his adventurous act that night, which was misconstrued by the media as a suicide attempt, was truly comical. A smile involuntarily appeared on Hugo's lips once again.

The journalists on-site could clearly feel three black lines forming on their foreheads. Anthony's ability to concoct nonsense was truly remarkable, and to make matters worse, they had all believed it, rushing to Seattle in haste. It was truly... speechless.

"Hugo, it's been said that you and Uma broke up. Is it true?" A persistent journalist couldn't let go and brought up the evidence from Anthony's report, attempting to directly confirm it with Hugo.

Hugo wasn't surprised by this question and only raised an eyebrow slightly before speaking, "Recently, I haven't been going on dates with Uma."

"Why?" the journalist continued to press.

Hugo remained composed and said, "Uma and I are both adults. We've stated before that we were dating. Now, we're not. It's as simple as that, nothing worth investigating." In reality, Hugo and Uma had never publicly stated, "We're in a relationship." They always referred to each other as "dating partners" when answering journalists, so now Hugo responded in the same manner.

As for the real experiences between him and Uma, those were part of his personal life, and the journalists had no necessity to know. There was no need to cry out in front of the media; he wasn't Taylor Swift.

Seeing that some journalists wanted to continue questioning, Hugo didn't want to engage with them any further. He took a step back and said, "Alright, now that your questions have been answered, I should return to the set and continue my filming." Without giving the journalists any time to react, Hugo turned around and walked away with brisk steps.

This time, Hugo gained a whole new understanding of the journalists' ability to "break a story based on a picture". Any random photo could be spun as a "suicide". The journalists' imagination was truly rich. This made Hugo think of the Loch Ness Monster's secret, which was similar. It made his smile involuntarily blossom once again. Perhaps one day in the future, the Washington Lake Monster might make an appearance too.