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The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson
The PR Breakdown reveals the moves behind the mess. Crisis communication expert Molly McPherson dissects the viral scandals, celebrity meltdowns, and corporate disasters dominating headlines to show you the strategic mistakes and desperate moves that destroy reputations - so you never make them yourself.
Episodes
327 episodes
The Tyler Perry Allegations: Why 'Scam' Claims Make Everything Worse
Tyler Perry is facing a $260 million sexual harassment lawsuit from actor Derek Dixon—and his legal team wasted no time calling it a “scam” and “shakedown.” That move may work in court. It won’t hold up in the court of public opinion.In ...
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Episode 317
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11:25
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Defamation as a Crisis Strategy: What the Blake Lively–Justin Baldoni Case Reveals
A $400 million defamation lawsuit, a full dismissal from a federal judge, and reputations still in question. This week, we’re breaking down the legal loss—and PR fallout—of It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni’s case against Blake L...
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Episode 316
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29:13
Betrayals, Backpedals, and Broadcast Blowups: This Week in Reputation Damage
This week delivered a crash course in reputational damage. From a celebrity divorce to a DOGE(Y) dodge, and newsroom blowback, this episode highlights five real-time PR failures that exposed deeper internal fractures.Mentioned in...
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Episode 315
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18:51
Original Sin: The Five Communication Sins That Created the Biden Cover-Up
Jake Tapper’s new book Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again is making headlines; not just for what’s in it. The backlash, the omissions, the...
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21:19
The Reputation Cliff: Why Some Celebrities Never Recover: Featuring the Sean Combs Trial and My NBC News Interview
This episode examines the sharp edge of celebrity scandal and why some reputations teeter over the cliff while others, against the odds, manage a comeback. With Sean Combs (Diddy) serving as the case study, this episode reveals PR moves public ...
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14:00
What No One Tells New Grads About Crisis Communication (And Life)
Last week, my daughter graduated from Loyola University Chicago. After years of watching her build a life—on the field, on the sidelines, in the center of the action—she’s stepping into the real world. And like so many graduates right now, she’...
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25:44
Bill Belichick’s Girlfriend Has Main Character Energy and It’s Breaking His Brand
Bill Belichick has always been a master of control—on the field, in the press, and with his own narrative. But this episode examines how that carefully crafted reputation is unraveling, not because of a fumbled statement, but due to the outsize...
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18:33
When Silence Backfires: Belichick, Blake & the Draft Day Meltdown
A football legend avoids the one question everyone’s asking. A Hollywood power couple frames advocacy through a lens that feels just a little too curated. And a trusted draft analyst unravels on-air when his favorite prospect freefalls. This ep...
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22:27
How Harvard Said No—and Made It Stick
This episode examines Harvard University’s April 2025 letter rejecting sweeping demands from the Trump administration—an act of resistance that was principled, measured, and strategically precise.The statement didn’t chase headlines or p...
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23:28
Houston, Gayle King and Crew Have a Problem: Blue Origin’s PR Free Fall
A rocket full of high-profile women launched into space, but the real spectacle might’ve been the PR machine that sent it there. From Katy Perry floating with a daisy to Oprah crying on the ground, every moment of Blue Origin’s all-women flight...
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21:06
Behind the Music: Unraveling 'The White Lotus' Composer's Dramatic Exit
In this episode the spotlight is on the unexpected exit of Cristobal Tapia de Vere, the brilliant mind behind the haunting score from the hit HBO series, The White Lotus. This episode examines the emotional and professional tensions that simmer...
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17:06
Inside the Messaging Meltdown of the Signal Chat: From Denial to Damage Control
The SignalGate fallout isn’t just about an accidental group chat. It’s about the unraveling that happens when powerful people panic, deny, and deflect—all while trying to hold onto credibility in real time. This episode unpacks how a single jou...
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26:47
Strategically Vulnerable? Inside Meghan Markle’s Latest PR Move
This episode explores the calculated timing and emotional storytelling behind Meghan Markle’s latest media rollout. With a new Netflix series and curated social media posts emerging alongside headlines about Prince Harry’s visa status, the epis...
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21:03
From Fairytale to Firestorm: Disney's Snow White Under Scrutiny
The controversy swirling around Disney’s live-action Snow White runs the gamut from casting backlash to political tension. Rachel Zegler’s modern spin on the iconic princess ignited debates over “wokeness,” while leaked photos of diver...
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24:03
Breaking Down the One Word Fueling This Week's Headlines
In this episode, Molly McPherson takes you behind the scenes of crisis management, starting at SXSW. She reveals how this one single word came up in a week of speaking engagements. A word that can strip away layers of trust, ignite public outra...
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Episode 303
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21:18
Behind the Oscar Curtain: Scandals and Apologies
The 2025 Academy Awards weren’t just about golden statues—they were a golden opportunity to survive a PR crisis. From a rumored a...
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Episode 302
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23:43
The Secret Trigger Behind Every Crisis
This is the only thing you have to fear in a crisis. Listen as crisis and reputation strategist Molly McPherson explains what is at the heart of every crisis.Recorded late on a Friday— moments after her meeting with a client in crisis— M...
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Episode 301
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17:24
The Invisible Machine Behind Celebrity Stories
The Invisible Machine Behind Celebrity Stories OverviewIn this episode, Molly explores how celebrity stories are crafted and shaped behind the scenes, examining the key players and mechanisms that drive celebrity narratives i...
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Episode 300
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38:17
Taylor Swift's PR Strategy: Distancing from Blake Lively
In this episode of 'The PR Breakdown,' Molly delves into the intricate PR maneuvers and power plays behind the rift between Taylor Swift and Blake Lively. Taylor Swift reportedly feels used in the ongoing legal tussle between Blake Lively, Ryan...
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Episode 299
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22:34
Analyzing Power Dynamics: Trump, Reynolds, and Jay-Z Under the PR Microscope
Dissecting the public relations and power dynamics involving three high-profile men who were in the news recently: Donald Trump, Ryan Reynolds, and Jay-Z. Let's take an impartial but critical look at Trump's controversial handling of a tragic p...
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Episode 298
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37:14
From Voicemails to PR Moves: The Battle Between Lively, Baldoni, and Reynolds
In this explosive episode, we delve into a Hollywood controversy grabbing headlines after a simple voicemail reignited the full-blown power struggle between Justin Baldoni, Blake Lively, and Ryan Reynolds. Molly reveals how Reynolds' carefully ...
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43:52
Takeaways from Trump's Inaugural Address: Key Highlights You Can't Miss
In this episode of The PR Breakdown, diving into Donald Trump’s second inaugural address and breaking down the PR strategies, rhetorical moves, and media messages woven throughout. From the decision to move the ceremony indoors to Trum...
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26:52
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass is Bad in a Crisis. Here's Why
The episode examines the mismanagement of communication during the recent LA wildfires, focusing on Mayor Karen Bass's absence during the crisis and the subsequent erosion of public trust. Key lessons in crisis communication emphasize the need ...
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21:49
Behind the Spin: Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, and the High-Stakes PR Showdown
Amid the glamorous yet ruthless world of Hollywood, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni find themselves embroiled in a high-profile legal battle stemming from the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel, “It Ends With Us.” The episode explores the tan...
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45:45