Entourages.
They can come in droves - made up of personal assistants, social media managers, agents, managers, body guards, makeup artists, stylists, and professional hanger-ons attracted to the ‘good life’ sponsored by said celebrity.
They shield the celebrity from the public and provide much needed support for a very busy lifestyle.
I'm hopeful that the majority of entourages are trustworthy and dependable.
However, human nature being what it is, and money being a lure some can't resist, it can and will attract wolves in sheeps' clothing.
The horror stories confirm this.
They’re detailed daily on TMZ for all to see.
Entourages and assistants plying entertainers with pills, gifting drugs, liberally handing out alcohol while on the road, partying too long and too hard on the star’s dime, blackmailing, etc, etc.
Managers are even more suspect. Allowing the use of controlled drugs. Normalizing and encouraging illegal substances. Pushing celebrities to the point of physical and emotional exhaustion. Ignoring any pleas for help and thrusting them onto “stage after stage in city after city, plying and propping" them up with drugs.
From A List actors who’ve lost millions through their entourages to musicians who’ve sued former business managers for breach of fiduciary duty, fraud and negligence being swindled out of millions, the parade of misbehaving entourages and untrustworthy managers are seemingly endless.
It’s not only entertainers or sports people who are victim to the entourage effect. Entrepreneurs and public figures now also have armies of assistants to manage their public life – and they too cater to their every whim, and at some point some start feeling entitled to their boss’ wealth.
Cue news stories about theft, misuse of credit cards, scamming and extortion.
The end result isn’t always pleasant. Court cases, legal stoushes, outright bashing in the news, reputation assassinations and sometimes, sadly, even career suicide.
It’s funny how entourages melt into the background after these poor souls have had their wealth, reputations and lives shredded because they kept people around them who told them only what they wanted, not what they needed, to hear.
Watch. Out. For. Them.
Short of being paranoid, don’t be naïve in believing that everyone who works for you, smiles at you and adores you has your best interests at heart.
Use your gut to make a call on them.
Then if you can afford it, reach out to a good private investigator before hiring anyone into your team.
Monitor their behaviour and never hesitate to state your boundaries. Your reputation and career will thank you for it in the long run.
Insight Inspiration:
Take care with whom you trust with your life choices.
Don’t surround yourself with yes people; they could be the downfall of your legacy.
Instead, reach out to impartial advisors, mentors - wise men and women who have a demonstrated legacy of success and reputation, for their fair and objective advice and sometimes, when needed, a dose of humble pie.
Trust those who’ve been in your life for the long haul, through the good times and the bad. before fame and after it. Who see you as you are without the glitter and gloss.
Think on it.
