UPDATED!
[Daily Mail] A Hollywood actor, an NFL star and a top politician are among dozens of celebrities frantically calling up pricey damage limitation experts over the Ashley Madison hack.
Well-known figures in the entertainment, sport and political industries are apparently phoning up experts to help them manage their reputations out of fear they will be publicly outed as cheats.
Among these stars are an actor from a recent action film, a top NFL player, a TV drama actor and a TV reality star – all of whom are male, say the sources, who have insider knowledge on the matter.
A top politician in the South, a Coca Cola executive and a former West Coast politician are also reportedly seeking out help after the cheating site – which has some 37 million users – was hacked.
‘They have to quickly remove all ties to Ashley Madison and protect their online reputation.
‘We’ve never taken more calls or email inquiries in such a short time.
‘Lives are getting destroyed worldwide, and people are scared and don’t want to be next.’
He added that in just 24 hours, dozens of ‘major players’ called up the firm, which charges clients from between $10,000 and $100,000 per month to ‘repair and protect their online reputations’.
One of these celebrities was apparently so distraught about the possibility that his marriage would be destroyed if he was outed as a cheat that he cried down the phone line for five minutes.
And another said he would be fearful for his life if his relatives found out about his actions.
‘One of our clients is concerned about getting killed by his family members if he is found out,’ Mr Schiffer told Daily Mail Online. ‘It’s crazy. We’ve never had so many celebrities call us in such a short space of time. It makes sense when you think about how many people are on [Ashley Madison].’
Actor from a recent action film:
Top NFL player:
Actor from a TV drama:
TV Reality Star:
Southern Politician:
Coca Cola executive:
Former West Coast politician:
Celebrity who cried on the phone about marriage being destroyed:
Celebrity who is afraid relatives will kill him:
[Optional] Do you feel sorry for the hacking victims?
UPDATE!
Well, it didn’t take long before FIVE male TV reality stars found themselves accused/confirmed as Ashley Madison account holders!
From USA Today:
Reality stars are running smack into the Ashley Madison scandal.
On Monday, People referenced reports that an email account connected to Jionni Lavalle, husband to Jersey Shore alum Snooki, was identified in the data leak from cheating-focused website.
Snooki (born Nicole Polizzi) took to her Instagram to defend her husband on Tuesday… calling the allegations “absurd.”
Just across state lines, Real Housewives of New York City star Kristen Taekman came under scrutiny after her entrepreneur husband, Josh Taekman, was found to have allegedly signed up for the site in June 2011, according to the Daily Mail.
Taekman initially strongly denied being a member. “There’s not a shot in hell that I’m a subscriber,” he told the Daily Mail.
Taekman later changed his tune. “I signed up for the site foolishly and ignorantly with a group of friends and I deeply apologize for any embarrassment or pain I have brought to my wife and family.”
Of course, 19 Kids and Counting offspring Josh Duggar was the hack’s most infamous reveal: The married former family values activist confessed to cheating on his wife on his parent’s website last week. “I have been the biggest hypocrite ever,” he wrote.
A few additional notes:
On Ashley Madison, Josh Taekman’s pseudonym was ‘Mr Big NYC’ and he was seeking ‘discreet experiences’. He was found to have paid for 62 transactions through the site.
Josh Duggar – after having some of his real-life sexual exploits with strippers and porn stars described as “rough” and “traumatic” – has checked himself into “rehab.” The child-molesting, porn-addicted, cheater’s wife is standing by her man.
Jenelle Evans of Teen Mom is furious that her ex-fiancee, Nathan Griffith, was discovered to also have an Ashley Madison account.
Tori Spelling of True Tori – who is friends with Kristen Taekman and loves to throw her family into the middle of anything that even smells like publicity – suspects that her husband Dean McDermott has an Ashley Madison account.
Dean McDermott denies it. What a surprise.