I received the following question from a reader, and I thought more of you might like to know the answer to it, so here goes:
The QUESTION:
I am just curious, where did you get your insight on what it is like to be a celebrity and be followed like Ryan and Taryn are? Also, what it is like to have a bodyguard, do movies, walk the red carpet and so on and on and on. For a while, while I was reading the books I wondered if it was a celebrity writing it under a ghost name. It really became quite real to me for a while. Very interesting. These books really got under my skin and gave me a real inside look on the side of things from a celebrity point of view. Thanks again for that.
The ANSWER:
It all came from doing hundreds of hours of research. I’ve watched tons of film footage and Youtube videos. I’ve studied celebrity interviews, behind the scenes footage, and thousands of paparazzi shots to get the inside look at everything from celebrities arriving at premiers to them running from fans and photograhers. While you are busy watching the celebrity arrival, I’m watching what’s going on around them. How does their bodyguards move them from place to place? What role does the manager, the agent, the publicist play in the appearance?
I scour through celebrity gossip sites, gleaning as much as I can. I’ve interviewed a bodyguard who has worked private detail in NYC for several well-known celebrities. I’ve also researched how to become a bodyguard, programs and courses available, and noted that female bodyguards are in demand. Why? Because they tend to blend in more with the celebrity entourage. You know Prince Williams’ wife, Kate? She has a female bodyguard who is just as lethal as any male. Assailants don’t consider females to be a challenge or that they are even part of the security team, until SHE has you flat on your ass. Lady Gaga has two bodyguards. Recently she was filmed leaving her hotel and while she was still in the lobby, an enamoured male fan tried to get her autograph. The two man team was important; one has the job of securing the primary (the celebrity) while the other neutralizes the threat. Her bodyguard kneeled on the guy’s head until Lady Gaga was secure in her car.
I have an entire binder of film terminology, movie crew job title descriptions, publicity agreements, appearance riders, and have researched several celebrity lawsuits. I may or may not have copies of police handbook to classify offenses. I interviewed about 5 police officers just for the scene where Ryan scuffles with the photographer in Pittsburgh.
In Love Unscripted, the police/ambulance scene was choreographed with a friend who is an EMT.
So in summary, no – I’m not a celebrity hiding behind a ficticious name. I’m just a mom, a wife, and a tenacious researcher, doing what I can to make it as real as possible.