#papgate

Comment : The entitlement of lukolas is astounding. Luke had EVERY RIGHT TO TAKE HIS GIRLFRIEND TO THE AFTERPARTY and everywhere he wishes. The 'papgate' is a crime only in the eyes of these annoying lukola weirdos who need medical treatment for their delusions. Luke's private life is no one's concern.

Thank you for sharing your perspective. I recognize that this topic is quite controversial and may be deeply upsetting for you. I apologize for forgetting to include my usual disclaimer in my initial text, and I will correct that immediately after this response. Next time, you will be able avoid this kind of content easily.

This a Lukolaship space only. It was my mistake.

However, I believe it's important to reassess the situation surrounding "Papgate." It's not fair to dismiss the significance of this incident as merely the discontentment of entitled fans. The way the show's promotion was handled, particularly the emphasis on the leads as a couple, was a strategic decision aimed at boosting the season's appeal. Significant time, money, and effort were invested in crafting this narrative, and Luke was certainly aware of and agreed to this approach, which is a common practice in the industry.

While Luke undoubtedly has the right to bring whomever he wishes to premieres and after-parties as he has done before the unfortunate timing of the photos naturally led to disappointment within the fandom. It's also worth noting that Luke has never publicly acknowledged her as his girlfriend, which could have provided clarity, especially since he has previously been open about his relationships. Although he doesn’t owe this to the fans, it could have helped manage expectations.

The incident fueled negative reactions both within the fandom and beyond, an outcome that could have been avoided with better timing. Unfortunately, this timing undermined months of PR efforts, which were purposefully crafted by Netflix to highlight the leads' chemistry. As a result, it’s easy to understand why not only fans, but also his co-stars, Netflix, and Shondaland might be displeased with the situation. This has had a noticeable impact on viewership and has also, reasonably or not, tarnished Luke’s reputation in the industry.

Ohhhhh that's a great question Anon!

No way to know for certain, but here are my thoughts:

L's public image wouldn't have gone to sh*t this summer, so we probably would have seen more of/from him

It would have made it a LOT easier for L to officially publicly disentangle from A

I still think L/N would have tried to stay publicly unconnected for a while until they were in the right place to go public

https://pagesix.com/2023/08/01/nina-dobrev-lounges-in-cabo-and-more-star-snaps/

DISCLAIMER: This is LUKOLALAND only. Do not read if you're not a shipper. This is PURE SPECULATION. No harm intended.

June 13th, 2024, should have been a day of celebration for the cast of Bridgerton, marking the end of a successful PR tour and the release of Season 3 part 2. However, the night took an unexpected turn when the focus shifted from the highly anticipated Polin storyline to LN's private life, leaving fans bewildered and disappointed. Since then, speculation has run rampant in the Lukola fandom: Who orchestrated this media storm? Let’s explore the theories.

Theory 1: Luke Newton and/or His Team

Career Strategy: Some believe L might have sought to boost his career or gain publicity by being in the spotlight, even if the attention was controversial.

Image Management: Another possibility is that L wanted to separate his public image from NC’s, perhaps feeling pressured by industry standards. By calling the paparazzi, he could control how he was portrayed in the media, possibly to quash rumors of their relationship.

Appease His A: L’s situationship partner other might have pushed for a public display of their relationship. This would give L a reason to stage the event, ensuring the media captured their connection, potentially to manage the situation on his terms.

Theory 2: A and/or Her Team

Publicity and Career Advancement: A could have sought to boost her own visibility by being photographed with him, leveraging his fame to enhance her career opportunities.

Strengthen Relationship Image: If she felt insecure about L's close relationship with N during the PR tour, calling the paparazzi could have been a way to publicly solidify her relationship with him, showing the world and N that they were united.

Theory 3: A + L's friends

Increase L's profile: Close friends of L and A might have believed that a well-timed paparazzi moment could benefit L's public image by redirecting attention from N and focusing it on his relationship.

Misdirection: If L was considering breaking things off with A, she could have collaborated with friends who didn't want to lose their influence over L and they could have orchestrated the event to complicate his situation with N, ensuring that his relationship with A remains intact as it would be extremely difficult to pursue things for L and N after the papgate.

Social and Financial Gains: Friends might have seen an opportunity to raise their own profiles by being associated with L, gaining attention and possibly financial benefits from it therefore N could have been seen as a threat to eliminate.

Theory 4: DM

Exclusive Content: DM could have tipped off the paparazzi to secure exclusive content for their platform, driving traffic and engagement.

Amplifying Buzz: If DM was aligned with A for whatever reason, calling the paparazzi could be a strategic move to create or amplify buzz around A. By ensuring that certain moments are captured and shared, DM could spark conversations and speculation that keep followers engaged with their content.

Personal Vendetta: Given N’s vocal stance against DM in the past, it’s possible that there was a personal motive behind the choice to highlight this particular narrative. Their choices of stories and angles have been questionables in this situation.

Conclusion: Who's Really to Blame?

While the true instigator behind the Papgate remains a mystery, it’s unlikely that L himself would have jeopardized his career and relationships by orchestrating such an event.

I don’t think that a professional PR agency as his, would make such a mistake, they know that they would lose money and opportunities over it and that’s what they’re about. He worked really hard over the two last years and particularly during the 6 months of the PR tour, all that to blow it up in one night ? And remember there was no hard launch. Was the mission aborted or there was no mission to begin with ?

I can’t believe that he wants to detach himself from N, we know that he loves her, he knows that he loves and if he doesn’t his body knows for 2. The only reasons he could have called them may have been to be petty or because he was overwhelmed and too indecisive over his needs and wants, and that would a horrible mistake.

L may not be entirely blameless, especially regarding his decision to attend the premiere with his A. However, it’s clear that there are many players in this drama, each with their own motives.

We may never know.

Which theory is your favorite?

Questions: @secret77778888 why would he still be with A if he has nothing to do with pap walk but A. set it up? You say here this jeopardized his work and I agree. Would he stayed with her or with his friends after they went behind his back? And if it was DM, then why nobody else was papped? Dm has beef with N, wouldn't she try to get her picture as well? She went after Nic and JD just after premiere, why not at the same afterparty?

L's PR team might had advised him against breaking things off with A or even denying dating her immediately after the papgate. Staying with A is a way to manage the situation more effectively. It could draw even more negative attention.

It’s also possible that L doesn’t fully believe or know that A and his friends played a part in setting up the pap walk. If he doesn’t have solid evidence or is in denial about her/their involvement, he might continue the relationships, giving them the benefit of the doubt.

Despite the potential betrayal, L might still have genuine feelings for A and his longtime friends. Relationships are complex, and people often continue them even when trust is strained, especially if they’re emotionally invested or believe they can work things out.

DM might have focused on L and A to drive a specific narrative that aligned with their interests. If they were trying to destroy the public's perception of things between Luke and Nicola, capturing him with would have been perfect, maybe they knew that was going to be there and they didn't knew that JD would be. Plus, they created the JD story arc only after the papgate.they might have chosen to focus all attention there, leaving N and JD for another moment when it would have a greater impact. It’s also possible that DM didn’t have the opportunity to photograph N and JD at the afterparty, N left quite early. As you pointed it out It seems suspicious that nobody else was papped.

You can't say that AM don't use their personal lives and that people aren't interested.. If that was the case what are the points of blogs like this and even the Milex ones?

And they don't help themselves the way for some reason the wags all have to tag along and be seen to be partying together side stage etc when AM play a major city. I have followed other huge bands and this almost misogynistic attitude that the wives behave like groupies is non existent.

I think the shoot was arranged but they (Alex, Louise and the publicists) didn't count on the fandom being savvy, spotting Backgrid in the pics and realising they had been staged. They quickly removed them because they were an embarrassment because a lot of people have the idea Alex is beyond publicity stunts (no he isn't. When an artist signs a contract they agree to partake in any publicity necessary and if that includes fake shoots so be it).

The same applied to the Sushi restaurant. Splash news are another media agency and they have staged pics there with lots of couples.

It should be noted that AM's PR is US based and these things only ever happen in the US or in the case of Italy just before the US tour. Let's not be naive. Celebrities call Backgrid, who take a whole bunch of pictures, the celebrities/their PR negotiate with Backgrid for the pics they are going to use and money exchanges hands (a simple Google search will confirm this). Those miserable pictures were published deliberately, because Alex is a heartthrob in the US and it feeds into teenage girls' fantasies of rescuing him from a horrible relationship so they buy tickets. Stuff like this has been going on since Colonel Tom Parker realised Elvis shaking his leg caused girls to scream.

Personally I think Louise and Alex led separate lives and just came together for when publicity was needed. You only have to look at the change in her social media content from during The Car era to now. I think now she realises she doesn't serve any purpose so she is doing her own thing without the aid of publicists and that's why it's a total disaster.

It is exactly the location of Alex and Louise and other celebrities. Now I think everyone goes there because they know there are paparazzi ready to take photos