CASE STUDY
Crisis Management: FELICITY HUFFMAN
The Challenge
On March 12, 2019, Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning actress Felicity Huffman was arrested by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office and charged with wire fraud and conspiracy due to her role in the nationwide college admissions scandal. Overnight, her and her family’s reputations were greatly harmed. Huffman became a poster child for the injustices of white privilege in America and was condemned for undermining the college admissions system. Huffman approached The TASC Group, with whom she has a long-term relationship, to help manage this crisis, clear her family’s name and restore her reputation.
The Challenge
On March 12, 2019, Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning actress Felicity Huffman was arrested by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office and charged with wire fraud and conspiracy due to her role in the nationwide college admissions scandal. Overnight, her and her family’s reputations were greatly harmed. Huffman became a poster child for the injustices of white privilege in America and was condemned for undermining the college admissions system. Huffman approached The TASC Group, with whom she has a long-term relationship, to help manage this crisis, clear her family’s name and restore her reputation.
The Strategy
TASC helped to hire a team of experts from across the country to advise Huffman and mitigate public condemnation. This included hiring top white-collar criminal defense lawyers familiar with the Federal Court system in Boston and building a legal team for
both Huffman and her husband, actor William H. Macy. The legal team agreed not to communicate with the media and referred all press inquiries to TASC. This enabled TASC to manage the media storm and outreach from day one of the crisis. TASC identified reporters who would handle the story responsibly and worked to dispel the myths surrounding the case. TASC arranged several off the-record, in-person meetings with George Stephanopoulos, Savannah Guthrie, Anderson Cooper and Gayle King. These meetings changed the narrative surrounding Huffman on broadcast TV, turning her from a villain into a sympathetic character.
TASC worked together with the legal team to write and distribute powerful, on-the-record statements from Huffman that began to shift the public’s perception of her actions. TASC also coordinated her statements before her sentencing in front of the judge as well as letters sent to the court by friends, family and neighbors attesting to her character. TASC worked with the team to prepare Huffman on how to act in the courtroom, how to deliver her allocation to the judge, what her demeanor should be in court and how to dress. TASC also vetted and helped select the organizations with which Huffman would perform her community service hours.
The Results
In her sentencing, the judge referenced Huffman’s demeanor, applauded the way she conducted herself publicly and thanked her for her gracious comments regarding the court in the press. TASC successfully restored Huffman and her family’s reputation. She served a short sentence and completed her community service hours. She has been universally praised for how she handled this crisis, taken full responsibility, acted with humility and grace under pressure and shown authentic contrition. TASC helped generate positive media coverage of Huffman’s community service helping formerly incarcerated women, including in PEOPLE, Vanity Fair and TheGrio.
Both of her daughters, despite the controversy, have been admitted to excellent colleges. Huffman and her husband are back working successfully in Hollywood on major TV shows and films.
MEDIA COVERAGE
