CS was asked to be do a Q&A segment for thesportscommentary.com. The questions were revolved around how the media effects the families in the entertainment industries. Below is the actual posting..
Ask The Expert: Amy Brimicombe, Founder of Celebrity Spouses, Inc.
In Ask the Expert, Crisis Communications, Image Management, Media Relations, Media Training, Networking on July 22, 2010 at 3:00 am This week, The Sports Commentary caught up with Amy Brimicombe of Celebrity Spouses, Inc. to talk about the pressures of the media and how they get passed on to the spouses and families of athletes and other public figures.
Brimicombe, formerly of the Pro Sports Wives Association and Magazine, witnessed firsthand the overlooked and under-supported spousal demographic and realized the overwhelming demand for an organized support system. In 2009, she launched CelebritySpouses.net, an online community designed to provide a networking platform and ongoing support resources to spouses—both wives and husbands – of athletes and entertainers.
TSC: Tell us about CelebritySpouses.net and why you felt there was a need to create a support community for spouses of athletes and entertainers?
AB: Celebrity Spouses is an exclusive, private and secure social networking community for spouses of celebrities in the entertainment and professional sports industries that provides a networking structure for those spouses to interact with one another. We also provide them with access to experts in important areas of their lives, such as personal finance, business, relationships, parenting, health and well being, travel and real estate.
The need to create the company became apparent while I was working with an association catering to pro sports wives. I realized there was little to no support for the spouses in meaningful areas of their lives. While professional sports leagues are well organized, the same cannot be said of the TV/film and music industries. When I left Pro Sports Wives, I went to other entertainment related industries trying to learn and understand what support structure they had for spouses. I was always met with the same reaction: ‘Why would the spouses need support?’ It was amazing. I knew there was a void but I didn’t realize how big the void was. CS was born.
TSC: Dealing with the media is a major component of every pro athlete’s career. Do you think most spouses understand at the outset just how big that role is and are they ready for it?
AB: When an athlete enters his rookie year as a pro, most of the leagues require the athlete to attend a mandatory rookie camp where they learn about many of the challenges and media pitfalls. No one, nor any organization has done anything to educate and help the spouses about their “new lives ” – what it will be like and how it will affect them and their families, until CS. The spouse usually has no idea about the life road they have just begun because of who he or she fell in love with. The spouses are a major part of any athlete or entertainer’s image and longevity. At CS, we are setting comprehensive guidelines and educated advice on the importance of their new roles as a spouses and public figures because no one is ever ready for the media!
TSC: When crisis hits and an athlete is forced to go through a very difficult situation publicly, what’s happening behind the scenes at home? How is the family affected?
AB: This is a wonderful question and one I address often. Most people never think there is an entire family behind the very public celebrity. While everyone’s focus is on the celebrity, the spouses, kids, parents and friends are all affected by that public situation. As the media and outside world talk about the celebrity, it becomes a sometimes difficult and unknown situation for the spouses to go out in public, the children to go to school, etc. With the increasing popularity of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, the outside pressures only increase, which can create family upset.
TSC: We talk a lot on our site about crisis planning and how to successfully get an athlete through a crisis from a personal branding and professional perspective, but what are the keys to getting a family through a crisis?
AB: Each situation should be addressed on a case-by-case basis. Several factors come into play when dealing with a family crisis. For instance, how intense is the media and public pressure on the crises? One important way we like to handle things is to first have the family removed and placed in a safe and quiet environment outside all the media and photographers. No one can think or regroup under those pressures. The families need a bit of time to slow down and think about what is best at that time for all concerned. We also recommend immediate family crisis counselors who specialize in these areas for both the spouses and the children. We like to have the families begin a slow and healthy rebuild in a way that is best for them. This takes time, patience, understanding and love.
TSC: The public has a fascination with celebrity wives, evident by the success of shows like Vh1’s Basketball Wives and the soon-to-be NFL Wives series. How do you feel about these TV portrayals and how well do they represent the challenges of a celebrity relationship?
AB: Overall the shows are accurate. A pro athlete, on average, is not home 6-10 months a year, with training, traveling and the league season. When a spouse marries, he or she not only marries the athlete, she marries his career, and they come together as a package deal. A spouse has to quickly adapt to managing the household and kids, while trying to stay connected to her husband, many times from a distance. The shows are a good insight into some of the challenges the spouses face everyday.
For more information on Celebrity Spouses, Inc., please visit the website or contact info@celebrityspouses.net.
http://thesportscommentary.com/2010/07/22/ask-the-expert-amy-brimicombe-founder-of-celebrity-spouses-inc/
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