"Breaking: Someone has tried to break into Anson-Wood's hospital room!"
CNN News, always quick to catch a hot topic, immediately launched a live broadcast, and the real-time breaking news quickly spread across North America.
Soon, all major media outlets followed suit one after another.
"Breaking: A crazed fan broke into Anson-Wood's hospital room!"
"Paparazzi invade hospital to surround Anson-Wood."
"After his accidental injury, Anson-Wood faces a second terrifying attack."
"The mystery of Anson-Wood's injury: Is it a self-promotion stunt, or is the injury far more severe than imagined?"
"Attacked again before recovering from injuries, Anson-Wood finds himself at the center of a storm."
"Who exactly broke into Anson-Wood's hospital room?"
The news was everywhere!
In no time, every news outlet scrambled to be the first to report on the hottest topic of the summer.
Although "entertainment till death" is a year-round topic that resurfaces every now and then, most of the time, the general public tends to side with the paparazzi—
After all, people love drama, and juicy gossip is the best dessert after a meal, even if morally, they know it's wrong. They just can't help themselves.
However, this time the situation is a little different. Not much, but still not quite the same.
"Breaking into a hospital room" doesn't just disturb a patient's recovery but could potentially lead to far worse outcomes. Such behavior isn't much different from premeditated murder, especially since Anson's current condition remains unknown.
While a small portion of the public is still indifferent and curious about "Anson's health"—justifying it under the banner that the public has the right to know the truth—most people are outraged, strongly condemning the entire situation.
Almost unanimously, they stand with Anson.
So, who broke into the room?
For now, no one knows. Some speculate it was an obsessed fan, others think it was paparazzi, some believe it was an insider at the hospital paid off by an external party to sneak in and take secret photos. Others guess it was someone who hates Anson and intended to harm him. Theories are flying everywhere.
But one thing is clear: the media is universally condemning the vile nature of this incident.
Amid the public outrage, Lucas Wood, the young man who openly threatened reporters at the hospital's entrance, dropped another bombshell.
—"$100,000 reward."
In an official statement, Lucas said he has already contacted the police and is patiently waiting for the NYPD to investigate. However, during the waiting period, he is accepting all tip-offs to assist the police in solving the case.
Boom. The media exploded. Like a stone thrown into the water, the news created massive ripples.
Lucas's anger sparked even more attention, but the reward amount was the real shocker.
It's important to know that when the "Spider-Man" costume studio was robbed, and four of Spider-Man's suits were stolen, Sony-Columbia only offered a reward of $25,000. But now, Lucas has offered $100,000 in one go. In 2003, this was a considerable amount of money.
Everyone, inside and out, up and down, could feel the Wood family's fury. Lucas's threats at the hospital entrance were definitely not a joke. At the same time, you could also sense the Wood family's frustration and helplessness. If they weren't at their wit's end, why would they offer a reward?
Clearly, Anson's condition… isn't good.
The following events quickly confirmed this suspicion.
Logically, after such an incident, leaving aside the intruder's identity for a moment, the public's primary concern would naturally be Anson's health. They would expect him to appear and personally address the questions, whether those were concerns, doubts, or just plain gossip.
However, Anson did not show up.
Instead, Anson's official spokesperson, Eve, came forward. Of course, Edgar was by her side.
"…Anson is currently resting, following the doctor's advice."
"In response to this situation, Anson said that staying in the hospital is very boring, and he welcomes everyone to visit and chat with him. However, due to hospital visiting hours and to avoid disturbing other patients, please make an appointment in advance, and let's all work together to create a harmonious and beautiful society."
Reporters: "…"
This is totally off-script!
Anson's PR response once again caught reporters off guard. It was witty and sarcastic, a typical Anson move.
However, when the reporters pressed further about Anson's condition, Eve refused to reveal any more details.
"The injury is not serious. It's something that inevitably happens during filming. Anson is following the treatment and rehabilitation plan laid out by his doctors and hopes to return to the set as soon as possible to resume filming. That is the only important thing at the moment."
Self-contradictory—
If the injury isn't serious, why hasn't Anson appeared himself?
If the injury isn't serious, why is Eve refusing to share more information?
If the injury isn't serious, why is Lucas so furious?
Isn't this just words not from the heart?
Even though Eve emphasized that Anson was doing well, her attitude only fueled more suspicion, and netizens began to let their imaginations run wild.
Some said that Anson wasn't injured during filming but was having an affair with Jennifer Aniston. He was caught by Brad Pitt and fell from a balcony while trying to escape.
Others claimed Anson was on his deathbed, barely hanging on. The doctors, the Wood family, and the production crew were all in despair. The news was so shocking that the crew hadn't figured out how to handle the PR, so they kept stalling.
Still, others said it was all fake news. Anson wasn't injured at all. He was throwing a party in his hospital room, got caught by the paparazzi, and now they were cleaning up the mess, refusing to show their faces to avoid being exposed.
Blah, blah, blah.
Various conspiracy theories emerged, growing more and more absurd.
Precisely because of this, the reporters became more excited, determined to dig up the truth—
So, who was it that broke into the hospital room that day?
This wasn't just about the $100,000 reward; it was about exclusive news. Whoever could uncover the truth first would undoubtedly transform their career.
Journalists across North America sprang into action, moving in droves, creating a tidal wave of excitement and chaos.
The real intruder, hiding in a corner, watched the situation unfold with wide eyes, stunned. In an instant, things had spiraled out of control, far beyond their imagination—
Trembling in fear!
However, not everyone was in the loop.
James Franco, Chris Evans, and Ryan Gosling all rushed to New York to visit Anson. Though they weren't aware of the twists and turns behind the scenes, they breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Anson looking okay. But they grew tense upon learning that Anson would need at least three to six weeks to recover.
Chris noticed there were cards among the flowers from Anne Hathaway and Scarlett Johansson. He was about to tease Anson but then saw a card from Brad Renfro, and his face immediately darkened. "He still has the nerve to contact you? Is it because he sees you're successful now and wants to suck up?"
James, still acting carefree, rolled his eyes and mocked, "No, it's probably because he's gloating over Anson's misfortune, sending flowers just to rub it in. Typical."