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A Hollywood public relations expert believes the viral video of Alan Ritchson punching Tennessee man Ronnie Taylor will help bolster his image and popularity. Ritchson socked Taylor in the face after the latter confronted the former for riding his motorcycle through his neighborhood.
While Ronnie Taylor tried to run to TMZ to sell his side of the story, Alan Ritchson released body cam footage that showed that Taylor was the aggressor in the incident has he jumped out in front of Ritchson’s motorcycle while he was riding it, causing him to quickly brake and flip over his handlebars.
Ritchson then got off the ground and confronted Taylor, eventually punching him in the face. Authorities have said that no charges will be filed as Ritchson was acting in self-defense.
The incident may also prove to be a PR coup for Ritchson as it bolsters his “tough guy” image.
Hollywood PR expert says Alan Ritchson punching Tennessee man Ronnie Taylor in the face will make the Reacher star more popular
“This isn’t the kiss of death and won’t put a bullet through Alan’s career,” Eric Schiffer, chairman of the Los Angeles–based firm Reputation Management Consultants, told Page Six.
“The throwdown feeds the Reacher machine because his audience loves fighters and hates cowards. This is the same hard-shell authenticity his brand sells and a street-level reminder his tough-guy persona isn’t rented. Brand deals care if he looks dangerous to the brand. Self-defense strips all the poison out. This is not rat poison for sponsors and only hardens his appeal,” he continued.
“His image was built on toughness. This doesn’t gut it, it reinforces it. The Reacher mythology is bolstered because audiences love it when the actor looks like he could actually kick ass outside his trailer. He may lose some polished-Hollywood points with elites, but gain giant truckloads of street cred.”
Earlier this week, Ritchson took to Instagram to confirm that he’d finished post-production on season four of Reacher, which he says is the “best yet” and will premiere on Prime Video “soon.”