Noma chef René Redzepi in 2012. (Photo by Martin Philbey/Getty Images.)
R
umor has it that Risa Heller, the Queen of Crisis PR, is helping disgraced Noma chef René Redzepi navigate the self-inflicted disaster consuming his Los Angeles pop-up. Over the weekend, the New York Times published Julia Moskin’s stomach-churning report about Redzepi’s physical and emotional abuse of his employees. By Tuesday, two sponsors had dropped out. When we texted Heller about the rumor, she responded simply, “how can I help?” So we asked if Cadillac is backing out of its sponsorship. (The car company’s sponsorship was scrubbed from the Noma website this afternoon.) “I’ll have the Noma comms person get back to you,” Heller wrote, later connecting us with one of her employees in L.A. As of press time, neither Heller or her employee would confirm their involvement.
Described in a New York Magazine profile as “who you call” when the press gets really bad, Heller’s clients have included the chef Mario Batali, former CNN president Jeff Zucker, Anthony Weiner during his scandal, and, of course, Harvey Weinstein. Most prefer to remain anonymous. “When the reporter and the editor—and maybe the internet itself—seem ready to render a summary verdict,” Shawn McCreesh wrote, “she will provide them with facts and contingencies that might generate reasonable doubt.” Lizzy Caplan is attached to play her in an upcoming adaptation of the article.
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