vault backup: 2026-09-22 22:51:38

10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/Risa Heller.md

@@ -9,6 +9,11 @@ tags:
 summary: "New York crisis-communications consultant, formerly press secretary to Chuck Schumer, whose firm has represented Jared Kushner, Harvey Weinstein and Jeff Zucker."
 location: "New York City"
 relations:
+  - type: represented
+    with: "[[Barbara Fried]]"
+    start: 2023
+    role: "public relations consultant"
+    fn: 9
   - type: employed_by
     with: "[[Jane Harman]]"
     start: 2004
@@ -94,7 +99,7 @@ Its first crisis client, in 2011, was Representative [[Anthony Weiner]], then un
 
 In 2015 [[Harvey Weinstein]] retained her against the accusation of the model Ambra Battilana, and she gave the *Times* his statement: "We are pleased this episode is behind us." Other clients recorded by *New York* magazine include [[Kevin Clash]], the puppeteer of Elmo, against allegations of sex with teenagers (the cases were dismissed); the chef [[Mario Batali]], accused of groping women; [[Win Butler]] of Arcade Fire; the legal analyst [[Jeffrey Toobin]]; and the former *Times* publisher [[Arthur Sulzberger Jr.]] in his divorce.[^1] In January 2022 she represented [[Jeff Zucker]] when his relationship with his deputy, Allison Gollust, ended his presidency of [[CNN]]; he had been introduced to her by Gary Ginsberg, a former adviser to [[Rupert Murdoch]]. In 2023 she represented [[Jeff Shell]] on his dismissal as chief executive of [[NBCUniversal]].[^1][^3]
 
-She was reported to have helped [[Elizabeth Holmes]], the convicted founder of [[Theranos]], to place the *New York Times* profile "Liz Holmes Wants You to Forget About Elizabeth," published on May 7, 2023, three weeks before Holmes reported to prison.[^5] In February 2021 the spokesperson for [[GPB Capital Holdings]], whose founder David Gentile had been arrested, was [[Linden Zakula]] of Heller's firm; he denied on GPB's behalf any part in 103 million dollars of land purchases in Clearwater, [[Florida]], by limited liability companies owned by [[Scientology|Scientologists]].[^6] The surveillance-camera maker [[Verkada]] retained the firm in about 2021.[^7]
+[[Elizabeth Holmes]], the convicted founder of [[Theranos]], was reported by multiple sources to have had Heller's help in brokering the *New York Times* profile "Liz Holmes Wants You to Forget About Elizabeth," published on May 7, 2023, three weeks before Holmes reported to prison; Heller did not respond to requests for comment.[^5] In 2023 the Stanford law professors [[Barbara Fried]] and [[Joseph Bankman]] hired her to assist with the media strategy around the defense of their son, [[Sam Bankman-Fried]], founder of the cryptocurrency exchange [[FTX]], before his trial that October.[^9] In February 2021 the spokesperson for [[GPB Capital Holdings]], whose founder David Gentile had been arrested, was [[Linden Zakula]] of Heller's firm; he denied on GPB's behalf any part in 103 million dollars of land purchases in Clearwater, [[Florida]], by limited liability companies owned by [[Scientology|Scientologists]].[^6] The surveillance-camera maker [[Verkada]] retained the firm in about 2021.[^7]
 
 *New York* magazine described her closeness to the reporters who cover her clients: she hosted a book party for [[Maggie Haberman]] of the *Times*, and when a *New Yorker* writer began a profile of Jon Kelly of Puck, Kelly "called up Heller to run interference."[^1]
 
@@ -108,7 +113,8 @@ In 2026 *The Hollywood Reporter*, surveying the crisis-communications consultant
 [^2]: "Risa Heller," Heller (firm biography), modified March 28, 2025. https://heller.inc/employee/risa-heller/
 [^3]: Haithman, Diane. "Is Crisis PR Whiz Risa Heller Ready to Take On Hollywood?" *TheWrap,* August 14, 2023. https://www.thewrap.com/risa-heller-crisis-p-r-in-hollywood/
 [^4]: Perlberg, Steven. "Meet The New York City Democrat Flacking For Ivanka Trump." *BuzzFeed News,* April 14, 2017. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/stevenperlberg/meet-the-new-york-city-democrat-flacking-for-ivanka-trump
-[^5]: McCauley, Kevin. "Heller Helped Holmes on NYT Profile." *O'Dwyer's,* June 2, 2023, reporting the account of Charlotte Klein in *Vanity Fair* (not examined). https://www.odwyerpr.com/story/public/19690/2023-06-02/heller-helped-holmes-nyt-profile.html
+[^5]: Klein, Charlotte. "The New York Times' Elizabeth Holmes Profile Is Causing Drama in the Newsroom: 'What the Hell Happened Here?'" *Vanity Fair,* May 31, 2023. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/05/elizabeth-holmes-new-york-times ; McCauley, Kevin. "Heller Helped Holmes on NYT Profile." *O'Dwyer's,* June 2, 2023. https://www.odwyerpr.com/story/public/19690/2023-06-02/heller-helped-holmes-nyt-profile.html
 [^6]: Augustine, Jeffrey. "GPB Capital Hires NYC PR Crisis Management Firm Risa Heller; Denies Any Role in $103 Million Clearwater Land Purchases Made by Murky Scientologist-Owned LLC's." *The Scientology Money Project,* February 26, 2021. https://scientologymoneyproject.com/2021/02/26/gpb-capital-hires-nyc-pr-crisis-management-firm-risa-heller-denies-any-role-in-103-million-clearwater-land-purchases-made-by-murky-scientologist-owned-llcs/
 [^7]: Honovich, John. "Meet Risa Heller, The PR Firm For Really Bad People (And Verkada)." IPVM, December 15, 2022. https://ipvm.com/discussions/meet-risa-heller-the-pr-firm-for-really-bad-people-and-verkada
 [^8]: "Jeffrey Epstein Employed Top Hollywood Crisis Communications Experts, Reputation-Management Firms." *The Hollywood Reporter,* 2026. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/jeffrey-epstein-top-hollywood-crisis-communications-experts-reputation-management-firms-1236513028/
+[^9]: Kolhatkar, Sheelah. "Inside Sam Bankman-Fried's Family Bubble." *The New Yorker,* October 2, 2023. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/10/02/inside-sam-bankman-frieds-family-bubble