entertainment

How Jessica Marais started a magazine war.

 

You won’t be seeing Cate Blanchett, Rose Byrne or Rebecca Gibney on the cover of the Australian Women’s Weekly any time soon.

One of Australia’s most popular women’s magazine is boycotting some of the countries biggest stars – and it’s all because of Jessica Marais.

Australian Women’s Weekly editor Helen McCabe is refusing to feature any talent represented by Sydney agency RGM, who represents some of our country’s most recognisable faces. According to The Sydney Morning Heraldthe boycott is a result of a dispute which began a year ago, in the wake of the magazine’s interview with Love Child actress Jessica Marais.

Mamamia wrote about Marais’ interview at the time: Don’t start celebrating Jessica Marais’ admission of bipolar just yet. 

Marais sat down for an interview with AWW as promotion for tele-movie Carlotta, in which she plays transgender actress and cabaret star Carol ‘Carlotta’ Spencer.

Marais as Carlotta.

Marais spoke candidly about her battles with mental illness, telling the magazine, “I was diagnosed at one point with bipolar. I have developed ways to talk myself down from any ledges I find myself on…I just think it’s important to talk about depression. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. And the more we talk about it as a community, the more we remove the stigma.” The trouble was, this was the first time Marais had spoken publicly about her mental health.

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You can watch Marais talk about Carlotta and Love Child below… (Post continues after video).

Due to the nature of the interview’s subject matter AWW called Marais’ management to inform them that the actresses comment on her struggle with bipolar disorder would be included. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Hugh Marks, RGM’s chief executive officer was not pleased, demanding the information be omitted. AWW refused.

More Jessica Marais news here: Jessica Marais and James Stewart have confirmed they’ve split.

Marais in Love Child.

While RGM representatives refused to comment, McCabe told SMH, “Regrettably we have had a dispute with RGM over editorial independence. The evolution of PR/marketing means that every media outlet is now battling against ‘spin.'”

The issue with RGM’s demands, she believes, is that they were retrospective. “As a result,” she told SMH, “we have taken a strong line in the interests of the readers and the traditions of the magazine.”

AWW will no longer feature Marais or any of RGM’s clients including Rebecca Gibney, Rose Byrne, Mia Wasikowska, and one of Australia’s most well-known and accomplished actresses, Cate Blanchett.

Do you think the AWW did the right thing?

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