Leaked audio recordings obtained by The Hollywood Reporter reveal digital fixer Jed Wallace discussing plans with billionaire client Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio to smear Del Vecchio's then-fiancée, model and actress Jessica Serfaty, following her public allegations of abuse that she subsequently retracted. The recordings provide rare insight into how covert smear campaigns operate within the entertainment industry, demonstrating coordination between crisis PR operatives, communications firms and wealthy clients to damage reputations through anonymous websites and digital manipulation tactics.

Wallace, whose firm has previously worked with figures including Justin Baldoni and actress Rebel Wilson, discusses pairing anonymous smear sites with search engine optimisation techniques to boost disparaging content about Serfaty. The communications firm TAG PR, headed by Melissa Nathan, is currently defending a civil lawsuit alleging perjury related to links with smear sites. Del Vecchio, heir to eyewear giant EssilorLuxottica, has a net worth listed by Forbes at $5.5 billion. The audio recordings date to August 2024, a month after Serfaty's allegations and the same month law enforcement investigated a hidden tracking device placed on her vehicle.