What Happens When Publicists Become the Stars?
Images from @treepaine on X/Twitter and Getty Images. Graphic by Jessica Phan.
You’ve seen them in the background of every celebrity pap shot, red carpet, step-and-repeat or event. They are usually dressed in black, are referred to as “professional purse holders” and are essential parts of every celebrity’s team. Publicists are the hard-working people responsible for making their clients “newsworthy,” but what happens when they are the ones thrust into the spotlight and public eye?
Taylor Swift and Beyoncé are undoubtedly some of the most famous people alive today – they are both so famous that even their publicists have fanbases. There are fan accounts and video edits on X (formerly Twitter) dedicated to Tree Paine, founder of Premium PR and Swift’s publicist since 2014. Swifties from all over the world praise Paine for her unwavering support of Swift and her expertise in PR. Her feature in Swift’s 2020 Netflix documentary Miss Americana proved to viewers that she is “a quiet but ferocious PR pitbull,” standing by the blonde pop star through several intense moments of public scrutiny over the years.
Similarly, Beyoncé’s publicist Yvette Noel-Schure, chief communications officer of Schure Media Group (a publicity and event planning agency that she shares with her husband), has become a fan-favorite within the BeyHive. Noel-Schure has been Beyoncé’s trusted adviser and publicist since 1997, so it is no surprise that fans show a great deal of respect for her. Despite handling several other notable celebrity clients such as Kelly Rowland and sister-duo Chloe x Halle, Noel-Schure makes sure to show up for Beyoncé and can be seen by her side more often than not.
Recently, both Swift and Beyoncé had theatrical releases for their respective concert film experiences. They attended each other’s premieres and had nothing but admiration for one another as photographs and videos of the pop stars together flooded social media. As the internet freaked out about how iconic Swift and Beyoncé were, they also turned their attention to the ladies who helped make everything possible: Paine and Noel-Schure.
Screenshot from @PopBase on X/Twitter.
At the Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé premiere in London on November 30, hundreds of tweets and tiktoks captured the two masterful publicists leading Swift into the event side-by-side with big smiles on their faces. Swifties and the BeyHive rejoiced in celebrating this iconic moment, and it seemed like there was just as much buzz around the two megastars as there was around Paine and Noel-Schure. Fans took to social media to commend the publicists for their devoted work as well as thank them for creating special occasions like this that will go down in pop culture history forever.
People often overlook the role of a publicist and deduce it to be something superficial or unnecessary. However, this is far from the truth and a complete misunderstanding of what publicists are and what they do. Individuals like Paine and Noel-Schure are prime examples of what a superstar publicist does–uplift their client, protect their narratives and execute extraordinary opportunities for them. A simple moment such as Swift and Beyoncé commemorating each other’s accomplishments can become something that is talked about for years to come, meaning that Paine and Noel-Schure have succeeded in their job and have become their own stars in the process.