Molly McPhersonCrisis and Reputation Strategist | Creator of Mollyfi | Host of The PR Breakdown

Nolan Wells: I don't see any crisis PR person saying go back to the island.

14 Aug 2026 · 1 min

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1:09

In this brief interview excerpt, speaker A (presumably Nolan Wells) questions whether a crisis public‑relations professional would advise a controversial move—specifically, returning to an island—given the presence of attorneys. Molly McPherson responds by suggesting that behind‑the‑scenes decisions are likely driven by lawyers rather than trained crisis‑PR experts. She warns that amplifying accusations, especially defamation claims, entangles the speaker in the very conversation they wish to contest, making legal proof harder. McPherson stresses that the public ultimately demands truth, and that transparency—clearly stating what is known, unknown, and the next investigative steps—is essential. She concludes by highlighting the human cost: a mother grieving a child’s death without answers, underscoring that the real stakes lie in providing her with truth and closure.

Chapters

Do you think that this was a, a strategy that they came up with? I mean, if they have attorneys and whatever, you think that there's like some crisis PR person saying this is a good move? I don't see any crisis PR person saying, yeah, yeah, go back to the island.
You have to wonder who's behind the scenes, you know, making these moves. And I tend to think when moves like this happen, there's not a trained crisis person there, but there might be a lawyer or someone there who thinks they are. When you amplify something, you are putting yourself into a conversation. And if you're talking about defamation. Well, now you're a part of that conversation, so it makes it more difficult to claim it and actually prove it. You can't have a megaphone and amplify and then complain about the acoustics around you. You're participating in what you are complaining about. What the public wants and what the public is expecting is just the truth. This is where transparency comes in. This is what we're investigating. These are the facts. This is what we know. This is what we don't know. This is what we're going to do next. Simple: at the end of this is a mother grieving a child who's passed away, and she doesn't have answers. That's what matters.