Woods one ‘good cry on Oprah’ away from redeeming himself

“We’ve all seen how celebrities have [messed up and then appeared months later on the front page of People or on Oprah to give their public mea culpa. I think the public is quick to forgive because they themselves feel a bit dirty for having enjoyed the star’s downfall as much as they did and to have revelled in all the sordid details.

“Everyone feels cleansed by a good cry on Oprah,” Wasserman added.

Although some argue that Woods remains rich and successful despite his alleged proclivities,others wonder what kind of image rehab the world’s most famous athlete will need to rebound from sleazy revelations that continue to drive the celebrity news cycle each day.

For some observers,Mr. Woods’ silence on a story that grow stranger by the day just adds fuel to a fire that could have been squelched had he and his handlers taken control of his message early on.

“Time is really a great healer in more ways than one. If a person has done something wrong,go ahead and get your story out. It will be very painful for a short time,but it will go away,” said Daniel Keeney,president of DPK Public Relations.

Woods would have done better to take a page from another high-profile celebrity,Wasserman says.

“I think celebs who find themselves in similar straits should follow the example of David Letterman,who was proactive about a similar situation. People may be repelled by what Letterman admitted,but I think most people also respect him for stepping up and telling his fans the truth,” he said.

Celebrity publicist and branding expert Holly Gleason,however,says it would be big mistake to believe it will go away that easily,particularly because the women keep coming out of the woodwork,some hiring attorneys to negotiate a settlement or lucrative public deal.

“The days of no comment are over. That is now a blank check for the blogosphere to blow up any way they see fit,” Gleason said.