Bonus: Judy Smith

Judy A. Smith (1958 - present) is an American crisis manager, lawyer, author and television producer. Her work in crisis management over the years has earned the title of “professional fixer” and is seen as the inspiration for the ABC television series “Scandal.”

This bonus episode is brought to you by the CBS Original ELSBETH.

For Further Reading

• Elle – Meet The Woman Celebrities And CEOs Call In A Crisis
• D.C. insider Judy Smith is basis for ABC drama “Scandal”

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Hello from Wonder Media Network. I'm Jenny Kaplan and this
is Womanica. This episode is brought to you by the
CBS original Elsbeth. Every Saturday this month, we're focusing on
different women who've achieved remarkable success and influence in their
respective fields by upholding unique points of view and being
exemplary leaders while remaining true to themselves. Today, we're telling

(00:28):
the story of a woman who's resolved some of the
biggest scandals in recent American history. Whether she'd be working
with the celebrity a CEO or the President of the
United States. This woman's ability to remain calm and map
out a plan of attack on her murder board has
made her a legend. She's known simply as the professional fixer.

(00:49):
Let's talk about Judy Smith. Judy was born in Washington,
d c. In nineteen fifty eight. It was apparent from
a very early age that she was a natural at
solving proper problems. One day, she ran into her neighborhood
alleyway to break up a fight that started over dodgeball.
She was just seven years old. Later, she received her

(01:11):
BA and Public Relations at Boston University and enrolled at
American University. Where she would get her law degree. There,
she would become the first African American woman to serve
as executive director of its Law Review. But Judy's first
gig wasn't in a courtroom, at least not as a lawyer.
Fresh out of law school, Judy had lunch with a

(01:31):
friend who was working with a legal team investigating the
Reagan administration. On November twenty fifth, nineteen eighty six, President
Reagan had admitted to a full conference room that funds
from an illegal arms trade with Iran had been used
to buy weapons for the Contra rebels. This is known
as the Iran Contra scandal. Curious for her take, Judy's
friend asked Judy, how was the legal team doing? Were

(01:53):
they handling the crisis? Well, Judy's response, you kind of
suck a little bit. The messages are not trans parent.
I don't think people believe you. The next day, Judy
was brought on to help, and she completely immersed herself
in the world of crisis management. Judy's work on this
investigation would send her to businesses around the DC area,

(02:13):
leading her to work as a federal prosecutor in the U. S.
Attorney's Office. Her name began to make rounds in the
circles of the elite, until it landed on the desk
of a particularly important man. When Judy received a call
from the White House, she initially thought it was a joke.
She had been in important places, but she didn't have
any connections, nor had she made any donations to any

(02:36):
political party, so she hung up. It took a call
from the President himself to convince her that yes, they
were in fact asking for her, and in nineteen ninety one,
Judy became the Deputy Press Secretary to President George H. W. Bush.
She was now privy to global crises and even in
a position to advise the head of state. Just a

(02:59):
year in, Cold convinced Bush Senior to visit la in
the wake of the Rodney King riots. This may not
seem like much now, but a Conservative Party member showing
concern for a victim of racial police brutality wasn't par
for the course in the nineties. Needless to say, she
had influence. Not want to stay in place for too long,

(03:19):
Judy left the White House to pursue crisis management full time.
She founded her own company, Smith and Coe in nineteen
ninety three. It was a business dedicated to protecting the
client's most valuable assets, their reputation, brand and valuation. No
longer under the watchful eye of the state, Judy and
her firm operated in the shadows. They didn't make a

(03:41):
habit of advertising who walked through their doors or who
needed their help. Privacy was key, and that attracted the
attention of some big celebrities. You name it, Angelina, Jolie, Wesley, Snipes,
Michael Vick, Paula Dean all needed her assistance, and no
one needed it more than Judy's mond most infamous client.
I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Monica Lewinsky.

(04:08):
After the news broke of Monica's affair with then President
Bill Clinton, she became a victim of the twenty four
hour news cycle. There was no place her face wasn't plastered,
her reputation was ruined. Yet Judy took her on as
a client, helping her traverse the media by staying out
of the spotlight and making sure that the public knew
she was being cooperative. If Judy and Monica had to

(04:31):
be seen, they did it in style. There's an iconic
photo of Judy leading Lewinsky through a crowd of reporters.
Judy's hairs pulled into a ponytail, her eyes hidden behind
dark sunglasses. She's dressed in what would become her signature,
a white suit. Judy continued her work, remaining Washington's best
kept secret, and after a couple of decades, her name

(04:53):
started making the rounds again, this time in the writer's
room of ABC Studios. The decades long career attracted the
attention of Shonda Rhimes. She became not only the inspiration
but a producer for the hit television series Scandal. On
the show, main character Olivia Pope and her firm work
around the clock to deal with political scandal surrounding the

(05:15):
Washington elite. Judy worked closely with scripts, but she never
gave out her secrets. She would only consult on how
one would act if certain things were to happen, and
she donated her outfits to create Olivia Pope's signature look,
a white suit. To be clear, the show was inspired
not based on Judy's life. Judy has made it abundantly

(05:38):
clear that she has never had an affair or slapped
a president. Today, Judy's still in crisis management with offices
in Los Angeles, New York and London. She's also not
under the radar anymore. If you take a peek at
her social media, she can be seen giving advice to
women on how to navigate their workspaces or preaching the
importance of being your honest and authentic self. For more information,

(06:02):
find us on Facebook and Instagram at Wamanica podcast special
thanks to lose Kaplan, my favorite sister and co creator.
Talk to you on Monday.