Kelly Rowland, Paulina Rubio In Talks To Join ‘X … 
Cannes: Latest Theft Affects China Film Group VP 
UPDATE: Yahoo Board OKs $1.1B Deal To Acquire Tumblr … 
‘Epic’ Toon Begins $14.5M Overseas Rollout 
Cannes: Sony Classics Wins Stateside Rights To Asghar … 
‘Fast & Furious 6′ Breaks Records In … 
Specialty Box Office: ‘Frances Ha’ Triumphs As … 
‘Saturday Night Live’ Season Finale Posts … 
‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ $164.5M Global: Lower … 
Cannes: Backup Media, Memento Bring Heat To Fest Helmer Jim … 
Cannes: Sundance Selects Acquires Dardenne Brothers’ … 
Cannes: Wrekin Hill Acquires U.S. On Gabriele … 
Bill Hader’s ‘SNL’ Stefon Farewell: Video 
Cannes: The Weinstein Co. Books ‘Suite … 
BBC Confirms ‘Doctor Who’ Season 8 
Finally, Cannes Dealing! Radius-TWC Nabs Director’s … 
Hammond On Cannes: Wet Fest’s Official Competition … 
‘Vampire Academy’ Adds ‘Modern … 
RATINGS RAT RACE: ‘Shark Tank’ Finale Up, … 
Cannes: Worldview Options Andrew Dominik’s Marilyn … 
UPFRONTS 2013: The Overachievers 
R.I.P. Ronni Chasen
Pete Hammond Remembers Ronni Chasen
Oscar Publicist Ronni Chasen Shot And Killed In Beverly Hills Driving Back From ‘Burlesque’ Premiere In Hollywood
Usually the fiercely competitive Hollywood PR landscape is ”populated heavily with the most mendacious and vicious group of people”, in the words of one of them. But not today. Throughout the morning and afternoon, rival firms offered their assistance and sustenance to the shocked and grieving employees of Ronni Chasen’s publicity firm. The companies sent their own staff members to assist with phone calls and memorial details as well as lunch for all the personnel. Tonight, Chasen’s friends and former colleagues are gathering at the Four Seasons Hotel outside Beverly Hills to remember her. Producer Scott Rudin is organizing a similar gathering in New York City tomorrow for the people who worked with Ronni. Both groups have asked that the media give them privacy. Today, Ronni’s longtime colleague at Chasen & Co Publicity, Jeff Sanderson, made this tribute which summed up the reaction of so many in the showbiz publicity field: “There was no one like Ronni Chasen. Passionate. Dedicated. Tenacious. Loyal. Lovable. She was an iconic publicist who loved her clients and always strived to do her best for them. To me she was not only my colleague and mentor for over 18 years, but also my dearest friend and a part of my family. I will feel her loss every day, but she will always be a part of my life.” (Please resend your comments which were mistakenly deleted.)
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
Loading ...
First class! We need more of this in company town.
I am so sorry to hear about this senseless killing. This woman did
nothing to deserve this. We wonder why the movie industry has left Hollywood, well, this is why. When my son moved to Beverly Hills and became an actor I was always worried, not because he did not know wrong from right, but that others did not. This town is swarming with guns. It does’nt matter where you are, in order to get to Beverly Hills you have to go through some bad areas. No one is safe. The happiest day of my life was when my son told me that he was moving to new York. Say what you want about that city, but people can walk doen the streets and not get gunned down. I know that every big city has their problems, but come on, Beverly Hills is not that big! All I can say is be on the look out. If something or someone looks wrong, call it in. That means Compton as well as Beverly Hills. R.I.P Ronnie
Mam…
This is a completely random act, or possibly a personal attack, though, unlikely the latter.
And, this is not why much of the industry has left LA. That has to do with tax credits and cost of production, in comparison to other states.
Lastly, at no time do you have to drive through bad areas to get to Beverly Hills. This shooting happened in one of the most affluent parts of Beverly Hills, just a few blocks from The Beverly Hills Hotel.
So, please don’t assume things that you are not informed about, and post erroneous comments that have no bearing on the fact that this highly accomplished women, loved and respected by many, was murdered because she was living in a war zone, but, her life taken either by rage or cowardice. I hope for her close colleagues & friends, whom I know many, that they find some resolve and eventual peace…
And, as much as I love NYC…again, you must be referring to the animated Disney version of the city, where guns shoot fake bullets.
My parents live two blocks away from the shooting scene. Beverly Hills is like the rest of LA–dangerous and no place to hide from violence and mayhem. We do not know yet whether it was a street or random act as opposed to planned. But we all suspect it was random because LA, all of it, has too much crime–if this happened in a wealthy suburb of any other major US city, there would not be such a suspicion.
I feel awful for the lady who was shot for no reason but this is a weird place for you to vent your anti-LA sentiments. The major reason there is less production in LA is money. It’s cheaper to shoot in places like Canada or cities that offer far greater tax incentives. It has nothing to do with gun-toting Californians. You make us sound like we are Texans. To get to Beverly Hills you have to get to some rough areas? Yes, Westwood scares the hell out of me. So there are no rough areas surrounding the isle of Manhattan? And are you seriously claiming this never happens in NY city? Just google “innocent victim gunned down in NYC” and see what pops up. Again, it’s tragic that this women was murdered but to pretend that this is just an LA problem is ignorant.
LA is vast with – since birth – a diverse and lunatic populace.
Driving here at night IS film noir! The LAPD might hope the
killing was a ‘hit,’ but it wasnt. She was luved by the good,
the bad, the ugle — which covers Hollywood. No one knew the
route she’d take home. She wasn’t followed.
She was murdered in a gang-related ‘kill-thrill.’ As mundane
as that. But the mundane is shocking. The case will only be
solved if a ‘goon’ talks. And he might. He might brag…
Shouldnt our cars have ‘smoked’ windows like limos? (Forget
the smoked salmon.) And gang murders will continue, alas.
Very classy of the other p.r. folks to pitch in and help Ms. Chasen’s employees. The right thing to do. I don’t know her, but I am heartbroken for her and her friends and family and everyone who loved her. May she rest in peace.
I have known Ronni for over 20 years and always a very nice, warm classy lady. I seen her and spoke to her on Saturday and the AMPAS Govenors awards, I am in shock and sadden over this. She now is with the greats of this business , Henry Rogers, Warren Cowan, Lee Solters. She will be missed by everyone who ever crossed her path. She was taken away too soon! God Watch over her, and my heart goes out to Jeff and the rest of her staff.
You will be missed.
A magazine photographer
Both groups have asked that the media give them privacy.
That’s ironic. Why should the media act differently here than they would be for any other high profile memorial?
And don’t think that the other PR firms are doing this out of the goodness of their hearts. I’m sure they’re angling for a piece of her business.
Man, you are dark. Thankfully, not everyone is like you.
I do not think the PR firms are angling for her business.
I think they are helping out of the goodness of their hearts.
A class act and a really nice lady. RIP. Ronni.
I didn’t have the privilege of knowing her but I’m touched by all the outpourings of love and respect in face of such a horrific event.
Ronni was loved by all. This has to be gang-related murder.
Dont expect it to be solved!
A very audacious killing. Likely a pro. Rival agencies quick to offer condolences? A disgruntled wannabe client? Or someone established, someone with money who felt cheated and dissed. This was carefully planned. The Beverly Hills PD will not be able to solve this without help, if at all.
You guys should know Ronni was everything you describe even when she was first starting out – with Lee Solters, if I remember correctly- we worked together back in the 70s when we were both in our twenties. A class act.
An L.A Times reader observed that her car had a handicap placard [tow truck photo] – why was this not mentioned in any of the news reports? She MAY have been specifically targeted by the killer(s) because she was deemed more vulnerable owing to some type of handicap. Just one more example of incompetent news reporters.
Five shots with a smallish gun could indicate rage and possibly a crime of passion. Yes, she was 64, but she was single, divorced since her 20s, no kids, wealthy, successful: it’s not impossible that she had a lover, maybe even a younger one. And by the way: Chasen may have been straight or she may have been a lesbian so her killer could be either male or female.
Her wealthy Hollywood friends should promise a handsome reward for tips ASAP – this might lead to the arrest of her killer(s). Nothing gets people talking like a money carrot in front of their nose!
Here’s the tow truck photo I mentioned:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/11/police-seek-video-surveillance-footage-in-probe-of-hollywood-publicist-ronni-chasens-slaying.html
Ronni was an extraordinary woman. You couldn’t watch an award show or premiere and miss Ronni working so diligently on behalf of her exceptional clients. A strategist who developed her client’s profiles so energetically, thoughtfully and carefully, it is shocking that her life could end this way. She was a teacher to seemingly everyone in this town that ever attempted to do PR. I feel proud to have known her. My heart goes out to her dear friend Jeff Sanderson, her family and friends.
No one is commenting on her love life – did she have a husband, an ex husband, a jilted lover, was she gay, perhaps a former husband owed someone something and she paid with her life. Sad all the way around. Did she leave behind any children? Let’s get personal and that will give us some clues.
Just because you meet someone at a party, an event and they are extremely nice to you, you really do not know them,
most of the nice ones turn out to be careless, fearless, ruthless and conniving jerk behind closed doors,
and for the record although I met her many times at functions, events and she was very nice and gracious, I did not know her,
btw Beverly Hills is extremely safe
It is truly shocking and sad to hear of Ms. Chasen’s death. My heart goes out to her friends and family.
I have lived through multiple murder attempts such as this. This was definitely an attentional “hit” to keep her quiet about something she just learned and was in a position to expose something or some people. This was Beverly Hills.. people just don’t go around gunning down people of her status for no reason. If it wasn’t ROBBERY which it wasn’t.. then it was a “hit” and whoever had it done wanted to make good and sure she didn’t survive.
It has all the markings of an intentional murder. I would be curious to know who pitches to her clients to be their new publicist.
Why does it seem like it was person specific? No other crimes have been committed on the general public that fits this crime in that area. It was done on a street that had little traffic (no witnesses) It wasn’t on any gangs ‘turf’. No others (as yet) have reported to be assaulted, or followed in that area in the recent past. The shots were fired from within another car, to her right over her passengers seat. That couldn’t be done from the drivers seat of the other car, it had to have happened from the back seat of the killer’s car, Meaning there are two. The shooter up above the sill of the window he is firing out of, the remnants of bullets inside the shooters car (so no ballistics). One person: personal grudge, two perpetrators: planned or gang related. Who ever shot has shot before, 5 shots on target.
Who had access to the knowledge of her route that night…is a good question.
Did Ronni have a contract with her clients?…. perhaps one of them wanted out of it. or….
Another firm wanted her clients…..or
A family member stood to benefit from her death….or
Someone really hated her as she was a threat. Who was she dating.. (if at all) Left her face untouched, this is the most telling sign.
She has no husband, no children….her heir? Her brother.