Scott Stringer

Even if this is the first time you’re hearing of her, you’ve likely already been spun by Risa Heller, the crisis-communications warrior of choice for the city’s most cancellable elites. “Is there anybody who has stepped in shit who does not call her to clean their shoes?” says Evan Smith, co-founder of the Texas Tribune, who has sought her advice, albeit not for any particular shit-stepping he’d done. Way back in 2011, she helped Anthony Weiner survive his first dick-pic scandal. She also worked for Kushner Companies when Jared was running it. The chef Mario Batali hit up Heller after he was accused of groping women, as did Arcade Fire front man Win Butler, who, according to an exposé published in Pitchfork, sexually pressured several younger fans. ‘New Yorker’ writer Jeffrey Toobin called her for advice when he was caught masturbating on a work Zoom. Now, ‘Wired’ reports that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang just hired Heller, at least a year before he publicly acknowledged an extramarital affair with a woman suspected of spying for China. “With cancel culture or whatever, people get thrown out with the trash, and I just don’t agree with that,” she says. “I’m a big believer in second chances.” Revisit Shawn McCreesh’s 2023 profile of Heller: nymag.visitlink.me/Kv-izq