The email came from a creative advertising agency and the proposal was a potential collaboration in which Gardner would be paid if he was willing to act, in secret, as a social media influencer on behalf of Ousmane Dembele, the Paris Saint-Germain forward. We are exploring a one-month campaign designed to spark dialogue and strengthen the narrative around Ousmane Dembele's candidacy for the Ballon d'Or, the email explained.
Lillis knows this world firsthand, having grown up around horse racing. At 19, she got a job exercising racehorses at a stable in rural Virginia, and by her own account, she's never lost the sense of awe either for the Thoroughbred or the people who dedicate their careers to them.