American Express

In 1990, Meryl Streep agreed to appear in a commercial for American Express as the company agreed to financially support her children’s school in return. Her appearance was briefly mentioned in a 1991 article by the New York Times: I don’t believe in the company,” she says. “But I have a card, so I felt like I could kill two birds with one stone because my daughter’s school was in financial trouble. They got an enormous contribution from American Express, and I gave them one. So, it was good.”

The remark, however, prompted Streep to respond to the article with a letter later published by the NY Times: “I wouldn’t have done an American Express spot if I weren’t a satisfied customer. My family and I have very confidently used the services it provides for years and years. To convey that I have doubts about American Express or participated in the commercial in any way that undermines the integrity of the company (or my own!) was not the intent of my remarks in the context of our conversation. I mistakenly felt the writer understood this, and I regret it very much. You can call this “Defending Your Livelihood.”