I took Tom Brady to a party and asked 'Why are you famous?'
NFL quarterback's humble response, plus his private deference to the military
Barbara Walters set me up with movie star Ben Affleck at the White House Correspondents’ dinner. Affleck and I talked a while through dinner, but he didn’t get my politics or my sense of humor.
To save the evening, I asked a handsome celebrity I didn’t know to go to a party after the formal dinner. I learned later that his name was Tom Brady, and he was a successful football quarterback.
Now as Brady announced his final retirement at 45 years old, I’m reminded of when I met him after he had won multiple Super Bowls but was not yet the GOAT.
I saw a very tall, handsome man shaking hands and taking photos with fans among the tables after the 2004 White House Correspondents dinner had ended. He looked uncomfortable and somewhat lost.
The annual Washington press dinner has Hollywood celebrities that aren’t always A-list and easily recognizable (like Affleck), so I assumed the man in the tuxedo and tie was one of those D-listers. I walked over to him.
“Hey, are you going to the Bloomberg afterparty?” I asked with my neck bent all the way back to see his face. I’m 5’2” and even in 3” heels, I came up to about his shoulders in the tuxedo.
“I was supposed to, but I don’t know where to go,” he replied.
“It’s up the street at a house. Do you want to walk with me?” I asked. “I’m Emily.”
“Tom, and that’s great, thank you,” he replied.
Party Crashers
I had an ulterior motive. There are always parties after the press dinner, but the one hosted by Bloomberg Media was the most exclusive. I have never been invited. I was finagling a way to get in as a guest.
“Let’s go this way,” I said, directing Tom to the ballroom exits. People still stopped him for photos, but he looked happier that he had an escape now.
We went outside, up the stairs, took an escalator and left out the front of the hotel doors. No one bothered him. We had about three blocks to walk to the mansion with the party. I was trying not to stumble in my heels. It was cold in a formal dress.
As we got close, we could see the line to get into the party started about a block away from the house. There were clearly more people waiting in line than had been invited. I wasn’t sure my scam of getting in on his ticket would work.
“Hey, you wait here in line a minute. I want to see something,” I ordered.
“Okay,” Tom replied.
“Well, we won the Super Bowl.”
I walked the length of the line and found a red carpet and a row of TV cameras and reporters interviewing the famous people who entered the party. No one was checking their names for tickets and guests. This would be my only way into the exclusive afterparty.
“Is this where to bring the celebrity guests?” I asked a woman with a clipboard who seemed to be in charge. “I have one back in line.”
“Depends who it is,” she said.
I didn’t know if my celebrity was red-carpet worthy, but I had gotten this far and figured I’d try. I went back to the line and found Tom.
It’s Tom Brady
“Come with me, we’re going to the red carpet entrance,” I said.
“I don’t think I should do that. No one asked me to do it,” he replied. He wasn’t moving.
“I think it’s where you’re supposed to go,” I insisted. He looked at the people behind him in line. They hadn’t noticed him.
“I guess…” he said, following me slowly up the line to the red carpet.
I walked directly to the woman with the clipboard. She looked over my head and exclaimed, “Tom Brady!”
(This still meant nothing to me because I’ve never watched football. I know that I should have heard of him in general pop culture, but I hadn’t at this point.)
“I play quarterback”
I realized my chance of getting into the party depended on sticking with this man. So I pretended to be his publicist. I had worked in TV news – behind the scenes — at NBC and ABC, so I knew how this system worked.
Walking the red carpet with Tom Brady
I scanned the TV cameras which have stickers on the side with the name of the TV network or show. I walked over to “Entertainment Tonight” and asked: “Do you want Tom Brady?” The man said yes.
“Tom, Tom, come here,” I yelled at him while camera bulbs went off all around us. He walked to me. “This is ‘Entertainment Tonight.’”
The reporter immediately put his microphone up to Brady and started interviewing him, while I moved to the next camera.
“Tom, I need you here with ‘Access Hollywood,’” I said. He followed my directions.
We went all along the red carpet doing every interview. At the end of the TV cameras, a bunch of still photographers stood close together.
“Tom, I need you here,” I said pointing at a spot on the carpet in front of a step-and-repeat sign for Bloomberg. I backed out of the shot and let him pose. It took just a few seconds. Here’s one from that night:
“This way,” I said to Tom as I headed to a side door of the house. I was trying to figure out where they would ask for tickets. I didn’t see anyone outside.
He followed me. I opened the door and went in first. Inside the house, there was no one asking for tickets. I made it!
Why is Tom Brady famous?
“Thank you so much for helping me,” Brady said as we entered the private party. “That was so nice of you. I really appreciate it."
“No problem,” I replied. “Let’s go get a drink.”
As we walked through the house, D.C. reporters who know me looked surprised and confused as Brady and I passed them. I didn’t want to risk any of them busting me for not being on the guest list, so I kept walking.
We got two drinks at the bar and stood there alone. No one approached him yet.
“So, why are you famous?” I asked, looking up as far as I could see his face…