OpenAI Hires Celebrity Whisperer to Improve Hollywood Relations

Charles Porch, formerly of Meta, tasked with mending OpenAI's image among celebrities and creatives.

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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OpenAI has hired Charles Porch, a former executive at Meta who oversaw celebrity partnerships, in an effort to improve the company's reputation among Hollywood actors, filmmakers, and other creatives. Porch is known for helping celebrities like Beyoncé and the Pope join and use social media platforms. His new role at OpenAI will involve a "listening tour" to understand the hopes and fears about AI from the entertainment industry, which has expressed concerns about the technology potentially replacing human creativity.

Why it matters

OpenAI has faced backlash from some high-profile figures in Hollywood, who have described AI as a "detriment" to human creativity, "horrifying," and "incredibly destructive." The company's move to hire Porch suggests it recognizes it has an image problem in the entertainment industry and is trying to address it, as AI companies seek to make more deals with studios and leverage celebrity influence.

The details

Porch spent over a decade at Meta overseeing celebrity partnerships, helping make Instagram a cultural juggernaut by onboarding celebrities who were initially hesitant about social media. He is known for his deep connections in the entertainment industry, with celebrities like Harry Styles attending his lavish wedding. In his new role at OpenAI, Porch will aim to understand the concerns of creatives and celebrities about the impact of AI on their work, as the technology raises fears of replacing actors, screenwriters, and other creative professionals.

  • Porch left his role at Meta in early 2026 to join OpenAI.
  • Porch's lavish wedding in France took place in the summer of 2025.

The players

Charles Porch

A former executive at Meta who oversaw celebrity partnerships and is known for helping make Instagram a cultural juggernaut by onboarding hesitant celebrities to the platform.

OpenAI

An artificial intelligence research company that has faced backlash from some in Hollywood over concerns about the potential impact of AI on creative industries.

Vince Gilligan

Creator of the TV shows "Breaking Bad" and "Pluribus", who has described AI as a "detriment" to human creativity.

James Cameron

Filmmaker who has described the possibility of AI actors as "horrifying."

Guillermo del Toro

Filmmaker who has said he'd "rather die" than see AI replace human creativity.

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What they’re saying

“From helping Beyoncé figure out how to launch an album exclusively on social media to onboarding Pope Francis to Instagram (he held my hands and asked me to pray for him) to watching creators become the next generation of entrepreneurs, the impact on culture that me and the team have been able to have is something that I take great pride in.”

— Charles Porch (Personal Instagram)

What’s next

Porch plans to go on a "listening tour" to hear the hopes and fears about AI from creatives and celebrities in Hollywood.

The takeaway

OpenAI's hire of Charles Porch, a celebrity whisperer, underscores the company's recognition that it needs to win over the hearts and minds of the entertainment industry to address the widespread skepticism and backlash it has faced from some high-profile figures in Hollywood about the potential impact of AI on creative professions.