Late that night, the Linda Walton scandal broke like wildfire. Within hours, it shot to the top of social media trends.
With dozens of high-profile guests present, there was no way the Waltons could cover it up.
Clips from the event were already circulating online, some shaky, some crystal clear, but all damning. They spread faster than a brush fire in dry grass.
And not everyone was willing to protect the Waltons this time.
Former allies went quiet. PR firms declined to comment. Even long-time business partners started deleting posts and cutting ties.
The livestream footage went viral, and by midnight, Linda Walton's name was the most hated hashtag on the internet.
By morning, the whole Walton family was under heavy public scrutiny.
News outlets were all over it, po
