---
title: "The mistake that cost a contract: why Olga Martynovska's apologies didn't work"
description: "PR expert Alena Garmash explains why Olga Martynovska's apologies failed to save her reputation and led to the termination of her contract with the brand TM Savory. The star's main mistake was that she apologized for people's offense but did not admit guilt for the act itself. A breakdown and analysis of the communication failure in the article."
date: 2026-06-17T14:28:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/mistake-that-cost-contract-why-olga-martynovska-apologies-didnt-work
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# The mistake that cost a contract: why Olga Martynovska's apologies didn't work

![Olga Martynovskaya in a pink dress on the red carpet, smiling — photo linked to the story of failed apology and lost contract](https://xab.info/media/2026/06/17/skandal-olga-martynovskaya-ochenka-pr-eksperta/skandal-olga-martynovskaya-ochenka-pr-eksperta-1.webp)

The scandal surrounding Ukrainian TV presenter Olga Martynovska has escalated from entertainment news to a serious lesson in reputation management. The trigger for the public outcry was an interview with Masha Efrosinina, during which the star recounted childhood pranks involving animals. However, as experts note, the problem lay not so much in the admission itself, but in how the presenter attempted to smooth things over after the media explosion.

### The main mistake: apologizing for the reaction, not the act

Alena Garmash, owner of the a69pr agency and a renowned PR expert, analyzed Martynovska's actions in an exclusive comment to RBC-Ukraine. According to the specialist, the reputational damage would have been minimal if the response strategy had been structured differently.

According to Garmash, the key error lies in the wording of Olga's first video comment. The presenter stated: "Forgive those whom my words have hurt." The expert emphasizes that this is a classic mistake: Martynovska apologized for the fact that people were upset, but did not admit guilt for the essence of the statements themselves, nor did she confirm that the events were exaggerated.

"She apologized for the fact that people were offended, not for what she did. And she did not apologize for the reaction during the interview. It turns out that the person did not realize the situation," Garmash summarizes.

### A missed opportunity at an early stage

The situation could have developed according to a different scenario even at the stage of recording the interview. The expert notes that even if Martynovska had decided to maintain the version of hyperbole, she could have clearly stated her position immediately.

"When she was on the interview, she could have said: 'Even if this was exaggerated, I categorically condemn it'. One could have clearly explained the position and not left room for interpretation," Garmash explains.

In addition to verbal communication, the expert offers an example of constructive action that could have worked to the benefit of her reputation: "One could even make a certain donation in support of animals. I understand that Ukraine is not Hollywood, but it would have looked appropriate and beautiful from a public figure."

### Why the TM Savory brand terminated the contract

The consequences of the scandal became tangible: the brand TM Savory decided to terminate cooperation with Olga Martynovska. Alena Garmash commented on this step in her Telegram channel, noting that the issue was not about the star's "mischievous" past.

"Society usually feels the difference between 'I'm sorry you were hurt' and 'I'm sorry I did it' very well. And I think that is why the brand made such a decision. Not because of the past. But because of how this story was lived and presented to the public in the present," believes the PR manager.

In the expert's opinion, the right strategy at an early stage could have completely stopped the development of the scandal. Instead, according to Garmash, Martynovska "simply buries herself as much as possible".

### Context of the scandal

Recall that during Masha Efrosinina's interview, Olga Martynovska claimed that in her childhood she allegedly threw cats off the roof and tied firecrackers to their tails. After the publication of the fragment, there was a sharp reaction on the Internet, and the video was deleted.

Masha Efrosinina herself stated that she does not support cruelty to animals and explained that Martynovska's words were an "unfortunate hyperbole" rather than a literal description of events. The organization UAnimals also reacted to the scandal, emphasizing that cruelty to animals is unacceptable under any circumstances.