Did Sony hire the real-life Olivia Pope & Associates to handle the ensuing PR crisis following the hack and in time for "The Interview" release? Meanwhile, North Korea called Barack Obama "reckless" after the Christmas day showing of "The Interview."

It appears that the real-life Olivia Pope & Associates put on their white hats to deal with the Sony hack.

"Sony has hired crisis management expert Judy Smith - the inspiration for Kerry Washington's Scandal character, Olivia Pope - to help advise Amy Pascal and the studio on its message and next steps," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

In a related report from BBC, North Korea's National Defence Commission (NDC) described President Obama as "reckless" and a "monkey" for allowing the release of "The Interview."

A spokesman for the NDC slammed the US for the release of "The Interview," which it described as an "dishonest and reactionary movie hurting the dignity of the supreme leadership of the DPRK [North Korea] and agitating terrorism."

The statement added that Barack Obama "is the chief culprit who forced the Sony Pictures Entertainment to indiscriminately distribute the movie."

"Obama always goes reckless in words and deeds like a monkey in a tropical forest," the statement added.

Barack Obama earlier criticized Sony Pictures for staying the release of "The Interview" as he said that the studio should have cleared with him first. "I would have told them 'Do not get into a pattern in which you are intimidated by these kinds of criminal attacks,'" he said.

With the Sony hack and the controversies surrounding "The Interview" release, the studio has initially stated that "the decision not to move forward with the December 25 theatrical release of 'The Interview' was made as a result of the majority of the nation's theater owners choosing not to screen the film. This was their decision."

However, the film pushed through with its Christmas day showing on limited release. It has raked in $1 million on its opening day and broke records for on-demand streaming. 

Judy Smith, the real-life inspiration for Olivia Pope & associates, used to work as press secretary of President George H.W. Bush. She opened Smith & Company, specializing in crisis management such as the recent Sony hack. According to her, "highest-profile celebrities, politicians and corporations" have her number on speed dial.