Kristen Stewart Rupert SandersLet's assume, for the sake of this admittedly lowbrow gossipy discussion, that the rumors about Kristen Stewart hooking up with director Rupert Sanders are true. Let's also momentarily set aside our collective horror and despair over the fact that she may have cheated on Robert Pattinson, for surely they were destined to be together forever and ever, JUST LIKE BELLA AND EDWARD. *Music swells* *Jacob appears out of nowhere and rips off his shirt* *CGI wolves howl in perfect unison*

Instead, let's talk about what Kristen Stewart's alleged indiscretion means for her future. Specifically, the Snow White and the Huntsman sequel ... and more generally, her entire career.

So that Snow White sequel. First of all, can I just indulge in a full-body cringe of empathy for Sanders' wife, 33-year-old model Liberty Ross, who not only appeared in the movie as Stewart's MOTHER, but also posted the following to her website a while back:

We have lived and breathed this project every day now for 2 years so releasing it to the world was extremely exciting. I remember a couple of summers ago looking at a script, lying on our bed in Malibu that had “SNOW WHITE” written down the side of it. I immediately thought “wow, that would be incredible”. (...) Like a rare and exquisite masterpiece the stars -- Charlize Theron, Kristen Stewart -- aligned and Snow White began its incredible journey. (...) We moved to L.A almost 7 years ago to start our family and concentrate on his career. Last year we moved back to London for 6 months with our 2 children and to finally start filming at Pinewood. We are so happy and excited today to share this with you and we really hope you enjoy the movie.

Oh, man. God, for her sake I am REALLY hoping this whole thing gets disproven, stat. Like maybe that Us Weekly photo just shows Rupert ... um ... coaching Stewart through a love scene? Or giving her the Heimlich? Maybe she was choking on a pork chop!

Anyway, I'm sort of thinking that the Snow White follow-up isn't going to happen with Sanders in the director's chair. Universal was reportedly trying to get him on board for a second film -- but if there's a shot at squashing the rumors and creating space for Sanders and his family to get past this mess, it can't involve him teaming up with Stewart on another "rare and exquisite masterpiece," right?

As for Stewart's situation, I know being caught cheating is hardly the end of the world in Hollywood, but I wonder if the fact that she (allegedly!) hooked up with a married director on the set of her movie will have a negative influence on her future choices. I mean, for one thing, as the wife of a director, would YOU want Stewart to join your husband's, ah, dream team? And from an image standpoint, certain roles may have suddenly become awkward -- the innocent ingenue, for instance. Or the conniving adulteress.

There's also the question of how her fans will react. I'm guessing the diehard Pattinson fans aren't too happy with her right now, but what about the Twilight people? Did Stewart shatter a romantic vampire illusion and potentially degrade the experience of Breaking Dawn 2 in the process? Will all be forgotten as soon as the next celebrity antic captures our attention, or did she cause some permanent damage to her appeal?

It's hard to say, but I kind of feel sorry for everyone involved. Talk about a mistake that's not only playing out for the world to see and judge, but may have lasting repercussions that damage families, relationships, and careers.

What's your take on this whole Kristen Stewart/Rupert Sanders mess? Do you think it will affect Stewart's career in a negative way? Or is all PR good PR in this case?

Image via Us Weekly