"How should someone handle a major career setback in the public eye?"
Ring up the news networks and confess to crimes you didn't commit. Nothing says "moving forward" like a solid distraction. Hire a life coach who exclusively communicates through interpretive dance. Then lean into it, mate; become the setback. Brand yourself as "The Guy Who Crashed and Burned." Sell merchandise. Sponsorships follow failure like flies on a dunny.