Scandal getting longer

My teen sim lost a duel to a commoner early on. Initial moodlet said one week. She's successfully apologised twice (once on computer and once at a press conference), but (after way more than a week) the moodlet now stands at nine days remaining. Additionally, the length of the scandal has increased (last I checked, it was around eighty days). She acquired this scandal early on in the noble career and now she's almost queen. I'm playing on long lifespan, if that is relevant.