Disappointing that they would apply this tired and sexist trope about Kathy Scruggs, a real reporter.. She was never at peace as the story continued to get bigger and bigger with everyone crucifying Richard Jewel. The attorney for Richard Jewell, who came under suspicion in the 1996 Olympic Park bombing before he was exonerated, criticized the movie "Richard Jewell" on Thursday night, calling its depiction of a reporter at the center of the movie "false and damning.". When I'm not writing about pop culture, I can be found channeling Gordon Ramsay by kicking people out the kitchen. Richard Jewell is an Academy Awards nominated film directed and produced by Clint Eastwood. Decades later, how Scruggs is portrayed as a journalist is at the center of controversy that surrounds the film "Richard Jewell." Richard Jewell was under FBI scrutiny for about three months before he was cleared. Eric Rudolph, an American domestic terrorist, was later found to have been responsible for setting off the bomb, which killed one person and injured 111 other people at the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta in July 1996. Hes a composite. Kiss said he is "just appalled" at the film's portrayal of Scruggs, whom he described as hardworking, fearless and a reporter who took pride"in getting the story right.". By then, Scruggs had been dead for a decade. She hated being lied to or used. I think the people that have (criticized the films version of Scruggs) havent seen the film and certainly havent read the book. "Nothing in my research suggested she did so, and it was never my intention to suggest she had. All of which again escapes mention in the film which its possible to come away from believing that Jewell was still basically the same sexless weirdo mamas boy that the media made him out to be in the nineties. What kind of person does all that add up to? And two, that it was accurate, said Alexander. She reportedly served as the basis fora reporter inthe 2003 novel Shikar and as a young detective in the 1997 novel Atlanta Heat., Wilde has addressed the criticism surrounding the depiction of Scruggs in Richard Jewell., I have an immense amount of respect for Kathy Scruggs," Wilde told The Hollywood Reporter. I would encourage people to see the movie and read the story behind it and then come to that conclusion, Hamm told me, referring to The Suspect: An Olympic Bombing, The FBI, The Media, And Richard Jewell, The Man Caught In The Middle, by Kent Alexander and Kevin Salwen, another source for the movie. Warner Brothers has fired back at the AJC, saying that having been a part of the rush to judgment of Richard Jewell, [the AJC] is now trying to malign our filmmakers and cast., Olivia Wilde, who plays Scruggs in the film, defended the films depiction of her character on feminist grounds, saying the films critics were holding it to a sexist double standard., She was incredibly successful as a cop reporter. It was the early 1980s when Scruggs arrived in Anderson to be an education reporter. (Perhaps not coincidentally, The Suspect reports that Bryant teamed up with Jewells mother to sell the movie rights.) Scruggs, who died in 2001, was working at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution when she broke a story that the FBI was investigating security guard Richard Jewell for the bombing in Centennial. I feel like we were struggling throughout to give more and more time to her story and to really help you understand her world and the toll that these events took on her life., Without enough time to spend with her story, she becomes a culprit. She had a very close relationship with the cops and the FBI helping to tell their story, and yes, by all accounts she had relationships with different people in that field, Wilde told Deadline. While the movie portrays an FBI case agent leaking Jewell's name to Atlanta Constitution reporter Kathy Scruggs, who has since died, there is no basis for the claim. Ezra Millers Messiah Delusions: Inside. Many journalists have strongly criticized the portrayal as perpetuating a pernicious and false stereotype that some female journalists trade sex for information, which U.S. news organizations prohibit as unethical. ", Eric Rudolph, the actual bomber, was found in 2003, rummaging through trash behind a grocery store in Murphy, North Carolina. That is entirely false and malicious, and it is extremely defamatory and damaging., The letter demands a statement publicly acknowledging that some events were imagined for dramatic purposes and artistic license and dramatization were used in the films portrayal of events and characters. She broke the story that security guard Jewell at that point a hero for saving countless lives in the Centennial Olympic. 'Manhunt Deadly Games,' an American true-crime drama, will premiere its second season in the year 2020. The guy on the other end, agent Jay Spadafore, is a part-time PR guy, intentionally kept completely away from the investigation. In addition to suffering from depression, she had a chronic back problem. The incident took place in Atlanta in 1996, during the Summer Olympics. Who is Craig Herrera? Or at least, one FBI agent in particular fed her the story. Kathleen Kathy Scruggs was a reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution who broke the story that the FBI was investigating security guard Richard Jewell as a possible suspect in the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics bombing. He is well known for his role as co-host of FOX News Channels (FNC) FOX & Friends Weekend which airs on Saturdays and Sundays from 6 a.m 10 a.m ET. "She did not have to sleep with anyone to get a story," Kiss said. https://t.co/Wii3yiCK7y. . Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Eric Rudolph did three other bombs, four in total, before he became a suspect. Scruggs is not. And this was after he had saved hundreds of lives. Wildes defense seems to be based on the idea that while Scruggs didnt sleep with her source for Jewell, the depiction was fair because people did question Scruggs close relationship with police sources, and many believe she had slept with her sources in the past. But the truth being obscuredis something that'sbeing brought up for another reason in relation to the film:Many are furious with its depiction of journalist Kathy Scruggs, who broke the Jewell FBI investigation story. Olivia Wilde, the actress who portrays Scruggs in thefilm, took to Twitter on Thursday to share her perspective. 'Richard Jewell' Screenwriter Accuses Atlanta Newspaper Of Deflecting Eric Rudolph eventually confessed and pleaded guilty to that bombing and other attacks. They launch a distraction campaign. Reporters Enraged Over Media Portrayal in 'Richard Jewell' According to one of Scruggs' bosses, assistant managing editor for Olympics Thomas M. Oliver, the source told Scruggs that Jewell fit a patternOliver did not recall whether the word used was a "profile"of a wannabe cop with troubled experience in law enforcement. As an actor, its more complicated, and I want to share my perspective on my role in the film Richard Jewell. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Richard Jewell is a 2019 American biographical drama film directed and produced . Its obvious to me they did not go to any great lengths to find out what the real characters were like., Both Gugino and the creators of the limited series obviously work to offer a bit more nuance with the character. Ashley Willcott is a former judge, trial lawyer, television anchor, and media consultant for lawyers child welfare influencer. They compared him to noted mass murderer Wayne Williams. Her former colleagues said she didn't cross ethical boundaries to land a story,as is suggested in "Richard Jewell," the movie thatincludes a portrayal of her as a reporter at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Kathleen "Kathy" Scruggs was a reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution who broke the story that the FBI was investigating security guard Richard Jewell as a possible suspect in the. The film also takes liberties with how information and events unfolded. It was chosen by the National Board of Review as one . Read More Who is Will Cain Married To? Scruggs died in 2001 at age 42. 'Richard Jewell': Kathy Scruggs' Roommate, Family Angered - Yahoo After Richard Jewell was no longer a suspect, his battle continued. Nor does Nancy Grace, a then-assistant DA who said on television that Richard Jewell did not deserve the presumption of innocence. Marie Brenner, who wrote the Vanity Fair feature on which the film is based, hopes that Richard Jewell might impact audiences the way the story affected her in 1996. Despite the fact that he was never charged, Jewell was subjected to a trial by media, which had a negative impact on both his personal and professional life. Then-AJC columnist Dave Kindred, who wrote a column comparing Richard Jewell to murderous pedophile Wayne Williams, does not. Will Cain is one of the prominent journalists for CNN. True, Jewells lawyers surely got a chunk of that only one of whom, Watson Bryant, appears in the film, played memorably by Sam Rockwell. Movie Kathy not only sleeps with her source to get the Jewell scoop, but: Insults her fellow reporters It crushed her like a june bug on the sidewalk.. In 2011, the Georgia Court of Appeals ruled for the newspaper, which had refused to negotiate a settlement of Jewell's lawsuit. In the 2019 Clint Eastwood film about the bombing, Scruggs was portrayed as having slept with sources for scoops, something the people who knew her took great umbrage with. I come from a long line of journalists my moms been a journalist for 35 years theres no way I would want to suggest that.". Its like, well, the names out there. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. People who knew her called her a true journalist. In 2017, the series Manhunt was released depicting the FBIs hunt for the Unabomber. This led to him being scrutinized and ridiculed by the media before he was cleared as a suspect. She responded earlier Thursday in a long Twitter thread, saying she wanted to share her perspective on the role and clarify previous comments in which she said she thought the controversy was a "basic misunderstanding of feminism as pious sexlessness.". The Georgia Court of Appeals dismissed the Jewell case against the AJC in 2011. The brutal murders of four Idaho college students shocked millions. The reporters attire, according to Alexander and Salwen, did little to dispel a growing sleeps with her sources reputation. But in a statement to Vanity Fairs Joe Pompeo this week, the authors clarified that their five years of researchwhich encompassed dozens of interviews about Scruggs and an examination of thousands of pages of her deposition testimony and news articlesnever turned up evidence that Scruggs ever traded sex for a story. She was the real deal when it came to being a dedicated reporter, attorney and family friend Edward Tolley told the AJC in a 2019 feature on Scruggs, adding that the portrayal of her as a floozy was complete horse [expletive]., My concern is theyre going to turn her into some sort of femme fatale who would do anything to get a story, said former AJC reporter Ron Martz, who added that no one from the film ever got in touch with him. As Hamm told me during our interview, I really do think that the movie is an exoneration of a man who did his job and was wrongfully accused of something that he didnt do and is still thought of as something that he isnt.. We understand why she was trying to make it in her world, and I think shes a pretty three-dimensional character.. The man, Richard Jewell, went from being hailed a hero to the most hated villain when Kathy Scruggs, a journalist with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, broke the news about Jewell being looked at as the main suspect by the FBI. Within days, the law enforcement wannabe becomes the FBIs number one suspect, vilified by press and public alike, his life ripped apart, a Warner Brothers press release obtained by Oxygen.com states. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. This was his reason for the Olympics bombing: The purpose of the attack on July 27th was to confound, anger and embarrass the Washington government in the eyes of the world for its abominable sanctioning of abortion on demand. It might be a valuable discussion to have, whether Scruggs, Martz, and the AJC erred in running with the Jewell-as-prime-suspect story, even if it was well-sourced, true, and okayed before publication. She struggled with chronic. Amid safety concerns, and anxiety over the fate of a $200 million movie, The 2023 Hollywood Issue: Selena Gomez, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh & More. Unfortunately, Scruggs can't come forward to defend herself, either: She died in 2001 at the age of 42from an overdose of prescription pain pills, according to Poytner. Carla Gugino plays journalist Kathy Scruggs for the CBS show Manhunt: Deadly Games. Her friends always believed stress over that story contributed to her failing health. Theres even another agent in the story named Tubbs. Most people within the Atlanta Journal-Constitution thought that everybody would get the story at the same time, that it would essentially be a tie, Kent Alexander, co-author of The Suspect told me. It haunted her until her last breath, her former colleague Tony Kiss told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a 2019 feature about her. Tell me this wouldnt have made an incredible movie from The Death Of Dick Long guys so many Southern oddballs! Clint Eastwoods film is based on the Vanity Fair profile piece (linked earlier) American Nightmare: The Ballad of Richard Jewell and the book The Suspect: An Olympic Bombing, the FBI, the Media, and Richard Jewell, the Man Caught in the Middle. Dreams of implants Moreover, of all the players who deserve scrutiny in this saga, why demonize the one who, at the very least, did sourced, factual reporting? However, that dismissal came 10 years after Scruggs died. Through social media posts, court records, and other primary sources, author Kathleen Hale forensically reconstructs their lives before the crime, and the night they were killed. He appeared on the 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list all five years, and there was a million-dollar reward offered for any info. An AJC piece by Jennifer Brett quotes Scruggs brother, and her co-author of the original piece identifying Jewell Ron Martz criticizing the filmmakers for never seeking their perspectives. "You always knew when Kathy was in the room," said her former colleagueJohn Gouch. IE 11 is not supported. He noticed a suspicious green backpack, and then alerted cops and authorized authorities. Wilde seems to infer that Richard Jewells critics are basing their criticisms of the Kathy Scruggs character solely on the idea that the movie infers that Scruggs had sex with a source for a story (true, the film doesnt show the actual penis going in, but when two people say theyre going to have sex and leave for a hotel room its not much of a leap to assume that they did). Kathy Scruggs reporter death: age, apology, wikipedia - Wothappen (Ed: note: The sources name, according to The Suspect, was Don Johnson. Now a movie comes along 23 years later, a perfect chance for the AJC to atone for what they did to Richard and to admit to their misdeeds. Richard Jewell takes an interesting real-life character and flattens her into a lame trope of reporter-who-sleeps-with-sources, not to mention a woman who uses her sexuality to get what she wants and needs to be humbled and tamed. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Support stories like this by supporting local journalism. They deflect and distortopting to challenge one assertion in the movie rather than accepting their own role in destroying the life of a good man. In a feature last month, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported that Scruggs was disturbed by a lawsuit naming the AJC. Kent Alexander and Kevin Salwen write: Witnesses repeatedly came forward to accuse [him] of twisting their words. TIL reporter Kathy Scruggs who broke the story of Richard Jewell being The FBI did in fact investigate Jewell, wrongly suspecting that he might have planted the bomb, and a court even ruled that AJC's reporting was . There was NO evidence to support a storyline that Ms. Scruggs traded sex for tips about Richard. Shewould wear that frustration on her sleeve. Wilde also said in her Twitter thread that Scruggs was at the center of the "brutal and unjust vilification" of Jewell and that the film centered on the tragedy of the accusations against him. For months after the bomb was detonated, he was suspected of planting it, resulting in negative publicity that came to symbolize the excesses of law enforcement and the news media.. In addition to the park, he bombed a gay nightclub and abortion clinics. In addition to suffering from depression, she had a chronic back problem. "She had very good contacts with. Once Scruggs got the scoop, she wrote up the story with her co-author, Ron Martz. Here's our special offer. It feels unfair that Kathy has been minimized in this way. [] Its a misunderstanding of feminism to assume that all women have to be sexless.. After the bombing fiasco, Jewell went on to get married, realized his dream of becoming a cop (The Suspect details a later incident in which Jewell performed CPR on a dying infant, saving its life), and bought a 26-acre farm in rural Georgia. Kathy Scruggs Cause of Death, Family, Downfall, Richard Jewell, Journalist, Julia Morales (Astros) Husband, Daughter, Age, Height, Salary, Net worth, Nikki Battiste (CBS News) Net Worth, Age, Husband, Son, Wedding and ABC, Who is Will Cain Married To? "Her heart gave away. "She was upset, and she sort ofimplied tothe bar owner she could put him in the newspaper," Kiss said. Read More Julia Morales (Astros) Husband, Daughter, Age, Height, Salary, Net worthContinue. It was like a vacuum, she said. How that actually played out is an interesting, quasi-Coen Brothers-esque story in itself. Fair enough, and certainly Jewell deserves that, but Jewell already received the benefit of being exonerated during his lifetime. The Cautionary Tale of Richard Jewell: How a Hero Became a Media Victim
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