As an actor, its more complicated, and I want to share my perspective on my role in the film Richard Jewell. 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. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. New York, Former AJC reporter Ron Martz, who reported on the bombing along with Scruggs, said, She was one of the better reporters I ever worked with. In addition to suffering from depression, she had a chronic back problem. She was great at that, and I think thats one of the reasons why she was so successful working with cop sourceswhether it was beat cops or detectives in the homicide squad. According to the 1997 Vanity Fair piece by Marie Brenner that the movie is partially based on, the case was being handled by an FBI division that had been formed to fight the Cold War, whose strength was intimidation and manipulation rather than the deliberate gathering of evidence to be presented in court.. Her mother owned a travel agency. ", She went on to say, I think people have a hard time accepting sexuality in female characters without allowing it to entirely define that character. He noticed a suspicious green backpack, and then alerted cops and authorized authorities. Eric Rudolph did three other bombs, four in total, before he became a suspect. The police caught on to Rudolph when he did a bombing in Birmingham. But she was always agood reporter with a tremendous work ethic, said Gouch and Kiss. Should they have known what the unprecedented 24-hour news cycle would do with Jewell? The brutal murders of four Idaho college students shocked millions. All rights reserved. An article published on Columbia colleges website entitled Richard Jewell Case Study, discussed Scruggs more and showed her in a more professional manner. Read More Ashley Willcott Court Tv Husband, Age, Height, Salary, Net WorthContinue. The most electric character in Clint Eastwoods new film, [Richard Jewell] (https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/12/richard-jewell-warner-bros-legal-letter)and now the most controversialis Kathy Scruggs, the hard-charging, real-life Atlanta Journal-Constitution journalist played by Olivia Wilde. Yes, Jewell deserves to be better remembered as a hero, but the movie only does a middling job of helping that case, presenting Jewell largely as a sad sack defined by his victimhood rather than a lovable good ol boy who showed up to his interrogation in a stars-and-stripes fanny pack, loved karaoke, and sang Free Bird in a cover band. Heres a guy who hadnt had a date in a year and the first time he goes out, it turns out the woman is a reporter that writes a story about him, Alexander says. Someone saw him running from the scene and took down his license. Fair enough, and certainly Jewell deserves that, but Jewell already received the benefit of being exonerated during his lifetime. She was born on Sept. 26, 1958, in Atlanta. "He was a suspect at the time she reported that he was. However, that dismissal came 10 years after Scruggs died. According to them, he fit the profile of a lone bomber. 'Richard Jewell' focuses on the real victim, seeks to tell his story, confirm his innocence and restore his name. Shes flawed, and really complex, and really interesting. Scruggs isnt alive to defend herself, but Richard Jewells depiction of her had Scruggs colleagues at the AJC calling foul before theyd even seen the film. "It's obvious to me they did not go to any great lengths to find out what the real characters were like. The movie, directed by Clint Eastwood, strongly suggests that the reporter, Kathy Scruggs of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, slept with an FBI agent to get information on the investigation. Ad Choices. Richard Jewell is a case study on how the media can make or break a person, and how ordinary people can be thrust into extraordinary situations. 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 . That piece didnt name the individual leaker. And two, that it was accurate, said Alexander. and Eastwood's direction. 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. Why should Kathy Scruggs get named and shamed while the FBI agent who revealed the suspects name receives anonymity? When I'm not writing about pop culture, I can be found channeling Gordon Ramsay by kicking people out the kitchen. Decades later, how Scruggs is portrayed as a journalist is at the center of controversy that surrounds the film "Richard Jewell." Even the AJCs house style, voice-of-God narration that stressed declarative sentences over attribution, news in bite-sized chunklets in an attempt to mimic USA Today, deserves some blame making Jewell fit the profile of the lone bomber sound like objective fact rather than the opinion of the FBI, who created said profile. 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. Nichols, who resides and works in Toronto, has been a newsroom reporter, a field reporter, as well as an anchor for the CBC News Network, Read More Andrew Nichols CBC Salary, Age, Height, Wife, College, Net WorthContinue. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. They had her back. As the story went through the editing process, Scruggs, Martz and Managing Editor John Walter talked about what word to use, Scruggs would say later. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. Its both incorrect and unfair, blaming her for things she didnt do and turning her into a less compelling character in the process. Dreams of implants NY 10036. the Atlanta Constitution-Journal reporter, Gwyneth Paltrow Says She's 'Proud' Years Later Of Bringing Conscious Uncoupling Into The Mainstream, Credits It For Making Divorces 'Easier', Baby Fever Is In The Air As Bonnie Wright Is The Latest Harry Potter Star To Announce A Pregnancy, Pete Davidson And Chase Sui Wonders Were Both At The Bupkis Premiere, But Totally Avoided Taking Red Carpet Photos Together, Following Controversy Surrounding Netflix's Queen Cleopatra, Egypt's Council Of Antiquities Weighs In. In the end, Kathy Scruggs greatest crime was being interesting. Longtime friend Lisa Griffin told the Journal-Constitution that she spoke with Scruggs on the phone shortly before she died. Centennial Olympic Park bombings are depicted in a film. The story contributed to her stress and failing health. 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. In an interview with Collider, Gugino acknowledged that Scruggs was known for partying hard, but she was also known as a great reporter and what intrigued Gugino about the part was the notion that everything can look a certain way, depending on the point of view youre looking at it from, and that we all have a sense of what our truth is and it might be very different than somebody elses., Gugino went on to say that the scoop about Jewell basically fell in her lap and Scruggs was pressured to do it quickly, otherwise somebody else was gonna run the story, which is the nature of that profession, and she ended up in very deep.. Jewells death is noted at the end. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Did kathy scruggs apologize to richard jewell Those who were either directly involved in the incident or were dragged into the subsequent FBI investigation are featured in the show. Specifically, Riley has pointed to a scene in Richard Jewell that implies Scruggs, who died in 2001, traded sex for storiesa scene that has incited an internet firestorm and prompted the AJC to demand a disclaimer on the movie. Kathy Scruggs herself wrote follow-up stories about Jewells shabby treatment and interviewed criminal profilers about how criminal profiling had been mishandled in the Jewell case. Scene Stealer: The True Lies of Elisabeth Finch, Part 1, Scene Stealer: The True Lies of Elisabeth Finch, Part 2. But she was a good reporter. Her heart gave away. 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. The Suspect does*, painting him more as a rogue FBI agent whose leak infuriated his bosses. While others were under suspicion, Martz at least thought Jewell was the lead suspect. Im thinking D-cups, movie-Scruggs growls, cupping her breasts for effect. Columnist Hollis Gillespie went on a date with Jewell after meeting him on an airplane, only to write up the whole thing in Atlanta Magazine, along with a follow-up piece in which she appeared on the cover. I think the people that have (criticized the films version of Scruggs) havent seen the film and certainly havent read the book. But what I resented was this character being boiled down to one inferred scene and I dont hear anyone complaining about Jon Hamms character as being inferred that he also had a relationship with a reporter. Why doesnt the film give time to people whose conduct wouldve actually warranted the villain treatment? The (Journal-Constitution's) claims are baseless and we will vigorously defend . "The court found that what Kathy reported was true at the time she reported it," Kiss said. Even as a kid Jewell seemed driven by. Referring to the newspaper by its commonly used nickname, Wood wrote: "I handled Richard Jewell's case against AJC for 16 years. 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? When you reach the Richard Jewell ending, you feel a deeper understanding of him as a human and his friendship with lawyer Watson Bryant. Walter decided the story should use the word "focus," Scruggs would recall. Download the NBC News app for breaking news. After Jewell was cleared, the media blamed her for making it public that Jewell was a suspect. When she went after a story she did what was necessary to get the story, within legal and ethical bounds., Her friend Susan Parke called her luminous, adding she was so, so alive. Kathy Scruggs herself wrote follow-up stories about Jewell's shabby treatment and interviewed criminal profilers about how criminal profiling had been mishandled in the Jewell case. The films depiction of her is not only wrong, but unnecessary. The case wasnt dismissed until 2011, on the grounds that they were substantially true at the time they were published. None of the lawyers who pursued Scruggs get mentioned in the film. The media hounding of Jewell was shown as being pretty bad, but it was worse in real life. It was chosen by the National Board of Review as one . And she could be loud and brash if the mood struck her. As Martz told the New York Times: [Kathy] could be flirtatious, but she wouldnt have done that sort of thing, because she was very conscious of her role as a reporter and she wanted to be known as a top-notch reporter. 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.". Andrew Nichols is an American bilingual journalist. With The Good Doctor Losing A Character, How Worried Should Fans Be For The Season 6 Finale? I didnt want to back away from or soften [Scruggs], in any way, because I wanted to give people perhaps a chance of empathy, seeing a little bit of the world through her eyes, said Gugino. It states that she was given a tip about the FBI and Richard Jewell and respected the request to not publish it without finding more sources, so Scruggs and co-writer Ron Martz found more sources. But as Beyer would soon realize, Finchs past wasnt what she claimedand Beyers own difficult history was up for the taking. Required fields are marked *. As well be discussing the plot of Richard Jewell, expect spoilers. The thing she was always proud of was the newspaper stood by her. The media as a whole certainly wasnt innocent in the case. Jewell and other men were able to clear the perimeter enough to minimize the impact. Scruggs' former reporting partner, Ron Martz, played by David Shae in the movie, said no one from the film contacted him. It was just hard living," her brother told the AJC. Scruggs was the Atlanta Constitution-Journal reporter who first wrote about . Scruggs died of "acute morphine toxicity," Kiss said, and he believes the stress of the Jewell story and the related litigation contributed to her death. We did not.. Tell me this wouldnt have made an incredible movie from The Death Of Dick Long guys so many Southern oddballs! On the park grounds, he discovered a backpack containing three pipe bombs and assisted in evacuating the area before the bomb exploded, saving many people from injury or death. We further demand that you add a prominent disclaimer to the film to that effect.". In addition to suffering from depression, she had a chronic back problem. Says a prayer directly after the bombing not for the victims, but for the murderer to be interesting Eirianedd Munro (Adam Peaty Girlfriend) Bio, Age, Height, Family, Boyfriend, Son, Artist, Job, Net Worth, Lauren Snchez (Jeff Bezos Girlfriend), Age, Children, Husband, Family, Net Worth, Journalist. 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.. However, there are some things that dont quite come across in the film that are stated in the article. Other news organizations, including NBC News, settled similar cases, generally for undisclosed sums and with the assertion that they stood by their reporting. She was never at peace as she was facing possible jail time together with the media blaming her for destroying Jewells life and reputation. 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. Stream it here (opens in new tab). Kathy had an elder brother called Lewis Scruggs Jr. who worked in the insurance business. "She had very good contacts with. She was just 42 when she died in 2001. 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. She was at least doing the job as it was understood; he was the unscrupulous one. "Contrary to a swath of recent headlines, I do not believe that Kathy 'traded sex for tips,'" Wilde wrote. 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. 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. Who is Julia Morales? In December 2019, a biographical drama film Richard Jewel was released portraying the real life of Jewell. By then, Scruggs had been dead for a decade. They had noneand neither did the FBI. This movie that supposedly aims to set the record straight often ends up regurgitating lazy assumptions. However, there are two major things that the movie portrays in questionable ways. "That story might not win anyone an Oscar, but it is the truth under the evidence," Wood wrote. I just wish they hadnt smeared Kathy as part of the Hollywood telling of it., And even though the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is engaged in a full-blown battle with Warner Bros., King said that a group of his colleagues from the newspaper have plans to see the movie, covertly, on Saturday: They don't want to give Clint the benefit of movie ticket sales, so theyve cut a deal with movie theaters to buy tickets for another movie., 2023 Cond Nast. Author Robert Coram had a front-row seat to Scruggss dealings with law enforcement in the mid '90s. The reporters outside his home would even yell and harass Bobi and Richard to try to get a reaction to catch on film. 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. "Kathy Scruggs was the one who broke the story about Richard Jewell," said Lyda Longa, who was a police reporter for the newspaper during the 1996 games. In the film, Atlanta-Journal Constitution reporter Scruggs, played by Olivia Wilde, is depicted as offering sex in exchangefor information about the case from an FBI agent, NBC News reports. Please consider becominga subscriber. By discovering the device and swiftly reporting it, Jewell helped ensurethe area was able to be cleared enough to avoid mass casualties, although two people still died and 111 were injured when it exploded. After Richard Jewell was no longer a suspect, his battle continued. The article which was headlined FBI Suspects Hero Guard May Have Planted Bomb made Jewell the talk of debate even after being cleared of the crime. Pronouns: she/her. It was like a vacuum, she said. 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. She was charming and kind, generous and profane, according to Tony Kiss, a former colleague at the newspaper in Anderson, South Carolina, who became her longtimefriend. The incident took place in Atlanta in 1996, during the Summer Olympics. 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. Unfortunately, Scruggs can't come forward to defend herself, either: She died in 2001 at the age of 42 from an overdose of prescription pain pills, according to Poytner. Disappointing that they would apply this tired and sexist trope about Kathy Scruggs, a real reporter.. By no means was I intending to suggest that as a female reporter, she needed to use her sexuality. She was once arrested drunk and naked, sitting in the drivers seat of a taxi outside a bar. She is right now the face of justice. So I had to call the district attorney, and we went through this whole back and forth and Nancy didnt end up speaking about the Olympics again.. But several friends and colleagues have said over the years that she never really recovered from what happened with Jewell. "Her heart gave away. However, Jewell soon became a public villain when it was leaked that the FBI was investigating him (Jewell would quickly be cleared of all suspicion). In Eastwood's highly-anticipated film, "Richard Jewell," reporter Kathy Scruggs is depicted as trading sex for stories and information. 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. Richard Jewell, a security guard, also discovered the explosives. The movie actually does Scruggs worse than that. It was Scruggs who first publicly. The movietells the story of Richard Jewell, a security guard who should have been hailed a hero after he found a pipe bombpacked with nails and screwsin Centennial Olympic Park. Martz, who made the call to confirm the story with the FBI, said he wanted to make sure that, one, the story wasnt going to screw up the investigation. And Law And Order. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Richard Jewell was under FBI scrutiny for about three months before he was cleared. Such a portrayal makes it appear that the AJC sexually exploited its staff and/or that it facilitated or condoned offering sexual gratification to sources in exchange for stories. Carla Gugino plays her in Manhunt: Deadly Games on CBS. She was also known for a foul mouth, low-cut dresses, and general wildness. Scruggs, who was areporter atAtlanta Journal-Constitution at the time of the bombing, broke the story that Jewell was considered a suspect. While researching his first novel, Atlanta Heat, Coram spent several days a week for a few years at Manuels Tavernthe homicide cop hangout where Scruggs would sidle up to cops over liquid lunches and happy hours in hopes of coaxing out new information. When youre a cop reporter, you have to be able to throw it and show itget in there with them and not take any shit off them. ", Olivia Wilde as Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Kathy Scruggs in the movie 'Richard Jewell. The FBI still lists Rudolph on one of its pages about "famous cases and criminals.". By then, Scruggs had been dead for a decade. Kathy was known for her solid reporting. The other questionable element of Richard Jewell is the portrayal of Kathy Scruggs, played in the movie by Olivia Wilde. This led to him being scrutinized and ridiculed by the media before he was cleared as a suspect. By Doug Monroe - July 1, 2003 A crowd gathers on July 30, 1996, in. Eric Rudolph eventually admitted to the bombing and other attacks and pleaded guilty. In the film, Kathy is portrayed as a ruthless reporter who is willing to use any means necessary to get a story, even sleeping with an FBI agent, and not showing empathy for the victims after the bombing. Once Scruggs got the scoop, she wrote up the story with her co-author, Ron Martz. Richard Jewell is one of the great movies currently available to stream on HBO Max. Kathy Scruggs was the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper reporter whose reporting on the Atlanta Olympics bombing has been extremely controversial. Please consider becominga subscriber. Scruggs' former friends and colleagues spoke about the journalist's legacy at The Journal-Constitution for an article in the newspaper titled "The Ballad of Kathy Scruggs." Her father, Lewis "Bubber" Scruggs Sr., was a Gridiron Secret. It was in 1998, and he then spent over five years on the run living and surviving in the wilderness. If there was a double standard, it was one Ron Martz complained of at the time: that Kathy Scruggs seemed to be getting all the criticism over a story on which Martz was a co-author. By contrast, when Kathy Scruggs died in 2001 of a drug overdose (possibly deliberate, according to The Suspect) just shy of age 43, she was still fighting court battles over her story. That would be an appalling and misogynistic dismissal of the difficult work she did. In the movie, much of the blame for that seems to land on Kathy Scruggs, a reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC). 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. She was just 42 when she died in 2001. (Ed: note: The sources name, according to The Suspect, was Don Johnson. She had this big personality the kind you never forget.". According to the Vanity Fair article, Jewells phone number was leaked online and he received thousands of calls a day from people threatening him. The FBI greenlit the entire thing. According to The Washington Post, Jewell stated that the lawsuits werent about the money --because most of it went to lawyer fees, taxes, and a new home for his mother-- but to ensure that the truth was told. There was nothing unethical about how she did her work.". Read More Nikki Battiste (CBS News) Net Worth, Age, Husband, Son, Wedding and ABCContinue. 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. The book describes Scruggs as the kind of woman who packed perfume and a pistol in her purse, wore leather miniskirts and fishnet tights to the office, and kept her blouse unbuttoned beyond what some might feel was workplace-appropriate. 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. MANHUNT: DEADLY GAMES Official Trailer (HD) Cameron Britton, MANHUNT: DEADLY GAMES 2020 TRUE CRIME DRAMA CAMERON BRITTON MANHUNT: DEADLY GAMES will chronicle one of the largest and most complex manhunts on U.S. soil the search for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Park Bomber and the media firestorm that consumed the life of Richard Jewell in its wake. "You always knew when Kathy was in the room," said her former colleagueJohn Gouch. To say that Kathy Scruggs had sex with an FBI agent (or at the very least fondled his crotch) to get the Jewell scoop when theres no evidence of that is defamatory enough, and that has nothing to do with sexism or double standards. Theres even another agent in the story named Tubbs. For his part, Scruggs Jr. sounds resigned to the fact that he's unlikely to get any kind of apology from Eastwood or the rest of the team behind "Richard Jewell." "I wish I could say it . The trial by the media seemed vicious and not shown nearly as intense in the film. These cases typically ended up being settled out of court and him being rewarded an undisclosed amount of money. Perhaps, but its hard to have that discussion when the movie unfairly paints one of the players in it as an unscrupulous news ghoul. "We never made such a false & damning claim. 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. Scruggs was born and raised in Atlanta. In addition to the park, he bombed a gay nightclub and abortion clinics. The film was written by Billy Ray and directed and produced by Clint Eastwood. 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. 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). 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. Burns her source, breaking her promise to be off the record and jeopardizing an ongoing investigation. How this story and source was gotten was never my interest., When Brenner read the rumor about Scruggs trading sex for stories in Alexander and Salwens book, she felt it was deeply problematic: Inevitably men get it wrong when they try to write about a womans sexuality., Both Brenner and Billy Ray, though, say the focus on Scruggs is a diversionary tactic. biltmore estate conspiracy, mensajes de amor para mi novia largos, which of the following is not true of sunspots,
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