Her mother owned a travel agency. "The court found that what Kathy reported was true at the time she reported it," Kiss said. Will Cain is one of the prominent journalists for CNN. The film explores Jewells crucifixion by the media and the FBIs manipulative quest to incriminate him. The AJCs reporter is reduced to a sex-trading object in the film, theletter says, according to the newspaper. 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. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. If you wanted to draw a Hollywood stereotype of a hard-charging female cops reporter, Kathy would fit that bill pretty well, King said during a phone call with Vanity Fair on Wednesday. Kathy Scruggs, reporter in 'Richard Jewell,' was 'dedicated' in SC Its true we shouldnt boil the character to one sexual act (which, again, doesnt seem to have actually happened), but the film doesnt present much that would flesh out the picture. Scruggs was the Atlanta Constitution-Journal reporter who first wrote about Jewell being on the FBIs suspect list. Based on the Vanity Fair article, the film follows the facts told in it pretty closely. Presumed Guilty - Atlanta Magazine Requiem for a Reporter: Kathy Scruggs - Atlanta Magazine Pronouns: she/her. She was once arrested drunk and naked, sitting in the drivers seat of a taxi outside a bar. It haunted her until her last breath, her former colleague Tony Kiss told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a 2019 feature about her. After Jewell was cleared, the media blamed her for making it public that Jewell was a suspect. With their, Video related to the sad end to atlanta bombing reporter kathy scruggs life, New Reality Star Lost Her Son to a Drug Overdose in 2009. Carla Gugino portrayed Kathys character. She worked for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a reporter. The Georgia Court of Appeals dismissed the Jewell case against the AJC in 2011. It's so deeply wrong, yet they continue to do it. 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. Kathy Scruggs was an American reporter working for Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC). Bryant also had help from other lawyers to clear Jewells name. It also started her downward spiral. 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. Nor does Nancy Grace, a then-assistant DA who said on television that Richard Jewell did not deserve the presumption of innocence. There was NO evidence to support a storyline that Ms. Scruggs traded sex for tips about Richard. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. 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. Richard Jewell is an Academy Awards nominated film directed and produced by Clint Eastwood. Without an inkling of self-awareness, Awful Announcing is concerned about the destruction of a dead reporter's reputation eternally. According to the Vanity Fair article, Jewells phone number was leaked online and he received thousands of calls a day from people threatening him. And I think that we spent more time with her [than the movie did], added director/executive producer Michael Dinner. As for the bar scene, Kent Alexander and his co-author Kevin Salwen have declined to discuss their input, saying in a statement, We have been asked repeatedly whether we found evidence that Scruggs traded sex for the story. "The AJCs reporter is reduced to a sex-trading object in the film, the letter states, according to AJC. At issue is the film's portrayal of the late reporter Kathy Scruggs. 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 . Craig Herrera is an American host and meteorologist at FOX Weather. The claim was that Jewell's reputation had been injured by the AJC and others. The Atlanta Journal-Constitutions decision to publish the storyimmediately recasting Jewell as a villain in the minds of millionswas so journalistically problematic and personally devastating to Jewell (and his mother, Bobi) that the case continues to be taught as a cautionary tale in journalism schools. One wonders if it was because none of them were attractive, foul-mouthed women who wore fishnets and miniskirts. ', there is no evidence that Scruggs slept with anyone. Kathy Scruggs, reporter in 'Richard Jewell,' was 'dedicated' in SC Jewells biker pal who stuck by him throughout the ordeal, Dave Dutchess, appears in a single scene. ", 1/ I handled Richard Jewells case against AJC for 16 years. 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. Scruggs, who was areporter atAtlanta Journal-Constitution at the time of the bombing, broke the story that Jewell was considered a suspect. She really always felt like they were supporting her.. Kathy did not personally apologize to Richard Jewell, However, the story haunted her until her death. I keep thinking, Im not going to go watch it, but then the cast is so damn good and this story is a good story, said King. New York, They had noneand neither did the FBI. Jewell died in 2007 at age 44. All the cops knew her and respected her and kidded her a lot, said Coram, who based a character in Atlanta Heat on Scruggs. Instead, she quit.". If you couldnt f*ck it out of them, what makes you think you can f*ck it out of me? Hamms character asks her. Nikki Battiste is an American journalist working as a correspondent anchor as well as a reporter for CBS News in New York City. 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. Tell me this wouldnt have made an incredible movie from The Death Of Dick Long guys so many Southern oddballs! 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. As for Olivia Wildes notion of why people arent complaining about Jon Hamms character, thats an easy one: Tom Shaw isnt a real person. "Kathy was just luminous," Parke said. "She was so, so alive." Scruggs was born Sept. 26, 1958 into a prominent Athens family. 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. Her father, Lewis "Bubber" Scruggs Sr., was a Gridiron Secret. Richard Jewell, a security guard, also discovered the explosives. She was never at peace as she was facing possible jail time together with the media blaming her for destroying Jewells life and reputation. She liked a good party, too. Another such figure was Kathy Scruggs, who was a reporter at Atlanta Journal-Constitution at the time of the bombing. His motives were because he was against abortion and didnt want homosexuality normalized. Says a prayer directly after the bombing not for the victims, but for the murderer to be interesting The Richard Jewell ControversyAnd the Complicated Truth About Kathy While there were a number of bad actors this includes journalists who did considerable damage to Richard Jewell's reputation, I've not seen where Kathy Scruggs' reporting went beyond the facts. Reporters Enraged Over Media Portrayal in 'Richard Jewell' The most important rule of reporting is never to reveal a suspects name without corroborating evidence. Shes flawed, and really complex, and really interesting. In Eastwood's highly-anticipated film, "Richard Jewell," reporter Kathy Scruggs is depicted as trading sex for stories and information. Even highly respected journalists like Katie Couric tracked Jewell down when he canceled an interview with her. 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. Someone saw him running from the scene and took down his license. 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. "That story might not win anyone an Oscar, but it is the truth under the evidence," Wood wrote. However, that dismissal came 10 years after Scruggs died. Jewell was the security guard who spotted an unattended bag containing a pipe bomb in Centennial Park in the early hours of July 27, 1996. Scruggs is not. 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'd launch into a story maybesomething about the person she had just run into,the interview she had just finished. Richard Jewell is one of the great movies currently available to stream on HBO Max. Ezra Millers Messiah Delusions: Inside. 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 movie doesnt address these lawsuits, but they play an important part in Jewells continued quest to have his name cleared and repaired. Oh, well, its not like he received a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court or anything. "If they had actually contacted me, it might have ruined their idea of what they wanted the story to be," Martz told the newspaper. Please consider becominga subscriber. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution then read the full text of the story to an FBI spokesperson before publication specifically to avoid jeopardizing the investigation. Later, movie-Scruggs is moved to tears at a Jewell press conference, apparently humbled by the Jewells plight and ashamed at her own actions the movies way of showing that Scruggs had learned a lesson about being so aggressive (uppity?). In the movie, much of the blame for that seems to land on Kathy Scruggs, a reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC). "You always knew when Kathy was in the room," said her former colleagueJohn Gouch. The Cautionary Tale of Richard Jewell: How a Hero Became a Media Victim On July 30, 1996, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported the FBI investigation of Jewell as the potential bomber. Wood went on to write that evidence showed Scruggs was dating an Atlanta police officer at the time of the investigation and that the newspaper independently confirmed with the FBI that Jewell was a leading suspect before publication. She was just 42 when she died in 2001. The film flashes six years later and Bryant informs Richard Jewell that the FBI has finally got the real bomber: Eric Rudolph. ", In addition to her depiction in Richard Jewell, out in theaters Friday, December 13,her life inspired two fictional characters. Louis Freeh is the real culprit in the Richard Jewell story 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. The Independent Mail is seeking a copy of the letter from Lavely & Singer, the California law firm that sent it on behalf of the AJC and the newspaper's parent corporation, Cox Enterprises. In the end, Kathy Scruggs greatest crime was being interesting. 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.". ", Olivia Wilde as Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Kathy Scruggs in the movie 'Richard Jewell. Scruggs was born and raised in Atlanta. Alex Johnson is a reporter and editor for NBC News based in Los Angeles. Who is Will Cain? And this was after he had saved hundreds of lives. What happened to Kathy Scruggs? Did kathy scruggs apologize to richard She hated being lied to or used. Richard Jewell, an American security guard and a police officer got entangled in a web of investigation and media trial after he became a suspect in the investigation. Its based on the real-life events of the 1996 Summer Olympics and the Centennial Park bombing. 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.. 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. Her father was a Gridiron Secret Society member at the University of Georgia and a pilot in the Army Air Corps during World War II. 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.. 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. The screen fades to black and the audience is informed that Jewell died at 44, Bryant and his assistant Nayda (played by Nina Arianda) were married and have two sons that Richards mother, Bobi (played by Kathy Bates) watches every Saturday. In 1996, after security guard Richard Jewell discovered a bomb at Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park, helped clear the crowd and saved hundreds of lives, Jewell was declared a hero by the. 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. 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. . Scruggs died in 2001 of a morphine overdose. 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). To play this as Kathy Scruggs willingly burning her source and jeopardizing an investigation is unfair. "It's obvious to me they did not go to any great lengths to find out what the real characters were like. She was never at peace or at rest with this story. Early buzz for Clint Eastwoods latest film indicates that both Paul Walter Hauser and Sam Rockwell have a fighting chance. 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. Required fields are marked *. 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. 'Manhunt Deadly Games,' an American true-crime drama, will premiere its second season in the year 2020. The AJC has since gone so far as to retain an attorney, the infamous pitbull Marty Singer (known for representing John Travolta, Brett Ratner, and Bryan Singer during controversies, among others) and have demanded a disclaimer be added to the film. Scruggs was the Atlanta Constitution-Journal reporter who first wrote about . Who is Julia Morales? When Jewell died of a heart attack in 2007, he at least got to see the real bomber, Eric Rudolph, go to prison (six life sentences, plus 120 years). 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. This, in turn, had actors in the movie, like Jon Hamm, when I interviewed him, urging people to see the film before passing judgment. 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. The media as a whole certainly wasnt innocent in the case. Shewould wear that frustration on her sleeve. However, there are two major things that the movie portrays in questionable ways. She was never at peace as the story continued to get bigger and bigger with everyone crucifying Richard Jewel. Disappointing that they would apply this tired and sexist trope about Kathy Scruggs, a real reporter.. When Elisabeth Finch met Jennifer Beyer in 2019, the two women forged a fiercely loyal friendship, and eventually got married. The Journal-Constitution has maintained that there is no evidence that Scruggs slept with anyone involved in the investigation and has demanded that Warner Bros. and the filmmakers release a statement acknowledging that they took dramatic license in their portrayal of Scruggs. 'Richard Jewell': The Big Lie of Clint Eastwood's Movie - Variety Support stories like this by supporting local journalism. 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. Related: Eirianedd Munro (Adam Peaty Girlfriend) Bio, Age, Height, Family, Boyfriend, Son, Artist, Job, Net Worth. 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 the 1990s, Scruggs was known for her solid reporting, her tight relationship with local law enforcement, and also her hard-partying ways, something that was exacerbated after she set off the media firestorm directed at Jewell. 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.". Again, a chapter that goes unmentioned in the film. In Cherokee County, Georgia, Mrs. Scruggs has died. Then-AJC columnist Dave Kindred, who wrote a column comparing Richard Jewell to murderous pedophile Wayne Williams, does not. ", 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. Unlike Tom Shaw, Kathy Scruggs, who died in 2001, was a real reporter at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution who really did break the news that Jewell was the focus of the FBI investigation. "She was such a good and dedicated journalist," Kiss said. 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. For example, Bryant finds out about the FBI investigating Jewell from seeing the newspaper on the stands, not from Nayda showing it to him (as shown in the film). And two, that it was accurate, said Alexander. Once Scruggs got the scoop, she wrote up the story with her co-author, Ron Martz. Why Clint Eastwood's 'Richard Jewell' is so controversial - Los Angeles She was never at peace or at rest with this story, said Scruggss former co-worker Tony Kiss. On July 27, 1996, Jewell was working security at concerts going on in Centennial Park. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. This led to him being scrutinized and ridiculed by the media before he was cleared as a suspect. The thing she was always proud of was the newspaper stood by her. Theres even another agent in the story named Tubbs. The guy on the other end, agent Jay Spadafore, is a part-time PR guy, intentionally kept completely away from the investigation. 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. Which is still the case and not despite the movie, but because of it.
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