fbpx

I have mixed feelings about it. Shewas young and driven, according to those who knew her. Nor does Nancy Grace, a then-assistant DA who said on television that Richard Jewell did not deserve the presumption of innocence. "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. The film also takes liberties with how information and events unfolded. In a letter sentthis week to Eastwood, screenwriter Billy Ray, Warner Brothers and others, the AJC is demanding a "prominent disclaimer" be added to the film to acknowledge that some of the events portrayed in itwere "imagined for dramatic purposes, and artistic license and dramatization were used in the films portrayal of events and characters," the AJC reported. He appeared on the 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list all five years, and there was a million-dollar reward offered for any info. Richard Jewell is an interesting exploration of this fascinating case of a man wrongfully accused. ", In addition to her depiction in Richard Jewell, out in theaters Friday, December 13,her life inspired two fictional characters. 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. 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. ', there is no evidence that Scruggs slept with anyone. It's so deeply wrong, yet they continue to do it. It was the early 1980s when Scruggs arrived in Anderson to be an education reporter. ), Fact Vs. Fiction In Richard Jewell: A Look At Why Kathy Scruggs Deserved Better, The Best Coachella 2023 Performances Were Reflections Of Pure Joy, My (Non-Anonymous) Ballot For The 2023 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, HBOs White House Plumbers Delivers An Absurd Historical Snapshot And A Knockout Performance From Justin Theroux, The Rundown: Ted Lasso Has Created A Delightful Little I Think You Should Leave Conundrum, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 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. Kathy Scruggs was the colorful and controversial Atlanta Journal-Constitution news reporter who broke the story that the FBI was investigating hero security guard Richard Jewell in the 1996 . One of the people she called got back to her and said Meet me in a bar after work. And so she goes to the bar and she learns that Richard Jewell, who up to that point had been the hero, was the guy that the FBI believed was the prime suspect., Translation: the FBI fed her the story. Scruggs died in 2001, so she cant dispute the films portrayal of her, but she might not have been as ruthless as shown in Richard Jewell. In December 2019, a biographical drama film Richard Jewel was released portraying the real life of Jewell. Clint Eastwoods new movie, Richard Jewell, adapted by screenwriter Billy Ray partly from a 1997 Marie Brenner Vanity Fair article, tells the story of the FBI and the medias rush to judgment in the case of Richard Jewell, a security guard who discovered a bomb in Atlantas Centennial Olympic Park and then became the prime suspect, beaten up in the press even though he actually helped save peoples lives. Oh, well, its not like he received a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court or anything. In January 2002, Craig was issued an American Meteorological Society Broadcast Seal of Approval, Indoor Cycling Instructor AFAA. 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. Scruggs was the Atlanta Constitution-Journal reporter who first wrote about Jewell being on the FBIs suspect list. Kathy 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 . She was never at peace or at rest with this story, said Scruggss former co-worker Tony Kiss. 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. New York, READ NEXT: New Reality Star Lost Her Son to a Drug Overdose in 2009, The Sad End to Atlanta Bombing Reporter Kathy Scruggs Life, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Want to get a room or just go to my car? Scruggs asks after he reveals Jewells name. Please proceed accordingly). Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. When she died, she was facing possible jail time though eventually, the Journal-Constitution was cleared, with the Georgia Court of Appeals finding that the articles in their entirety were substantially true at the time they were published.. Kathy Scruggs, the AJC, and other media had no qualms about. I think we understand her. Carla Gugino plays her in Manhunt: Deadly Games on CBS. 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). We further demand that you add a prominent disclaimer to the film to that effect.". Perhaps, but its hard to have that discussion when the movie unfairly paints one of the players in it as an unscrupulous news ghoul. Scruggs was born and raised in Atlanta. Whereas Scruggs important job, local police reporter, is increasingly an anachronism, we still seem to have plenty of Brokaws, Kindreds, and Graces to go around (admittedly fewer Hollis Gillespies). With The Good Doctor Losing A Character, How Worried Should Fans Be For The Season 6 Finale? Her own brother said of her, I loved Kathy, but she was crazy.. Burns her source, breaking her promise to be off the record and jeopardizing an ongoing investigation. The film, directed by Clint Eastwood, says it is a story of what happens when what is reported as fact obscures the truth.. ", Olivia Wilde defends her 'Richard Jewell' character amid backlash, Olivia Wilde said she heavily researched her role in "Richard Jewell," emphasizing Kathy Scruggs' "dynamic, multidimensional, nuanced personality.". That adjective haunted Richard Jewell long before he became known as the FBI's leading suspect in the Centennial Olympic Park bombing on July 27, 1996. 'Manhunt Deadly Games,' an American true-crime drama, will premiere its second season in the year 2020. There was NO evidence to support a storyline that Ms. Scruggs traded sex for tips about Richard. Shewould wear that frustration on her sleeve. There was NO evidence to support a storyline that Ms. Scruggs traded sex for tips about Richard. She was the daughter of Lewis Bubber Scruggs Sr. and Nancy Bentley Scruggs. 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. Her choice of boyfriends was not great. While King was clear that Scruggs had never slept with sources, he told Vanity Fair that the reporter had in-house romances [at the paper] that caused us to have to say, You stay over here, you stay over there. "The AJCs reporter is reduced to a sex-trading object in the film, the letter states, according to AJC. Carla Gugino plays journalist Kathy Scruggs for the CBS show Manhunt: Deadly Games. 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. That would be an appalling and misogynistic dismissal of the difficult work she did. "If they had actually contacted me, it might have ruined their idea of what they wanted the story to be," Martz told the newspaper. Shestruggled with chronic health issues and had been on medical leavefrom the newspaper for about a year when she died, Kiss said. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. 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. Its like, well, the names out there. She was never at peace as the story continued to get bigger and bigger with everyone crucifying Richard Jewel. True, Jewells lawyers surely got a chunk of that only one of whom, Watson Bryant, appears in the film, played memorably by Sam Rockwell. His own FBI partner, Agent Thomas Dauenhauer, complained to higher-ups that [he] rarely, if ever, took out a notepad when interviewing witnesses and suspects, and would then craft his official reports from memory. Reading through [his] 302s, Dauenhauer would fume this is bullshit, and refuse to add his initials. It was chosen by the National Board of Review as one . By no means was I intending to suggest that as a female reporter, she needed to use her sexuality. Craig Herrera is an American host and meteorologist at FOX Weather. Alex Johnson is a reporter and editor for NBC News based in Los Angeles. Perhaps the subject wouldn't be as commanding as she was. Jewells biker pal who stuck by him throughout the ordeal, Dave Dutchess, appears in a single scene. Im thinking D-cups, movie-Scruggs growls, cupping her breasts for effect. Richard Jewell was under FBI scrutiny for about three months before he was cleared. Initially hailed as a hero by the media, Jewell was quickly identified as a suspect by the FBI and local law enforcement based on psychological profiling. 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. 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. In Cherokee County, Georgia, Mrs. Scruggs has died. Who is Julia Morales? Scruggs' former reporting partner, Ron Martz, played by David Shae in the movie, said no one from the film contacted him. 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. 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. The movie isnt about Kathy Scruggs; its about the heroism and hounding of Richard Jewell, and what rushed reporting can do to an innocent man. 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. She and Martz had been held in contempt for refusing to reveal their source. The real bad guy turned out to be someone else, caught 7 years after the bombing. Cinemablend is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. We understand why she was trying to make it in her world, and I think shes a pretty three-dimensional character.. Eric Rudolph eventually confessed and pleaded guilty to that bombing and other attacks. 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. Referring to the newspaper by its commonly used nickname, Wood wrote: "I handled Richard Jewell's case against AJC for 16 years. They editorialized wildly and printed assumptions as facts. In addition to suffering from depression, she had a chronic back problem. The story contributed to her stress and failing health. ", 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. So he said, Yeah, the names out there and I dont really know the details. So he couldnt really say it was accurate, but he said, Im not going to quibble with it. And then, will it screw up the investigation? Scruggs died in 2001 of a morphine overdose. He is serving multiple life sentences for his role in several bombings. 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. I think the people that have (criticized the films version of Scruggs) havent seen the film and certainly havent read the book. 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. 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. Another such figure was Kathy Scruggs, who was a reporter at Atlanta Journal-Constitution at the time of the bombing. Kathy did not personally apologize to Richard Jewell, However, the story haunted her until her death. These cases typically ended up being settled out of court and him being rewarded an undisclosed amount of money. 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. 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. The media hounding of Jewell was shown as being pretty bad, but it was worse in real life. The thing she was always proud of was the newspaper stood by her. 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. 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. He was given life in prison without parole. According to the Columbia article, they also tried to be careful with the wording. 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. Will Cain is one of the prominent journalists for CNN. Or at least, one FBI agent in particular fed her the story. The film flashes six years later and Bryant informs Richard Jewell that the FBI has finally got the real bomber: Eric Rudolph. She hated being lied to or used. In the movie, much of the blame for that seems to land on Kathy Scruggs, a reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC). She was also known for a foul mouth, low-cut dresses, and general wildness. Eventually, Jewell becomes fed up with all the questioning and says they dont have any evidence to charge him. By then, Scruggs had been dead for a decade. By Doug Monroe - July 1, 2003 A crowd gathers on July 30, 1996, in. 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. "Her heart gave away. 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. To coincide with the premiere of Manhunt: Deadly Games, a Spectrum original series about the bombing that makes its broadcast TV premiere Monday, September 21 on CBS, here is what you need to know about Scruggs, including how she died and how she too never fully recovered from the debacle of the 1996 Atlanta bombing. ET. She was never at peace as the story continued to get bigger and bigger with everyone crucifying Richard Jewel. 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. Kent Alexander and Kevin Salwen write: Witnesses repeatedly came forward to accuse [him] of twisting their words. 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. Why is that anyones business? Brenner told Vanity Fair. The films depiction of her is not only wrong, but unnecessary. At issue is the film's portrayal of the late reporter Kathy Scruggs. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He filed several lawsuits against media companies and others, like The Post, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, NBC, and his former employer Piedmont College. 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. The Georgia Court of Appeals dismissed the Jewell case against the AJC in 2011. But she was a good reporter. Stream it here (opens in new tab). The Georgia Court of Appeals dismissed the Jewell case against the AJC in 2011. The AJCs reporter is reduced to a sex-trading object in the film, theletter says, according to the newspaper. Walter decided the story should use the word "focus," Scruggs would recall. He joined the station in September 2021 from KING 5. Support stories like this by supporting local journalism. The New York Times wrote a 3,000-word cover story about his poor treatment after the FBI cleared him. and Eastwood's direction. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. In addition to suffering from depression, she had a chronic back problem. However, there are two major things that the movie portrays in questionable ways. She works as a sports anchor and reporter for AT&T SportsNet Southwest and the sideline reporter for Houston Astros. She nonetheless gets the information, while fondling for his crotch. He received a public apology from Jay Leno, a $200,000 settlement from CNN, and an almost $600,000 settlement from NBC, among others. Kathy had an elder brother called Lewis Scruggs Jr. who worked in the insurance business. By the time the case ended, Richard & Ms. Scruggs had both passed away. Scruggs writes a story saying just that, which turns Jewell (and the implication of his guilt) into a global news event. She was really tough and hard-nosed. Jewell and Bryant confront Scruggs, demanding a retraction and apology, but she stands . 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. In a thread on Twitter on Thursday night, Lin Wood, the prominent defamation lawyer who represented Jewell in lawsuits against The Journal-Constitution and other media organizations, joined the movie's critics. "The perspective of the fictional dramatization of the story, as I understood it, was that Kathy, and the FBI agent who leaked false information to her, were in a pre-existing romantic relationship, not a transactional exchange of sex for information," Wilde continued. In 2011, the Georgia Court of Appeals ruled for the newspaper, which had refused to negotiate a settlement of Jewell's lawsuit. Richard Jewell ended with a quiet showdown between Jewell (played by Paul Walter Hauser) and Watson Bryant (Sam Rockwell), and the FBI agents in charge of his case, led by Tom Shaw (Jon Hamm). Kathys downfall began when she realized how her story destroyed Richard Jewells life. There was nothing unethical about how she did her work.". 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. It was as much a contributor of her death than anything, her brother Lewis Scruggs Jr. told the AJC. 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. 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. Even as a kid Jewell seemed driven by. In addition to Eastwood and the movie's production team, Olivia Wilde, the actor who played Scruggs in the movie, has also come under criticism. It was just hard living," her brother told the AJC. 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. 6+ Thoughts I Had Watching When Harry Met Sally For The First Time, How Wolf Entertainment's New Cop Drama Will Be Fundamentally Different From Chicago P.D. It was like a vacuum, she said. 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 . Without an inkling of self-awareness, Awful Announcing is concerned about the destruction of a dead reporter's reputation eternally. 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. Why should Kathy Scruggs get named and shamed while the FBI agent who revealed the suspects name receives anonymity? IE 11 is not supported. They compared him to noted mass murderer Wayne Williams. The Idaho Murders, Part 1: How 4 College Kids Lived and Loved. 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. Which is still the case and not despite the movie, but because of it. "Shes no longer with us, she died very young, and I feel a certain responsibility to defend her legacy which has now been, I think unfairly, boiled down to one element of her personality, one inferred moment in the film.

Australian Shepherd Breeders Northern California, Back Of Honus Wagner Card, Benjamin Knight Maura West, How Are Bush Tucker Gardens Managed, Articles D

Abrir chat
😀 ¿Podemos Ayudarte?
Hola! 👋