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. "Contrary to a swath of recent headlines, I do not believe that Kathy 'traded sex for tips,'" Wilde wrote. Her own brother said of her, I loved Kathy, but she was crazy.. 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. Carla Gugino portrayed Kathys character. Scruggs writes a story saying just that, which turns Jewell (and the implication of his guilt) into a global news event. She was the daughter of Lewis Bubber Scruggs Sr. and Nancy Bentley Scruggs. One wonders if it was because none of them were attractive, foul-mouthed women who wore fishnets and miniskirts. 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. She and Martz had been held in contempt for refusing to reveal their source. 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. Scruggs, who was areporter atAtlanta Journal-Constitution at the time of the bombing, broke the story that Jewell was considered a suspect. She was never at peace or at rest with this story. She was also known for a foul mouth, low-cut dresses, and general wildness. She was born on Sept. 26, 1958, in Atlanta. They launch a distraction campaign. One of the things I love about directing is the ability to control the voice and message of the film. That decision ultimately led her to Asheville and then Atlanta, to the story that would change her life. 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. Reporting what happened to Richard Jewell and his mother profoundly changed me as a reporter and caused me to rethink many of the assumptions and quick judgments we can all unwittingly make under deadline pressure without attempting to find out a larger truth that lurks behind breaking news, Brenner told Vanity Fair. She was never at peace or at rest with this story, said Scruggss former co-worker Tony Kiss. 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. Y'all stay away from each other, if at all possible. Ya know?, Brenner never reported on rumors about Scruggss romantic life. 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. But ever since the film premiered at the AFI Fest in November, the Atlanta Journal-Constitutions editor-in-chief, Kevin Riley, has insisted that the filmwritten by Oscar-winning screenwriter Billy Ray (Captain Phillips)gets integral facts wrong. With The Good Doctor Losing A Character, How Worried Should Fans Be For The Season 6 Finale? 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. In a statement, Warner Bros. called the AJC's claims in the letter "baseless" and said the film was based on "a wide range of highly credible source material," according to Variety magazine. By then, Scruggs had been dead for a decade. To play this as Kathy Scruggs willingly burning her source and jeopardizing an investigation is unfair. "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. 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. And just in time for awards season, can you imagine that. The suit was dismissed in 2011 when the Georgia Court of Appeals concluded the articles in their entirety were substantially true at the time they were published. But Scruggs was not alive to see her name cleared, and friends told the AJC that stress related to the case exacerbated her failing health. I am sorry, but it is not enough to say, law enforcement thinks. And they didnt even say that. Citing the paper that reported there was no evidence against Jewell, Brenner said, The New York Timesand its editor Joe Lelyveld knew better., King acknowledged that the Richard Jewell case was a turning point in a lot of newspaper discussions about where to draw the line when on identifying suspects. And I think those are good lessons to share with a movie-going audience, that there are people who are the subject of newspaper stories and of government investigations who look as guilty as Richard appeared to look in those initial stories but who ultimately are totally innocent and whose reputations are dragged through the mud for all the wrong reasons., Scruggs died in 2001 from a prescription drug overdose, due, in part, to a chronic back problem, still troubled by the repercussions of her Jewell reporting. What kind of person does all that add up to? As the film depicts it, Scruggs (played by Olivia Wilde) finds out that Jewell is the FBIs primary suspect (which he probably never shouldve been) by sexually accosting an FBI agent played by Jon Hamm at a bar. The thing she was always proud of was the newspaper stood by her. Support stories like this by supporting local journalism. Richard Jewell is a 2019 American biographical drama film directed and produced . He is serving multiple life sentences for his role in several bombings. As well be discussing the plot of Richard Jewell, expect spoilers. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. When Elisabeth Finch met Jennifer Beyer in 2019, the two women forged a fiercely loyal friendship, and eventually got married. The film explores Jewells crucifixion by the media and the FBIs manipulative quest to incriminate him. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Related: Eirianedd Munro (Adam Peaty Girlfriend) Bio, Age, Height, Family, Boyfriend, Son, Artist, Job, Net Worth. She became popular in the 1990s for breaking the story that the FBI was investigating security guard Richard Jewell as a possible suspect in the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics bombing. In December 2019, a biographical drama film Richard Jewel was released portraying the real life of Jewell. But she was always agood reporter with a tremendous work ethic, said Gouch and Kiss. 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. The polygraph seems to be the final nail in the FBIs attempt at finding evidence against Jewell. Its based on the real-life events of the 1996 Summer Olympics and the Centennial Park bombing. or the Coen Brothers. And I think that we spent more time with her [than the movie did], added director/executive producer Michael Dinner. 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. Kiss, who worked with Scruggs in Anderson and then later at the Asheville Citizen-Times in western North Carolina, is livid about the film's portrayal of his co-worker and one of his dearest friends. 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. 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. Read More Craig Herrera FOX Weather Salary, Age, Husband, Leaving KING 5Continue, Your email address will not be published. She was blamed for ruining Jewells life who was once considered a hero. That FBI agent is identified by name in The Suspect, but, tellingly, not in the movie* (book spoilers in the footnote). Eventually, Jewell becomes fed up with all the questioning and says they dont have any evidence to charge him. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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. In the upcoming fictional film Richard Jewell, based on the true events surrounding the 1996 Summer Olympics bombing in Atlanta, there are a lot of real-life people depicted unfavorably, including, most distressingly to some,journalist Kathy Scruggs. 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. "She was aggressive. 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. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. In a feature last month, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported that Scruggs was disturbed by a lawsuit naming the AJC. She was once arrested drunk and naked, sitting in the drivers seat of a taxi outside a bar. ", 1/ I handled Richard Jewells case against AJC for 16 years. 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. 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. The other questionable element of Richard Jewell is the portrayal of Kathy Scruggs, played in the movie by Olivia Wilde. That would be an appalling and misogynistic dismissal of the difficult work she did.". By the time the case ended, Richard & Ms. Scruggs had both passed away. The film was written by Billy Ray and directed and produced by Clint Eastwood. Days later, Scruggs was told by a trusted law-enforcement source that Jewell was also the FBIs foremost suspect. Eric Rudolph did three other bombs, four in total, before he became a suspect. Another such figure was Kathy Scruggs, who was a reporter at Atlanta Journal-Constitution at the time of the bombing. According to them, he fit the profile of a lone bomber. The Georgia Court of Appeals dismissed the Jewell case against the AJC in 2011. Dreams of implants Its like, well, the names out there. The claim was that Jewell's reputation had been injured by the AJC and others. In January 2002, Craig was issued an American Meteorological Society Broadcast Seal of Approval, Indoor Cycling Instructor AFAA. The media as a whole certainly wasnt innocent in the case. As for Olivia Wildes notion of why people arent complaining about Jon Hamms character, thats an easy one: Tom Shaw isnt a real person. Once Scruggs got the scoop, she wrote up the story with her co-author, Ron Martz. 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 implication about Scruggs in Richard Jewell is seemingly rooted in the films extra source material, the book by Georgia U.S. Attorney Kent Alexander and Wall Street Journal reporter Kevin SalwenThe Suspect: An Olympic Bombing, the FBI, the Media, and Richard Jewell, the Man Caught in the Middle. Ad Choices. Jewell and Bryant confront Scruggs, demanding a retraction and apology, but she stands . According to the Vanity Fair article, Jewells phone number was leaked online and he received thousands of calls a day from people threatening him. Who is Ashley Willcott? She was at least doing the job as it was understood; he was the unscrupulous one. Please consider becominga subscriber. Its both incorrect and unfair, blaming her for things she didnt do and turning her into a less compelling character in the process. There was nothing unethical about how she did her work.". Manhunt: Deadly Games airs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. 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. At issue is the film's portrayal of the late reporter Kathy Scruggs. The AJC and other media were suedafter Jewell was cleared. "He called the paper, and the editor told her she needed to apologize. 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 43 years old at the time of her death. And Law And Order. 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. After Jewell was cleared, the media blamed her for making it public that Jewell was a suspect. 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. 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. Theres even another agent in the story named Tubbs. All rights reserved. Who is Will Cain? Jewell, a security guard at the park, helped to evacuate the area after the bomb was discovered. However, there are some things that dont quite come across in the film that are stated in the article. We understand why she was trying to make it in her world, and I think shes a pretty three-dimensional character.. I never heard any of them, even when they were drinking, say anything negative about her personally or professionally. But she was a good reporter. She was really tough and hard-nosed. 111 people were still injured, and two people died: Alice Hawthorne and Melih Uzunyol, a Turkish cameraman who had a heart attack while trying to cover the event. All the cops knew her and respected her and kidded her a lot, said Coram, who based a character in Atlanta Heat on Scruggs. 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. 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 . Kathy Scruggs, the AJC, and other media had no qualms about. 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. By Doug Monroe - July 1, 2003 A crowd gathers on July 30, 1996, in. 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. While other outlets settled, the AJC didn't. 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. Doha Madani is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News. 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.". Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Getty Based on the Vanity Fair article, the film follows the facts told in it pretty closely. That is entirely false and malicious, and it is extremely defamatory and damaging.. 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. ", Olivia Wilde as Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Kathy Scruggs in the movie 'Richard Jewell. 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. 'Richard Jewell' focuses on the real victim, seeks to tell his story, confirm his innocence and restore his name. In Cherokee County, Georgia, Mrs. Scruggs has died. 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. The newspaper, in turn, has criticized the film's depiction of Kathy Scruggs who broke the story with Ron Martz that the FBI was eyeing Jewell as its prime suspect as a promiscuous crime. 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. The newspaper, in a letter to the filmmakers, has criticized the depiction of the reporter, indicating that there is no evidence to suggest this actually happened. The movie doesnt address these lawsuits, but they play an important part in Jewells continued quest to have his name cleared and repaired. It was as much a contributor of her death than anything, her brother Lewis Scruggs Jr. told the AJC. 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. Support stories like this by supporting local journalism. They had her back. 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. Olivia Wilde, the actress who portrays Scruggs in thefilm, took to Twitter on Thursday to share her perspective. 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. Other news organizations, including NBC News, settled similar cases, generally for undisclosed sums and with the assertion that they stood by their reporting.
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