She was at least doing the job as it was understood; he was the unscrupulous one. Carla Gugino as Kathy Scruggs in 'Manhunt: Deadly Games'. It starts with them in a conference room conducting an interrogation of Jewell. We further demand that you add a prominent disclaimer to the film to that effect.". This movie is about a hero whose life was completely destroyed by myths created by the FBI and the media, specifically the AJC, Ray told Deadline. ', there is no evidence that Scruggs slept with anyone. Clint Eastwood, you must apologize to Kathy Scruggs | David Ramsey Related: Lauren Snchez (Jeff Bezos Girlfriend), Age, Children, Husband, Family, Net Worth, Journalist. Kathy Scruggs Cause of Death, Family, Downfall, Richard Jewell As Hamm told me during our interview, I really do think that the movie is an exoneration of a man who did his job and was wrongfully accused of something that he didnt do and is still thought of as something that he isnt.. ", 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. In Eastwood's highly-anticipated film, "Richard Jewell," reporter Kathy Scruggs is depicted as trading sex for stories and information. 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. According to the Columbia article, they also tried to be careful with the wording. She was the daughter of Lewis Bubber Scruggs Sr. and Nancy Bentley Scruggs. Marie Brenner, who wrote the Vanity Fair feature on which the film is based, hopes that Richard Jewell might impact audiences the way the story affected her in 1996. One wonders if it was because none of them were attractive, foul-mouthed women who wore fishnets and miniskirts. Related: Eirianedd Munro (Adam Peaty Girlfriend) Bio, Age, Height, Family, Boyfriend, Son, Artist, Job, Net Worth. We did not.. His motives were because he was against abortion and didnt want homosexuality normalized. This led to him being scrutinized and ridiculed by the media before he was cleared as a suspect. He received a public apology from Jay Leno, a $200,000 settlement from CNN, and an almost $600,000 settlement from NBC, among others. 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 . The film explores Jewells crucifixion by the media and the FBIs manipulative quest to incriminate him. It was just hard living, her brother toldthe AJC. 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. It was heart-wrenching for Richard, Alexanders co-author, Kevin Salwen adds. 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. On July 30, 1996, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported the FBI investigation of Jewell as the potential bomber. 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. Richard Jewell is a 2019 American biographical drama film directed and produced . It was Scruggs who first publicly. All rights reserved. This is very specific to female characters, weve seen it over and over again, and I think that Kathy Scruggs is an incredibly dynamic, nuanced, dogged, intrepid reporter. 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. And this was after he had saved hundreds of lives. 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. Her father, Lewis "Bubber" Scruggs Sr., was a Gridiron Secret. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! The film also takes liberties with how information and events unfolded. Support stories like this by supporting local journalism. The claim was that Jewell's reputation had been injured by the AJC and others. The Cautionary Tale of Richard Jewell: How a Hero Became a Media Victim She nonetheless gets the information, while fondling for his crotch. 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. 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. In a new depiction of the 1996 Olympics bombing in Atlanta and its aftermath, a newspaper reporter from the time is once again portrayed in a controversial light. They had noneand neither did the FBI. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Her own brother said of her, I loved Kathy, but she was crazy.. "You always knew when Kathy was in the room," said her former colleagueJohn Gouch. 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. The movie focuses on the security guard who was heralded for saving lives when a bomb went off in Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park in 1996, but who later became a suspect in the bombing. When Elisabeth Finch met Jennifer Beyer in 2019, the two women forged a fiercely loyal friendship, and eventually got married. 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). By then, Scruggs had been dead for a decade. Every single criminal investigation and civil lawsuit the ex-president is currently facing, including the ones youve probably never heard about. It crushed her like a junebug on the sidewalk., But even facing litigation over the article, Scruggs would not reveal her source in reporting that Jewell was a suspect. The incident took place in Atlanta in 1996, during the Summer Olympics. However, that dismissal came 10 years after Scruggs died. Longtime friend Lisa Griffin told the Journal-Constitution that she spoke with Scruggs on the phone shortly before she died. People who knew her called her a true journalist. ", Olivia Wilde as Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Kathy Scruggs in the movie '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. 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. Richard Jewell movie accuracy: Fact vs. fiction in Clint Eastwood's On Thursday, Ray defended the filmexplaining that the Atlanta Journal-Constitution seems to be pulling focus to one single minute in a movie thats 129 minutes long. Wilde also tweeted to respond to the controversy, saying,I do not believe Kathy traded sex for tips and it was never my intention to suggest she had. Ray and Brenner, among others, claim that the outsize focus on the Scruggs scene is a deliberate effort to deflect from the real story: the Atlanta Journal-Constitutions flawed, and destructive, reporting on Jewell. It all happened in 1996 when security guard Richard Jewell alerted police during the Centennial Olympic Park bombing at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. Referring to the newspaper by its commonly used nickname, Wood wrote: "I handled Richard Jewell's case against AJC for 16 years. 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. "Nothing in my research suggested she did so, and it was never my intention to suggest she had. Presumed Guilty - Atlanta Magazine Eventually, Jewell becomes fed up with all the questioning and says they dont have any evidence to charge him. Even as a kid Jewell seemed driven by. The New York Times wrote a 3,000-word cover story about his poor treatment after the FBI cleared him. ", 1/ I handled Richard Jewells case against AJC for 16 years. It was in 1998, and he then spent over five years on the run living and surviving in the wilderness. She was never at peace as the story continued to get bigger and bigger with everyone crucifying Richard Jewel. The guy on the other end, agent Jay Spadafore, is a part-time PR guy, intentionally kept completely away from the investigation. 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. 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. 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. "Contrary to a swath of recent headlines, I do not believe that Kathy 'traded sex for tips,'" Wilde tweeted. In a feature last month, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported that Scruggs was disturbed by a lawsuit naming the AJC. (This post will contain both spoilers for the movie Richard Jewell and historical facts. Shes flawed, and really complex, and really interesting. . Jewell and other men were able to clear the perimeter enough to minimize the impact. 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. "The AJCs reporter is reduced to a sex-trading object in the film, the letter states, according to AJC. Pronouns: she/her. By no means was I intending to suggest that as a female reporter, she needed to use her sexuality. When. Says a prayer directly after the bombing not for the victims, but for the murderer to be interesting But according to various sources, including Kevin Riley, the current. Which is still the case and not despite the movie, but because of it. People have begun to do just that, and the criticism has, if anything, only intensified. Please consider becominga subscriber. 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 media circus that surrounded the investigation was widely cited as an example of law enforcement and media excess. The AJCs reporter is reduced to a sex-trading object in the film, theletter says, according to the newspaper. 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. 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. and Eastwood's direction. It was like a vacuum, she said. This, in turn, had actors in the movie, like Jon Hamm, when I interviewed him, urging people to see the film before passing judgment. 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. That FBI agent is identified by name in The Suspect, but, tellingly, not in the movie* (book spoilers in the footnote). 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? It also started her downward spiral. 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. 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 addition to the park, he bombed a gay nightclub and abortion clinics. He noticed a suspicious green backpack, and then alerted cops and authorized authorities. Stream it here (opens in new tab). Carla Gugino portrayed Kathys character. Scruggs died in 2001 of a morphine overdose. Scruggs' former reporting partner, Ron Martz, played by David Shae in the movie, said no one from the film contacted him. Nikki Battiste is an American journalist working as a correspondent anchor as well as a reporter for CBS News in New York City. Reporters Enraged Over Media Portrayal in 'Richard Jewell' She was so empty.. 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. 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. But there's no. Disappointing that they would apply this tired and sexist trope about Kathy Scruggs, a real reporter.. Scruggs died in 2001 at age 42. 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. Your email address will not be published. Kathy Scruggs Death: How Manhunt: Deadly Games Reporter Died - Heavy.com Wow, "Richard Jewell" depicts Kathy Scruggs a real Atlanta Journal Constitution reporter sleeping with an FBI agent to land a scoop about the '96 Olympic bombing. 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. The trial by the media seemed vicious and not shown nearly as intense in the film. She broke the story that security guard Jewell at that point a hero for saving countless lives in the Centennial Olympic. 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. Support stories like this by supporting local journalism. Kathy did not personally apologize to Richard Jewell, However, the story haunted her until her death. 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The Richard Jewell ControversyAnd the Complicated Truth About Kathy 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 . In addition to suffering from depression, she had a chronic back problem. Or at least, one FBI agent in particular fed her the story. TIL reporter Kathy Scruggs who broke the story of Richard Jewell being investigated as the Atlanta Olympics bomber, died of a drug overdose in 2001. . "We never made such a false & damning claim. By the time the case ended, Richard & Ms. Scruggs had both passed away. But its just jumping over that last wall to make it look like she traded sexual favors for information. Its based on the real-life events of the 1996 Summer Olympics and the Centennial Park bombing. Jewell, a security guard at the park, helped to evacuate the area after the bomb was discovered. The brutal murders of four Idaho college students shocked millions. That wouldve been a fun movie. Goads her bosses into rushing the story into print 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. Portrayal of female journalist in 'Richard Jewell' is 'worst kind of