When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. The real bad guy turned out to be someone else, caught 7 years after the bombing. Y'all stay away from each other, if at all possible. Ya know?, Brenner never reported on rumors about Scruggss romantic life. And what do they decide to do? It crushed her like a june bug on the sidewalk.. The small changes here and there are understandable because its a film that needs to entertain as much as its trying to inform. Jewell died in 2007 at age 44. By then, Scruggs had been dead for a decade. 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. Ad Choices. It was Scruggs who first publicly. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. And just in time for awards season, can you imagine that. Its like, well, the names out there. He was given life in prison without parole. But its just jumping over that last wall to make it look like she traded sexual favors for information. "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. 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. Scruggs died in 2001 at age 42. 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. In a feature last month, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported that Scruggs was disturbed by a lawsuit naming the AJC. At the time, the coroner said it could not be determined if the overdose was suicidal or accidental. ", In addition to her depiction in Richard Jewell, out in theaters Friday, December 13,her life inspired two fictional characters. 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. Based on the Vanity Fair article, the film follows the facts told in it pretty closely. "We never made such a false & damning claim. Its based on the real-life events of the 1996 Summer Olympics and the Centennial Park bombing. 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. Spent most of my life in various parts of Illinois, including attending college in Evanston. 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. But according to various sources, including Kevin Riley, the current. Clint Eastwood slanders reporter Kathy Scruggs in "Richard Jewell," his otherwise powerful and honest film. By Doug Monroe - July 1, 2003 A crowd gathers on July 30, 1996, in. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Hes a composite. 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 was born on Sept. 26, 1958, in Atlanta. Olivia Wilde addresses controversy around her 'Richard Jewell The man, Richard Jewell, went from being hailed a hero to the most hated villain when Kathy Scruggs, a journalist with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, broke the news about Jewell being looked at as the main suspect by the FBI. How that actually played out is an interesting, quasi-Coen Brothers-esque story in itself. I never heard any of them, even when they were drinking, say anything negative about her personally or professionally. Which is still the case and not despite the movie, but because of it. Download the NBC News app for breaking news. She would get upset when people were supposed to tell her something but wouldn't. 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 FBI greenlit the entire thing. The film flashes six years later and Bryant informs Richard Jewell that the FBI has finally got the real bomber: Eric Rudolph. That wouldve been a fun movie. It also started her downward spiral. Doha Madani is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News. On July 27, 1996, Jewell was working security at concerts going on in Centennial Park. 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. Eric Rudolph eventually admitted to the bombing and other attacks and pleaded guilty. 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. All rights reserved. Support stories like this by supporting local journalism. When I'm not writing about pop culture, I can be found channeling Gordon Ramsay by kicking people out the kitchen. You can access his archive of reviews here. Pronouns: she/her. She did her job as it was then understood. AJC ace Kathy Scruggs broke the story that made Richard Jewell a household name. The deputy attorney general called that morning, and said, essentially, Get that woman off the air. After Richard Jewell was no longer a suspect, his battle continued. True, Jewells lawyers surely got a chunk of that only one of whom, Watson Bryant, appears in the film, played memorably by Sam Rockwell. Her father, Lewis "Bubber" Scruggs Sr., was a Gridiron Secret. Who was Atlanta reporter Kathy Scruggs? - ajc According to them, he fit the profile of a lone bomber. 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. . According to the Columbia article, they also tried to be careful with the wording. 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. The trouble is, that character sounds a lot more interesting than what we get in Richard Jewell, a character we first meet when she storms into the AJC newsroom, wearing a gold necklace that says KATHY, flipping the bird to fellow reporters (theyre jealous, apparently) and telling a colleague that shes considering getting breast implants. 'Richard Jewell': Kathy Scruggs' Roommate, Family Angered - Yahoo They launch a distraction campaign. Jewell becomes emotional about regaining his freedom. Carla Gugino as Kathy Scruggs in 'Manhunt: Deadly Games'. His motives were because he was against abortion and didnt want homosexuality normalized. 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. ", Eric Rudolph, the actual bomber, was found in 2003, rummaging through trash behind a grocery store in Murphy, North Carolina. Support stories like this by supporting local journalism. It was as much a contributor of her death than anything, her brother Lewis Scruggs Jr. told the AJC. 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. 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. I have mixed feelings about it. or the Coen Brothers. "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 media as a whole certainly wasnt innocent in the case. What Happened To Kathy Scruggs, 'Richard Jewell' Journalist? | True Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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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? (Ed: note: The sources name, according to The Suspect, was Don Johnson. I have been a life long lover of pop culture, especially television, turned that passion into writing about all things entertainment related. Eric Rudolph eventually confessed and pleaded guilty to that bombing and other attacks. 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. 'Richard Jewell' focuses on the real victim, seeks to tell his story, confirm his innocence and restore his name. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has taken issue withtheway that itsformer reporter Kathy Scruggs is depicted in "Richard Jewell," amovie about the 1996 Summer Olympics Bombing case. 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. The film also takes liberties with how information and events unfolded. She was just 42 when she died in 2001. 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. Vince Mancini is on Twitter. 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.. 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. Richard Jewell Controversy: Fact, Fiction, And Reporter Kathy Scruggs The other questionable element of Richard Jewell is the portrayal of Kathy Scruggs, played in the movie by Olivia Wilde. Stream it here (opens in new tab). Kathy Scruggs: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com 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. 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. Presumed Guilty - Atlanta Magazine The New York Times wrote a 3,000-word cover story about his poor treatment after the FBI cleared him. The Vanity Fair article only briefly discusses Scruggs, and calls her an FBI "groupie. It also mentions her being kind of a tough journalist, but never demonizes her in the way the film does. Decades later, how Scruggs is portrayed as a journalist is at the center of controversy that surrounds the film "Richard Jewell." (Perhaps not coincidentally, The Suspect reports that Bryant teamed up with Jewells mother to sell the movie rights.) 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). It haunted her until her last breath, her former colleague Tony Kiss told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a 2019 feature about her. 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. 'Richard Jewell' Screenwriter Accuses Atlanta Newspaper Of Deflecting 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. Kathy Scruggs reporter death: age, apology, wikipedia - Wothappen Burns her source, breaking her promise to be off the record and jeopardizing an ongoing investigation. But several friends and colleagues have said over the years that she never really recovered from what happened with Jewell. Scruggs left the Independent Mail in Anderson after she got into an altercation at a bar, Kiss said. The Complete Guide to All the Ways Donald Trump Is Legally Screwed. "She was such a good and dedicated journalist," Kiss said. It was just hard living," her brother told the AJC. "She had very good contacts with. Early buzz for Clint Eastwoods latest film indicates that both Paul Walter Hauser and Sam Rockwell have a fighting chance. In addition to the park, he bombed a gay nightclub and abortion clinics. He was caught in 2003 when a police officer saw him behind a dumpster searching for food. Richard Jewell movie accuracy: Fact vs. fiction in Clint Eastwood's What happened to Kathy Scruggs? Did kathy scruggs apologize to richard 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. Goads her bosses into rushing the story into print In fact, nine law. Nearly 25 years later, Richard Jewell's mother angry over media, FBI The movie actually does Scruggs worse than that. In Cherokee County, Georgia, Mrs. Scruggs has died. The FBI still lists Rudolph on one of its pages about "famous cases and criminals.". Perhaps the subject wouldn't be as commanding as she was. The reporters outside his home would even yell and harass Bobi and Richard to try to get a reaction to catch on film. One of the things I love about directing is the ability to control the voice and message of the film. 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. Even highly respected journalists like Katie Couric tracked Jewell down when he canceled an interview with her. Manhunt: Deadly Games airs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. If they had, it might have ruined their idea of what they wanted the story to be. 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' 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." Want to get a room or just go to my car? Scruggs asks after he reveals Jewells name. Kathy Scruggs was the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper reporter whose reporting on the Atlanta Olympics bombing has been extremely controversial. ", He went on to say that Scruggs was "one of the better reporters I ever worked with.". The AJC and other media were suedafter Jewell was cleared. The police caught on to Rudolph when he did a bombing in Birmingham. Prior to this meeting, Jewell undergoes a polygraph test that proves hes telling the truth. Jewells death is noted at the end. Olivia Wilde as Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Kathy Scruggs in the movie "Richard Jewell." Warner Bros. "I am Kathy Scruggs' brother and only remaining member of our immediate family. The film explores Jewells crucifixion by the media and the FBIs manipulative quest to incriminate him. 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. 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. With The Good Doctor Losing A Character, How Worried Should Fans Be For The Season 6 Finale? Read More Ashley Willcott Court Tv Husband, Age, Height, Salary, Net WorthContinue. 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.. Scruggs, who died in 2001, was working for the Atlanta . Who is Craig Herrera? 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). She nonetheless gets the information, while fondling for his crotch. Scruggs was the Atlanta Constitution-Journal reporter who first wrote about . As an actor, its more complicated, and I want to share my perspective on my role in the film Richard Jewell. . Why is that anyones business? Brenner told Vanity Fair. 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. 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. 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