Powered by. The most important rule of reporting is never to reveal a suspects name without corroborating evidence. Without an inkling of self-awareness, Awful Announcing is concerned about the destruction of a dead reporter's reputation eternally. Based on the Vanity Fair article, the film follows the facts told in it pretty closely. Olivia Wilde, the actress who portrays Scruggs in thefilm, took to Twitter on Thursday to share her perspective. She was just 42 when she died in 2001. She did her job as it was then understood. 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. However, the film was criticized for its portrayal of a real-life reporter, Kathy Scruggs. At the 2020 Television Critics Associaton winter press tour, creator/executive producer Andrew Sodroski said of the character, We portray her as a fully well-rounded character. This movie that supposedly aims to set the record straight often ends up regurgitating lazy assumptions. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. There was NO evidence to support a storyline that Ms. Scruggs traded sex for tips about Richard. After 88 days of public scrutiny, he was cleared as a suspect. Richard Jewell was never officially charged with any crimes, but he spent 88 days being under investigation as the person responsible for the 1996 bombs in Centennial Park. 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? 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. Andrew Nichols is an American bilingual journalist. Photo: Lionsgate. She works as a sports anchor and reporter for AT&T SportsNet Southwest and the sideline reporter for Houston Astros. 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.. We did not.. "There was NO evidence to support a storyline" that Kathy Scruggs traded sex for tips about Richard Jewell, his attorney tweeted. If they had, it might have ruined their idea of what they wanted the story to be. Julia Morales is an American sportscaster as well as a pregame and post-game talk show star. She and Martz had been held in contempt for refusing to reveal their source. 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. 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. I probably will wind up watching it. But according to various sources, including Kevin Riley, the current. 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. She was never at peace or at rest with this story. Her mother owned a travel agency. Scruggs' former reporting partner, Ron Martz, played by David Shae in the movie, said no one from the film contacted him. "It's heartbreaking to think that the only thing some people will ever hear about Kathy is how she is portrayed in that movie.". 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. And what do they decide to do? Thats just bullshit.. 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. . 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. 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. 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. Mike King, a former Atlanta Journal-Constitution editor who worked with Scruggs for about eight years, said that, save for that glaring implication, Richard Jewell largely seems to get Scruggs right. 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. 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. We never made such a false & damning claim. The FBI still lists Rudolph on one of its pages about "famous cases and criminals.". Why should Kathy Scruggs get named and shamed while the FBI agent who revealed the suspects name receives anonymity? 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. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. 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.". Tell me this wouldnt have made an incredible movie from The Death Of Dick Long guys so many Southern oddballs! We further demand that you add a prominent disclaimer to the film to that effect.". 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). 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. The New York Times wrote a 3,000-word cover story about his poor treatment after the FBI cleared him. It's so deeply wrong, yet they continue to do it. She was born on Sept. 26, 1958, in Atlanta. She hosts the live coverage of Court TV, which airs on weekdays from 3 to 6 p.m. A few days before Richard Jewells release, King was unsure whether he would see the film. When you reach the Richard Jewell ending, you feel a deeper understanding of him as a human and his friendship with lawyer Watson Bryant. The bomb detonated before it could be removed, killing. When. 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. Reporter Kathy Scruggs broke the story that the FBI was looking at Richard Jewell as the Atlanta Olympics bomber. The Idaho Murders, Part 1: How 4 College Kids Lived and Loved. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. For months after the bomb was detonated, he was suspected of planting it, resulting in negative publicity that came to symbolize the excesses of law enforcement and the news media.. (This post will contain both spoilers for the movie Richard Jewell and historical facts. 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. "He was a suspect at the time she reported that he was. It also started her downward spiral. It crushed her like a june bug on the sidewalk.. But in the end, it actually did screw up the investigation because nobody among the FBI supervisors had any intention of letting word out that Richard Jewell was a suspect.. "Her heart gave away. Scruggs is not. Richard Jewell, a security guard, also discovered the explosives. I think the people that have (criticized the films version of Scruggs) havent seen the film and certainly havent read the book. The movie actually does Scruggs worse than that. They had her back. And this was after he had saved hundreds of lives. Scoop in hand, she convinces her bosses to run with the story over their concerns. I have been a life long lover of pop culture, especially television, turned that passion into writing about all things entertainment related. New York, Read More Julia Morales (Astros) Husband, Daughter, Age, Height, Salary, Net worthContinue. 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. Kathy had an elder brother called Lewis Scruggs Jr. who worked in the insurance business. The movie doesnt address these lawsuits, but they play an important part in Jewells continued quest to have his name cleared and repaired. 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.". The film explores Jewells crucifixion by the media and the FBIs manipulative quest to incriminate him. Age, Height, Salary, Net Worth, Podcast, Andrew Nichols CBC Salary, Age, Height, Wife, College, Net Worth, Ashley Willcott Court Tv Husband, Age, Height, Salary, Net Worth, Craig Herrera FOX Weather Salary, Age, Husband, Leaving KING 5. By Doug Monroe - July 1, 2003 A crowd gathers on July 30, 1996, in. Kathy was known for her solid reporting. Kathy Scruggs would walkinto the Independent Mail newsroom anddrop her purse and notebook on her desk, a daily effort that caused two loud, distinct thuds. She is right now the face of justice. So I had to call the district attorney, and we went through this whole back and forth and Nancy didnt end up speaking about the Olympics again.. I come from a long line of journalists my moms been a journalist for 35 years theres no way I would want to suggest that.". There was nothing unethical about how she did her work.". Every single criminal investigation and civil lawsuit the ex-president is currently facing, including the ones youve probably never heard about. Its obvious to me they did not go to any great lengths to find out what the real characters were like., Both Gugino and the creators of the limited series obviously work to offer a bit more nuance with the character. Read More Ashley Willcott Court Tv Husband, Age, Height, Salary, Net WorthContinue. Manhunt: Deadly Games airs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. I never heard any of them, even when they were drinking, say anything negative about her personally or professionally. The media as a whole certainly wasnt innocent in the case. In 2020, Manhunt: Deadly Gameswas released following the hunt for Eric Rudolph, who was the perpetrator of the Centennial Olympic Park bombing after suspicion initially fell on security guard Richard Jewell. In Cherokee County, Georgia, Mrs. Scruggs has died. Why is that anyones business? Brenner told Vanity Fair. 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. Carla Gugino portrayed Kathys character. AJC ace Kathy Scruggs broke the story that made Richard Jewell a household name. "He called the paper, and the editor told her she needed to apologize. 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. Carla Gugino plays journalist Kathy Scruggs for the CBS show Manhunt: Deadly Games. 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. We dont do that to men, we dont do that to James Bond we dont say James Bond isnt a real spy because he gets his information sometimes by sleeping with women as sources. 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. 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. Which is still the case and not despite the movie, but because of it. 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?). That would be an appalling and misogynistic dismissal of the difficult work she did.". 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. 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. They launch a distraction campaign. Jewell died in 2007 at age 44. 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. His motives were because he was against abortion and didnt want homosexuality normalized. 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. She was the real deal when it came to being a dedicated reporter, her family friend Edward Tolley told the AJC. 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." That FBI agent is identified by name in The Suspect, but, tellingly, not in the movie* (book spoilers in the footnote). Theres even another agent in the story named Tubbs. Her father, Lewis "Bubber" Scruggs Sr., was a Gridiron Secret. The brutal murders of four Idaho college students shocked millions. Vince Mancini is on Twitter. On July 27, 1996, Jewell was working security at concerts going on in Centennial Park. And I think that we spent more time with her [than the movie did], added director/executive producer Michael Dinner. 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. 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). Scene Stealer: The True Lies of Elisabeth Finch, Part 1, Scene Stealer: The True Lies of Elisabeth Finch, Part 2. 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. Please consider becominga subscriber. By the time the case ended, Richard & Ms. Scruggs had both passed away. 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. The movietells the story of Richard Jewell, a security guard who should have been hailed a hero after he found a pipe bombpacked with nails and screwsin Centennial Olympic Park. Alex Johnson is a reporter and editor for NBC News based in Los Angeles. And she would get frustrated if people were keeping something from her. 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. The polygraph seems to be the final nail in the FBIs attempt at finding evidence against Jewell. Columnist Hollis Gillespie went on a date with Jewell after meeting him on an airplane, only to write up the whole thing in Atlanta Magazine, along with a follow-up piece in which she appeared on the cover. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). 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. "She was so, so alive." Scruggs was born Sept. 26, 1958 into a prominent Athens family. She worked for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a reporter. In fact, nine law. Ezra Millers Messiah Delusions: Inside. That piece didnt name the individual leaker. He noticed a suspicious green backpack, and then alerted cops and authorized authorities. Richard Jewell is an interesting exploration of this fascinating case of a man wrongfully accused. People who knew her called her a true journalist. 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. Jewell and Bryant confront Scruggs, demanding a retraction and apology, but she stands . He joined the station in September 2021 from KING 5. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. For our 29th annual Hollywood cover, a dozen captivating young stars gather for the after-party of our dreams. His newscasts can be seen during weekdays at 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM ET on the CBC News Network. But several friends and colleagues have said over the years that she never really recovered from what happened with Jewell. But she was always agood reporter with a tremendous work ethic, said Gouch and Kiss. Scruggs writes a story saying just that, which turns Jewell (and the implication of his guilt) into a global news event. She hated being lied to or used. The real bad guy turned out to be someone else, caught 7 years after the bombing. It was just hard living, her brother toldthe AJC. The media circus that surrounded the investigation was widely cited as an example of law enforcement and media excess. In the movie, Richard is kind of portrayed like a bit of an outcast, mama's boy simpleton, but in real life, the article said he had an active social life, a complicated but loving relationship with his mother, and he was quite observant and smart.
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