Richard Jewell Ending Explained: What Happened And What - CINEMABLEND He noticed a suspicious green backpack, and then alerted cops and authorized authorities. But several friends and colleagues have said over the years that she never really recovered from what happened with Jewell. They compared him to noted mass murderer Wayne Williams. However, that dismissal came 10 years after Scruggs died. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Kathy Scruggs, reporter in 'Richard Jewell,' was 'dedicated' in SC 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. They had her back. 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. In the movie, much of the blame for that seems to land on Kathy Scruggs, a reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC). Many of her friends and family members claimthe stress from the legal fallout around the Jewell case contributed to her failing health: Jewell sued the AJC, among other outlets, after Scruggs' story pinpointing him as an FBI suspect; all other outlets settled except the AJC. We further demand that you add a prominent disclaimer to the film to that effect.". 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 other questionable element of Richard Jewell is the portrayal of Kathy Scruggs, played in the movie by Olivia Wilde. The guy on the other end, agent Jay Spadafore, is a part-time PR guy, intentionally kept completely away from the investigation. 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. The FBI still lists Rudolph on one of its pages about "famous cases and criminals.". The incident took place in Atlanta in 1996, during the Summer Olympics. . 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. 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. Could never apologize or admit she got it wrong, and put someone through utter hell for it The Suspect does*, painting him more as a rogue FBI agent whose leak infuriated his bosses. By then, Scruggs had been dead for a decade. Early buzz for Clint Eastwoods latest film indicates that both Paul Walter Hauser and Sam Rockwell have a fighting chance. 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. Why should Kathy Scruggs get named and shamed while the FBI agent who revealed the suspects name receives anonymity? 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. After Jewell was cleared, the media blamed her for making it public that Jewell was a suspect. Im thinking D-cups, movie-Scruggs growls, cupping her breasts for effect. 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. Or at least, one FBI agent in particular fed her the story. 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. 'Richard Jewell': Kathy Scruggs' Roommate, Family Angered - Yahoo 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. Scruggs' former reporting partner, Ron Martz, played by David Shae in the movie, said no one from the film contacted him. The (Journal-Constitution's) claims are baseless and we will vigorously defend . 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. Wildes defense seems to be based on the idea that while Scruggs didnt sleep with her source for Jewell, the depiction was fair because people did question Scruggs close relationship with police sources, and many believe she had slept with her sources in the past. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. She worked for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a reporter. That piece didnt name the individual leaker. At issue is the film's portrayal of the late reporter Kathy Scruggs. ", He went on to say that Scruggs was "one of the better reporters I ever worked with.". 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. 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. The media hounding of Jewell was shown as being pretty bad, but it was worse in real life. "She had very good contacts with. Author Robert Coram had a front-row seat to Scruggss dealings with law enforcement in the mid '90s. 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. Longtime friend Lisa Griffin told the Journal-Constitution that she spoke with Scruggs on the phone shortly before she died. He really didnt know. ), 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. Kathy did not personally apologize to Richard Jewell, However, the story haunted her until her death. 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. 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. Shes flawed, and really complex, and really interesting. 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. Shewould wear that frustration on her sleeve. 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. With The Good Doctor Losing A Character, How Worried Should Fans Be For The Season 6 Finale? 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. Jewell and Bryant confront Scruggs, demanding a retraction and apology, but she stands . 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. 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. They launch a distraction campaign. Ashley Willcott is a former judge, trial lawyer, television anchor, and media consultant for lawyers child welfare influencer. Ezra Millers Messiah Delusions: Inside. The film was written by Billy Ray and directed and produced by Clint Eastwood. Kathy Scruggs, the AJC, and other media had no qualms about. Scruggs is not. She was the daughter of Lewis Bubber Scruggs Sr. and Nancy Bentley Scruggs. ET. 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. Spent most of my life in various parts of Illinois, including attending college in Evanston. Which is still the case and not despite the movie, but because of it. 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. New York, Bryant also had help from other lawyers to clear Jewells name. Days later, Scruggs was told by a trusted law-enforcement source that Jewell was also the FBIs foremost suspect. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! She nonetheless gets the information, while fondling for his crotch. When youre a cop reporter, you have to be able to throw it and show itget in there with them and not take any shit off them. 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. She works as a sports anchor and reporter for AT&T SportsNet Southwest and the sideline reporter for Houston Astros. 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." She was never at peace or at rest with this story, said Scruggss former co-worker Tony Kiss. 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. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Getty Download the NBC News app for breaking news. 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. In January 2002, Craig was issued an American Meteorological Society Broadcast Seal of Approval, Indoor Cycling Instructor AFAA. The film, directed by Clint Eastwood, says it is a story of what happens when what is reported as fact obscures the truth.. Requiem for a Reporter: Kathy Scruggs - Atlanta Magazine And what do they decide to do? 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. They had noneand neither did the FBI. Reporter Kathy Scruggs broke the story that the FBI was looking at Richard Jewell as the Atlanta Olympics bomber. Scruggs was born and raised in Atlanta. Scruggs, who died in 2001, was working for the Atlanta . (Ed: note: The sources name, according to The Suspect, was Don Johnson. Please proceed accordingly). 'Richard Jewell' Screenwriter Accuses Atlanta Newspaper Of Deflecting "She would announce herself. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Pronouns: she/her. There was NO evidence to support a storyline that Ms. Scruggs traded sex for tips about Richard. The New York Times wrote a 3,000-word cover story about his poor treatment after the FBI cleared him. Yeah Kathy Scruggs and AJC said they only reported the truth - that Jewell was being investigated. Related: Eirianedd Munro (Adam Peaty Girlfriend) Bio, Age, Height, Family, Boyfriend, Son, Artist, Job, Net Worth. She was once arrested drunk and naked, sitting in the drivers seat of a taxi outside a bar. 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. Please consider becominga subscriber. 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. Goads her bosses into rushing the story into print Y'all stay away from each other, if at all possible. Ya know?, Brenner never reported on rumors about Scruggss romantic life. ", 1/ I handled Richard Jewells case against AJC for 16 years. One of the things I love about directing is the ability to control the voice and message of the film. 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. 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. Jewell was the security guard who spotted an unattended bag containing a pipe bomb in Centennial Park in the early hours of July 27, 1996. If they had, it might have ruined their idea of what they wanted the story to be. But she was a good reporter. 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. We never made such a false & damning claim. Its both incorrect and unfair, blaming her for things she didnt do and turning her into a less compelling character in the process. And Law And Order. How this story and source was gotten was never my interest., When Brenner read the rumor about Scruggs trading sex for stories in Alexander and Salwens book, she felt it was deeply problematic: Inevitably men get it wrong when they try to write about a womans sexuality., Both Brenner and Billy Ray, though, say the focus on Scruggs is a diversionary tactic. 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. And I think that we spent more time with her [than the movie did], added director/executive producer Michael Dinner. She was also known for a foul mouth, low-cut dresses, and general wildness. Read More Ashley Willcott Court Tv Husband, Age, Height, Salary, Net WorthContinue. Jewell, a security guard at the park, helped to evacuate the area after the bomb was discovered. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. Another such figure was Kathy Scruggs, who was a reporter at Atlanta Journal-Constitution at the time of the bombing. The reporters outside his home would even yell and harass Bobi and Richard to try to get a reaction to catch on film. Jewell died in 2007 at age 44. 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. Kathy did not personally apologize to Richard Jewell, However, the story haunted her until her death. However, there are two major things that the movie portrays in questionable ways. She was just 42 when she died in 2001. An article published on Columbia colleges website entitled Richard Jewell Case Study, discussed Scruggs more and showed her in a more professional manner. 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. . 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. and Eastwood's direction. After Jewell was cleared, the media blamed her for making it public that Jewell was a suspect. 'Richard Jewell' film under fire for depiction of journalist Kathy Scruggs Kathy Scruggs' Depiction In 'Manhunt: Deadly Games' Criticized By Presumed Guilty - Atlanta Magazine She really always felt like they were supporting her.. "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. Age, Height, Salary, Net Worth, PodcastContinue, Who is Andrew Nichols? Wilde concluded her string of Twitter posts on Thursday by saying that Scruggs "unfortunately became a piece of the massive puzzle that was responsible for the brutal and unjust vilification of. Clint Eastwood slanders reporter Kathy Scruggs in "Richard Jewell," his otherwise powerful and honest film. 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. Nicholas Confessore of the New York Times wrote, An accurate movie script about a female reporter would involve her being constantly propositioned or harassed by people she covers, while being invited to evening meetings that somehow turn into involuntary dates with sources, and bombarded with rape threats on Twitter. Added Melissa Gomez of the Los Angeles Times, Hollywood has, for a long time, portrayed female journalists as sleeping with sources to do their job.