Her soul was gone. It was Scruggs who first publicly. As U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia at the time, Alexander was closely involved with the investigation. There were no such things as social media sites at her young age. The GBI medical examiner claimed her cause of death was acute morphine toxicity. "The portrayal of the explosion is one of the best scenes in any of the Clint Eastwood-directed films," said Atlanta Olympics enthusiast Nicholas Wolaver, who attended the Nov. 20 premiere in Hollywood and posted his review here. Scruggs former colleague said that she was ordered to reveal her sources for the FBI story or face jail time. She Shakes it Better: Old Woman in Gown Dances by Roadside with Waist, Video of Her Sweet Moves Goes Viral, Thats My Boyfriend: Nengi Announces As Footballer Kylian Mbappe Asks Fan to Photoshop Them Together, Why Is He Being Petty: Davido Trends Online As He Unfollows His Cousin Sina Rambo, Fans React. Newspaper hits out at 'Richard Jewell' movie over portrayal of reporter. Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Kathy may be gone, but she is still a vibrant part of our family and we love her very much. Heavy.com has reached out to Dyleski for additional comment. "My heart was pounding and there was an audible gasp in the packed theater.". Jewell discovered a backpack with three pipe bombs on the park grounds, alerted the police, and helped authorities evacuate the grounds before a bomb squad was brought in. She has flaws, is extremely complex, and holds a great deal of fascination. When it turned out that Jewell (played on screen by Paul Walter Hauser) was innocent, her reporting and that of the national media were criticized as a rush to judgment. 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. 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. Not to drink, I told the server, just to photograph. She was born in Atlanta, Georgia to Alfred Wallace and Doris Fillingim Waldrop. Cherokee County Coroner Earl Darby said Ms . [9] Scruggs colleagues, at The Atlanta Journal Constitution assert Scruggs was too professional to have ever used her sexuality this way. I thought of stories Parke and Kiss each told me about what happened after Scruggs funeral. Scruggs obituary in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution explained that she had suffered a variety of health problems for the past year.. In New York City, Kathy earned a bachelors degree. It crushed her like a junebug on the sidewalk.. Kathy Scruggs was the Atlanta newspaper reporter who first reported, through a source, that the FBI was investigating hero security guard Richard Jewell in the Atlanta Olympics bombing. An autopsy was performed in September 3, 2001. Kathy Scruggs was a colorful personality regarded as an intrepid police reporter in Atlanta, Georgia before controversy hit. But she was also under stress from financial problems as her medical bills mounted. Kathy Scruggs was born on September 26, 1958 and died September 2, 2001, age 42, in Cherokee County, Georgia. She was never at peace or at rest with this story. Directed by Clint Eastwood, the movie was filmed in Atlanta over the summer and is based on a Vanity Fair article titled American Nightmare: The Ballad of Richard Jewell. Paul Walter Hauser stars in the title role as the security guard who saved countless lives, only to become a suspect, after the deadly Centennial Olympic Park bombing. kathy scruggs sisters. In the end, the feisty police reporter was a broken person. Other reporters had built on her story and had later published more accusatory, slanderous, and factually incorrect articles that hurt Jewells reputation. However, it has never been made public what their relationship status is. Once she lost that she was rudderless, she was lost at sea.. Her friends always believed stress over that story contributed to her failing health. Twitter/Getty Her friends have always assumed that her health deteriorated as a result of her stress about the topic. Catrina Jasmine Judge: Facts About Christopher Judges Daughter, Who Is Margaret Judge? Failed to subscribe, please contact admin. It might be a rose, or a quarter, Lewis Scruggs said. How Did She Die? Other reporters surrounded Jewell's home, and he lived under a cloud of suspicion for years - until the real bomber was found, after he was caught for another crime. Former friends described the emotional toll the story took on Scruggs after it was revealed that Jewell was the wrong man. An injury early in her career left her with chronic back pain for which she took prescribed pain relievers. She took all this stuff that interacted with each other.. However, he was cleared of all suspicions and once again made a hero. Her father, who had trained as a GI reporter during World War 2, was a senior executive in the Insurance Industry. We present her as a fully well-rounded character, creator/executive producer Andrew Sodroski remarked at the Television Critics Association winter press tour in 2020. Born Kathleen Bentley Scruggs on September 26, 1958, she and her older brother by 10 years, Lewis Scruggs Jr., were the products of a prominent family in Athens, Georgia. Jewell never quite recovered from the media firestorm sparked by an article headed FBI Suspects Heros Guard May Have Planted Bomb, even after being absolved of the crime. In fact, Kathy died before the development of major social media. Sources differ on the details of the overdose. I Cant Believe This Nigerian Mum Finds Unexpected Items inside Childrens School Bags, Shares Video, Pray She Misses Her Period: Is a Baby Coming? Davidos Chioma Spotted Checking Menstrual Cycle Tracking App in Video, Many Ladies, UK Govt Releases List of Companies Approve To Sponsor Skilled Nigerians Ready To Relocate, Five Side Hustles for 9-5 Workers in Nigeria, How to start ecommerce business Steps Guide, CBN Releases Security Features of New Naira Notes as Fake Notes Emerge. ", https://web.archive.org/web/20210118151905/https://thecinemaholic.com/who-was-kathy-scruggs-how-did-she-die/, "The sad story of a hero destroyed by others ambitions", https://web.archive.org/web/20201027035222/http://www.leecountycourier.net/about_people/the-sad-story-of-a-hero-destroyed-by-others-ambitions/article_a5ca4648-653c-11ea-a49a-cb7c4702803a.html, "Richard Jewell: Kathy Scruggs Roommate, Family Angered by Journalists Portrayal", https://web.archive.org/web/20210302153029/https://variety.com/2019/film/news/richard-jewell-kathy-scruggs-roommate-journalist-portrayal-1203435902/, "Richard Jewell Controversy: Olivia Wilde Calls Out Double Standard Of Sexism", https://web.archive.org/web/20210125221716/https://deadline.com/2019/12/olivia-wilde-responds-to-richard-jewell-kathy-scruggs-controversy-1202799205/, "Richard Jewell film under fire for depiction of journalist Kathy Scruggs", https://web.archive.org/web/20211008065940/https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/10/entertainment/kathy-scruggs-richard-jewell-film-trnd/index.html, "Richard Jewell's lawyer agrees the movie smeared Atlanta newspaper reporter", https://web.archive.org/web/20210303233650/https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/olivia-wilde-says-she-doesn-t-believe-richard-jewell-journalist-n1101126, "The True Story Behind the Movie Richard Jewell", https://web.archive.org/web/20210125053410/https://time.com/5748926/richard-jewell-movie-true-story/, http://en.wikialpha.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Kathy_Scruggs&oldid=228047, broke the story that the FBI suspected Richard Jewell was a bomber, not a hero. Updates and news about all categories will send to you. When she died, she had been on medical leave from the AJC newspaper for approximately a year because of persistent health problems. She had a big personality that one never forgets, is what is claimed by Kathys former colleague John Gouch. Morphine higher than the highest calibrator of 0.6 mg/L Kathy supported the publications decision to not settle because she believed what she had written was true at the time. Kathy Scruggs Wiki: Kathleen Kathy Scruggswas 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 the1996 Atlanta Summer Olympicsbombing. She was so empty.. They stopped for a drink after the service, and a truck pulled into the parking lot beside them. 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. Other than this, not much information is available regarding her education. Kathy Scruggs was an American journalist who was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Also present in the chest fluid were paroxetine, mirtazapine, and ethyl alcohol. Kathy Scruggs, an Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter well known for coverage of law enforcement, was found dead in her Cherokee County home Sunday night. He came to terms with it. Law enforcement loved her, just loved her, said co-author Kent Alexander, a former federal prosecutor. She was never at peace or at rest with this story. Scruggs brother, Lewis Scruggs Jr., followed his dad into the insurance business after following his parents to UGA. It was just hard living, her brother said to the publication. She appeared to be completely devoid of life.. Her parents called a friend to check on her welfare. An injury while on the job left her with chronic back pain for the rest of her life. Friends who talked to her old newspaper in an attempt to resuscitate her reputation in the wake of the Eastwood movie said they didnt think she ever got over the media infamy. How did she die? When Scruggs started the media firestorm against Jewell in the 1990s, she was recognized for her solid reporting, close ties to local law enforcement, and her hard-partying habits. If you want to know more about the reporter who made such an impact with her coverage of what she believed to be the story of the decade, weve got all the details about Kathy Scruggs right here. She was very determined.. An appellate court later sided with the newspaper, finding that Scruggs stories correctly reported what was known at the time that, at that time, Jewell was under FBI investigation in the attack. Theirfather,Lewis Bubber Scruggs Sr., was a World War II veteran who co-founded the Athens Insurers Inc. On the heels of the September 21 broadcast premiere of Manhunt: Deadly Games, a Spectrum original series about the bombing, here is what you need to know about Scruggs, including how she died and how she, too, never truly healed from the 1996 Atlanta bombing. READ NEXT: Richard Jewells Cause of Death. She wasnt on the line anymore.. The FBIs main suspect initially was the same man who found the bomb and saved hundreds of lives with his timely action. Lewis and Kathy were 10 years apart so didnt grow up as playmates. Later in life she had Crohns disease, anxiety and other issues and with them, more prescriptions. When it turned out that Jewell was innocent, he sued the AJC and they fought, not choosing to settle. Scruggs was born in Athens, Georgia. The AJC urged Warner Bros, which is behind the movie, to publish a disclaimer acknowledging that the makers took dramatic license in the portrayal of characters. Deadly Games, the second season in the riveting series, follows one of the biggest FBI manhunts on US soil, chronicling the search for the terrorist responsible for the Centennial Olympic Park bombing which occurred during the 1996 Summer Olympics. While the biopic hails Jewell as the hero he is, Scruggs is shown in a poor light, which some journalists are not happy about. The movie makes it appear that Scruggs was willing to trade sex with an FBI agent for the story, but theres no evidence thats true. Scruggs and colleague Ron Martz broke the story that the FBI were investigating Jewell as a suspect in a deadly bombing at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He passed away in 2009, eight years after Kathy died in 2001. Longtime friend Lisa Griffin told the Journal-Constitution that she spoke with Scruggs on the phone shortly before she died. On Sept. 4, 2001, the AJC ran Scruggs obituary. It crushed her like a junebug on the sidewalk., Another friend told AJC: Her soul was gone. According to AJC, Stress over the case contributed to her failing health.. READ ALSO: Nick Gereffi cause of death, characters in You, wikipedia, how did he died, date of birth explored. The first thing I thought about was calling Kathy, he said. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says the Clint Eastwood-directed film salaciously and falsely portrays former reporter Kathy Scruggs trading sex for FBI tips. She was a piece of crap (as are many journalists today), and karma got her in the end. According to Coram, all the cops loved Kathy and nobody ever said anything negative about her, even in a drunken state. This former colleague of hers also described her past relationships with a few cops, an editor who allegedly beat her with a telephone, and the prominent writer and AJC columnist Lewis Grizzard. The items present with the body were a television remote control, a sheet, a blanket and a comforter. At first, Jewell was heralded as a hero for his role in thwarting the attack and saving many lives. Scruggs brother told AJC she was on medications for a variety of things, including Crohns disease. The bomb exploded within 13 minutes of evacuation, killing one person and injuring over a hundred people. Side by side, she was also worried and under stress from financial problems as her medical bills mounted. Getty/FindaGrave toxicological testing of chest fluid revealed a potentially lethal level of morphine. She was accurate., The newspapers publisher Roger Kintzel said in that story, nothing was ever found that indicated that what Kathy wrote was not the truth. Those who knew Kathy Scruggs, including her friends and family, remember her as a wild child with a rebellious and adventurous streak. There was a lot of effort put into making sure her story was given as much time as possible, but I think we struggled throughout., She becomes a suspect if you dont spend enough time with her tale. Director/executive producer Michael Dinner remarked, And I think that we spent more time with her [than the movie did]. I think weve got her covered. Ill go out there periodically and there will be something on her headstone. Clint Eastwood 5710 Castle Highway. It was this job and tenacity that landed her at the center of a storm when she was covering the 1996 Centennial Olympic Park bombing. . She was the real deal when it came to being a dedicated reporter, said attorney and family friend Edward Tolley to AJC. No sympathy. In the event that they had, it might have wrecked their vision of what they wanted the story to be. A colostomy site was present on the body. 31 INSPIRING INTERNATIONAL MENS DAY 2022 QUOTES TO HONOUR THE GUYS IN YOUR LIFE. If shes being portrayed as some floozy, its just not true.. It was like a vacuum, she said. In addition, according to her friends, Kathy never really recovered from what happened with Jewell. Most of the news outlets Jewell sued settled with him and buried the hatchet. Getty Kathy Hilton, Kyle Richards and Kim Richards have been feuding. However, according to the report, she died of a drug overdose and apparently it was a suicide. Ethyl Alcohol 0.037 grams per 100 ML As a reader, we can see why she was attempting to succeed in her own world, and I think shes a well-rounded character.. [9][10][11] Jewell was a security guard at an Olympic event and initial reports describe him noticing a suspicious package and taking key steps to clearing potential victims from the area, saving lives. Enterostomy Everyone who personally knew Kathy admired her greatly, to the point that Coram even based a character in his book Atlanta Heat on her. My mother reacted as if it was her fault. I loved Kathy, but she was crazy.. Their father , Lewis "Bubber" Scruggs Sr., was a World War II veteran who co-founded the Athens Insurers Inc. Kathy Scruggsmother, Nancy Bentley Scruggs, was a charitable and social force in Athens before her death in 2015. No identified traumatic injuries. Shame on Olivia Wilde and Clint Eastwood, way to lie about someone that isnt alive to defend herself. "The Suspect," a recently published nonfiction book about the 1996 bombing, is unsparing but not unfair. When is Jamb 2023/2024 Starting, Is JAMB Form Out For 2023? Richard Jewell was an instant hero. What happened to the real Kathy Scruggs? She would be an easy person to caricature, he said. Scruggs joined the AJC after stints at two other papers. 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