Newspaper demands accuracy disclaimer be added to Richard Jewell over reporter's portrayal

Clint Eastwood's newest film has come under fire for its depiction of a real reporter, and now, the newspaper where she worked is demanding an accuracy disclaimer.

In Richard Jewell, Eastwood tells the story of the man who was wrongly suspected of being involved in the 1996 Centennial Olympic Park bombing and later cleared. Olivia Wilde plays Kathy Scruggs, an Atlanta Journal-Constitution journalist who reported that Jewell was a suspect. It's implied in the movie that she slept with an FBI agent for information, per The Hollywood Reporter. Atlanta Journal-Constitution editor Kevin Riley last month blasted the film for this, saying "there is no evidence that this ever happened, and if the film portrays this, it's offensive and deeply troubling in the #MeToo era." Scruggs died in 2001.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.