Kathy Scruggs is a character featured in the Clint Eastwood-directed film “Richard Jewell,” which is adapted from the Vanity Fair article titled “American Nightmare: The Ballad of Richard Jewell.”
In the movie, Olivia Wilde takes on the role of Scruggs, a reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Scruggs breaks the news that the FBI is focusing on Richard Jewell, a security guard who saved numerous lives during the deadly Centennial Olympic Park bombing but later becomes a suspect.
The film adeptly captures the chaos within the AJC newsroom and effectively recreates Centennial Olympic Park in the year 1996.
Following Scruggs’ reporting, Jewell faces public vilification, only to be later cleared of all charges. Notably, the portrayal of Kathy Scruggs in the film is characterized in a negative light.
Kathy Scruggs Profile Summary
| Full Name: Kathleen Bentley Scruggs | Education: Queens College |
| Birth Place: Atlanta, Georgia | Parents: Nancy Bentley Scruggs, Lewis Scruggs Sr. |
| Date of Birth: September 26, 1958 | Siblings: Lewis Scruggs Jr. |
| Date of Death: September 2, 2001 | Occupation: Journalist |
Kathy Scruggs Family and Early Life
Kathleen Bentley Scruggs was born on September 26, 1958, in Athens, Georgia, to Lewis Scruggs Sr. and Kathleen Bentley Scruggs.
Her father, a successful businessman, played a pivotal role in co-founding Athens Insurers Inc. in 1953. Additionally, he pursued a career in journalism, having studied at the University of Georgia. Scruggs Sr. passed away in 2009, eight years after Kathy.
Kathy’s mother, known for her philanthropy in Athens, passed away in 2015.
Growing up, Kathy shared her childhood with her younger brother, Lewis.
Inspired by her father’s career, Kathy decided to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in journalism from an early age.
Kathy Scruggs Relationship
Prior to being thrown into the spotlight, Kathy was a comparatively unknown reporter.
Consequently, the public knew very little about her personal relationships. Nonetheless, it is generally accepted that she was unmarried when she passed away.
Kathy Scruggs Reporter
Kathy graduated from Charlotte, North Carolina’s Queens University (formerly known as Queens College) with a degree in journalism.
After that, she worked for two tiny newspapers until getting a job at the Atlanta-Journal Constitution (AJC), which is Georgia’s largest newspaper based on readership.
She developed a network of contacts within the police department while mostly working on crime stories. It is reported that she frequently showed up at crime scenes ahead of the cops.
She was therefore in a good position to report on the 1996 bombing of Centennial Olympic Park.
Kathy Scruggs, Richard Jewell Reporting
Without Richard Jewell’s quick actions, the bombing at Centennial Olympic Park in July 1996 could have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people.
As part of his duties as a security guard during the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, Jewell was stationed at the public park. While walking through the park, he discovered a rucksack containing three pipe bombs. Jewell promptly alerted the police and assisted in evacuating the area before the bomb squad arrived.
Tragically, one person was killed, and over a hundred were injured when the bomb detonated 13 minutes after the evacuation. Additionally, a cameraman covering the incident suffered a fatal heart attack later on.
Initially hailed as a hero for his pivotal role in thwarting the attack, Jewell’s life took a drastic turn just three days later when an article by Kathy Scruggs and Ron Martz in the AJC revealed that the FBI was considering him a potential suspect, based on the “lone bomber” profile. Scruggs and Martz’s investigation detailed the FBI’s search of Jewell’s home and possessions, along with placing him under surveillance.
Jewell faced a media trial that significantly impacted both his personal and professional life. However, he was eventually cleared of all charges, and the real Olympic Park bomber was identified as Eric Rudolph.
Following his acquittal, Jewell took legal action against the media outlets involved, including the AJC, filing libel suits.
Kathy Scruggs Death
The journalist faced the added challenge of defending her reporting in the midst of the Jewell controversy, which exacerbated her pre-existing health issues. Scruggs had taken a medical leave of absence from the publication the year prior to her death.
She grappled with chronic back pain stemming from a work-related injury, managing the discomfort with painkillers. Unfortunately, the prolonged use of these medications led to the development of other health problems. Among the list of conditions were Crohn’s disease, as well as stress and depression.
Family members and close acquaintances observed that the stress of the court case took a toll on her already fragile well-being. Ultimately, her brother described it as “her heart giving way.”
Tragically, days before her 43rd birthday on September 2, 2001, Scruggs was discovered deceased in her Woodstock home. The cause of death was determined to be acute morphine toxicity, or simply put, a ‘drug overdose.’
The nature of the overdose, whether accidental or intentional, was never conclusively determined.
Richard Jewell Wiki
Jewell sued multiple media outlets after being defamed by them. Many of them reached out-of-court settlements with him, but the AJC refused to reach a settlement at Scrugg’s insistence.
August 29, 2007, was his death date.
