The journalist behind Viral is a “completely fake” interview with Clint Eastwood speaks out.
This comes almost a week after Kurier, a German-speaking Austrian newspaper, published an article containing a quote that would make headlines from the actor. When Eastwood learned about it, he said he had never spoken to the paper.
“Several items about me have been featured in the news recently,” Eastwood said in a statement obtained by Deadline. “I thought I would set the record straight. I can confirm that I’m 95. I’ve never interviewed Austrian publications or any other Austrian publications in recent weeks, and I can also confirm that the interviews are completely fake.”
Elizabeth Celeda, a longtime member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the Golden Globe Award-winning organization, has issued a statement claiming that the quote from the legendary actor is authentic. She explains that the quote was taken from an old HFPA interview with the “Dirty Harry” star, some of which date back to the 70s.
“So, Mr. Eastwood may not be familiar with the publication Kurier, but he is certainly familiar with the HFPA. He has interviewed over 20 groups dating back to 1976,” she wrote in a statement obtained by the New York Times.
So Eastwood said these things over the years. It’s not a sit-in question and answer interview.
“The quotes from Eastwood cited in the story were culled from some of the 14 press conferences I attended and covered,” she said in a statement obtained by Variety.
One Eastwood quote about the condition of Hollywood quickly spread quickly.
“We live in an era of remakes and franchises,” the article said. “I filmed three sequels and haven’t been interested in it for a long time. My philosophy is to do something new or stay home.”
But it’s unknown when he said it.
Celeda said she was assigned to write a compilation story honoring the director on May 31st, celebrating the 95th birthday. But it didn’t come across that way.
In the meantime, Kurier also issued a statement clarifying what happened, with Sereda talking to Eastwood multiple times, saying, “The foreign journalists have received their transcripts for these conversations, but they can be used freely,” the outlet said in a translated statement.
“According to Celeda, she wrote the current article based on these conversations. This means that everything in Eastwood’s statement was exactly what it was done, and this is documented. Using multiple interviews on birthday portraits is a common practice.”
Kurier noted that Sereda created the story in an interview and “not a portrait.” The newspaper said this was against their standards and that they cut ties with the writers.
“While no citations have been created, the interviews are documented and can be refuted to tampering allegations. We will no longer cooperate with the authors in the future, as transparency and strict editorial standards are of paramount importance to us.”
KTLA 5 has reached out to Eastwood regarding this development and is waiting for a response.
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