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Bill Murray vs Bob Woodward: Confrontation Erupts at Live Event

BBG News

Bill Murray has faced criticism towards journalist Bob Woodward following a confrontation regarding supposed falsehoods Woodward claimed about the late John Belushi in his 1984 biography.

74-year-old actor Murray had a disagreement with author Woodward, who is 81, during a gathering in Washington on Sunday, following his criticism of Woodward’s book Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi in a frank discussion on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast the previous day.

Murray commented on Bob Woodward – a journalist who, with Carl Bernstein, exposed President Richard Nixon’s Watergate scandal for The Washington Post: ‘When I picked up Wired, the book authored by that guy, Woodward, about Belushi, I read just a few pages and exclaimed, “Wow, they must have set Nixon up!”‘

Wow, if he’s going to discuss a friend I’ve known for over half my adulthood in his conversations with those beyond the outermost circle, I can’t help but wonder, what on earth could they have possibly done to Nixon?

‘If he did this to Belushi, what he did to Nixon is probably soiled for me too.’ 

The conflict between the two occurred during a showing of the documentary “Becoming Katharine Graham” at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. This disagreement was later shared on platform X by Washington Post journalist, Ben Terris.

At the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, during a screening of “Becoming Katharine Graham”, a dispute between them unfolded. Later on, this argument was publicized on X by the Washington Post reporter, Ben Terris.

Tonight, at the Kennedy Center, there was an exchange between Bill Murray and Bob Woodward concerning Woodward’s book about Belushi. The atmosphere felt somewhat tense.

Additionally, The New York Times mentioned they had a disagreement, without providing further details about their conversation.

DailyMail.com has contacted representatives for Bill Murray and Bob Woodward for comment.

Supporters enthusiastically expressed their approval towards Bill for confronting Woodward, posting: “Well done Bill! Woodward appears to be a Democratic puppet.

‘Go get him Bill!

‘Give him hell, Bill.   

‘Love it!!! Bill doesn’t play around! 

It’s surprising that I found out about this disagreement, which happened 50 years ago, so suddenly we’re facing a real conflict now. That’s quite astonishing.

‘Oh! Hey scumbag.” Wish I could have heard it.

As an ardent admirer who’s had their faith shaken, I must caution: Bob Woodward’s words, whether spoken or penned on any topic, are best approached with a generous pinch of skepticism.

In March 1982, when he was only 33 years old, John Belushi tragically passed away due to a drug overdose involving both cocaine and heroin, which occurred in his private bungalow at the Chateau Marmont hotel in Los Angeles.

For several years prior to his passing, Belushi, famously recognized for the 1980 movie “The Blues Brothers,” battled substance abuse issues.

In another part of his podcast discussion, Murray criticized Woodward’s sources for the book, stating they were “well beyond the inner circle” and led to a “damning” and “unfair” work.

John Belushi helped make career opportunities a reality,” he mentioned, “and I was among those fortunate individuals who benefited from his kindness. Many people can attest to having spent nights on Belushi’s couch.

Many individuals resided gratis at his home until they achieved success in New York, and I am among them. Unfortunately, he passed away, yet he remains the most remarkable stage actor I’ve ever witnessed.

Murray expressed his refusal to contribute to Wired because he felt suspicious about it, stating, “I chose not to be involved in any way. It turned out just as I anticipated, even more poorly than I had expected. Even the title itself gave me a chill.

He suggested that jealousy was a factor in the book’s creation, pointing out: “The most renowned figure hailing from Wheaton, Illinois, is John Belushi. The next well-known figure is Harold Red Grange, the football legend. And the third most recognized individual from Wheaton, Illinois, is Bob Woodward.

He wrapped up the discussion for today with his controversial points, he said. As for that particular issue, it’s been bothering me a bit. You see, I have a bone to pick with Woodward, ever since I read those five pages.

Murray established a bond with the renowned Blues Brothers actor, Belushi, in 1974 during his involvement with The National Lampoon Radio Hour.

Murray would go onto join Season 2 of Saturday Night Live with Belushi.

In 1984, the unforgettable character of Peter Venkman in Ghostbusters was initially meant for Belushi, unfortunately he passed away two years prior to its premiere.

In an interview with Wired, both Dan Aykroyd, a colleague and friend of Belushi, as well as Judith Belushi Pisano, his widow, participated. However, they later criticized the book’s content.

Aykroyd deemed Wired as being “vulgar and sensational,” whereas Pisano expressed that it was primarily focused on drugs and insanity, and furthermore, it lacked accuracy.

Aykroyd stated that Woodward conversed with him for approximately an hour and a half. However, there are things in the book he claims not to recall discussing with him. Moreover, he mentions that the book, after briefly perusing some excerpts, appears to be quite sensationalist and poorly written. Interestingly, despite Bob Woodward having an esteemed career, Aykroyd criticizes the work as less than stellar.

Transitioning from political investigations in books like ‘All the President’s Men’ and ‘The Brethren,’ to writing a biography about John Belushi titled ‘The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi, one might consider it an unexpected shift, particularly given its apparent departure from serious journalism.

He’s diving into the questionable realm, and I believe he’s left several topics untouched in the book. Specifically, he’s neglected discussing John’s charming personality, his kind and humorous demeanor, his genuine concern for others, and his intelligence, education, and wide reading – traits that make this man truly remarkable. One wonders how he managed to achieve such success while seemingly omitting these aspects in the book.

‘He wasn’t merely lucky; he earned his success through hard work. However, Woodward fails to acknowledge this struggle, and the resulting book is disheartening, seedy, and unfortunate.’

Later on, Pisano published her own book titled “Samurai Widow” in 1990 as a response to what she perceived as exploitative portrayals, followed by another work called “Belushi: A Biography,” co-written with Tanner Colby.

Later on, the story depicted in Wired underwent adaptation for a 1989 movie that received negative critical reviews. In this rendition, Michael Chiklis portrayed Belushi while J.T. Walsh took on the role of Woodward.

Or:

The 1989 film version of Wired, which was not well-received by critics, cast Michael Chiklis as Belushi and J.T. Walsh in the role originally played by Woodward.

Initially accused of second-degree murder for administering the lethal mix of substances to Belushi, Cathy Smith eventually struck a plea bargain with the prosecution, resulting in a conviction for manslaughter instead.

Smith, known in Belushi’s circle of rock and roll companions, often filled in as a backup singer and groupie.

For 15 months, she was imprisoned due to supplying drugs to someone. Following this, she chose a career as a legal secretary and led a peaceful life in British Columbia, Canada, until her passing at the age of 73 in 2020.

Initially, she faced charges for second-degree murder, but she reached an agreement with the prosecution resulting in a conviction for manslaughter instead.

Journalists Woodward and Bernstein gained legendary status within the field by exposing the Watergate affair, a complex political scandal that implicated members of the Nixon administration and his re-election team.

Due to the thorough detective work by this duo, they managed to expose the full scale of the Watergate scandal, leading to President Nixon’s eventual resignation from his position in 1974.

The Watergate scandal originated from an illegal entry into the Democratic National Committee’s office, which was located there, in the year 1972.

It emerged that the intruders, who had forced entry, were linked to President Richard Nixon at a later point. What came to light was their intention to pilfer documents and tap into phone lines.

The book titled “All the President’s Men,” written by Woodward and Bernstein, gained immense popularity and eventually inspired a 1976 film. In this adaptation, Robert Redford portrayed Woodward while Dustin Hoffman took on the role of Bernstein.

They also won a Pulitzer Prize. 

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2025-03-05 02:59

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