Clint Eastwood

The film Richard Jewell depicts journalist Kathy Scruggs as implicitly exchanging sexual favours for information. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, her former employer, described this portrayal as false and malicious and requested an explicit disclaimer, raising the prospect of legal action.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

In an interview, Eastwood said he understood some of the rejection of political correctness expressed by Donald Trump, suggested that society was living through a "pussy generation" and urged people to "get over it" in response to certain accusations of racism. His comments sparked another political controversy.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated

Following the release of Sully, several people associated with the investigation into the ditching of US Airways Flight 1549 criticised the film for portraying the NTSB as hostile to Captain Sullenberger and inventing a more accusatory atmosphere than existed in the actual proceedings.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

American Sniper was hugely successful but was accused by critics of oversimplifying the Iraq War, uncritically repeating certain disputed claims by Chris Kyle and turning a complex conflict into a heroic narrative.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee stated that it had observed a sharp increase in threats targeting Arabs and Muslims following the film's release and called on Eastwood, Bradley Cooper and Warner Bros. to explicitly condemn hate speech.

State of the evidence

Documented

During the recording of the Guys Choice Awards, Eastwood made a joke comparing Dwayne Johnson to several athletes, including Caitlyn Jenner. Spike TV announced that the reference would be removed from the broadcast following criticism.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated

At the 2012 Republican convention, Eastwood improvised a dialogue with an empty chair representing Barack Obama. The lengthy, rambling sequence overshadowed part of the evening's message and was widely discussed, parodied and criticised.

State of the evidence

Reported by the press

Attribution

Political responsibility

Spike Lee criticised Eastwood for the absence of black soldiers in his films about Iwo Jima. Eastwood responded sharply, telling him to "shut his face", and defended his decision by explaining that he was depicting the units and individuals involved in the flag-raising and the battle portrayed.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated

The ending of Million Dollar Baby, in which a trainer helps a boxer who has become quadriplegic to die, prompted criticism from disability rights organisations. They accused the film of promoting a dangerously pessimistic view of life with a disability.

State of the evidence

Reported by the press

Attribution

Directly implicated

Locke brought a further action alleging that the development agreement she obtained from Warner Bros. in 1990 had been secretly funded by Eastwood and had never represented a genuine opportunity, allegedly obstructing her career. The case was settled while the jury was deliberating.

Attribution

Accused

Following the end of their long relationship, Sondra Locke sued Eastwood. She alleged, among other things, that he had forced her out of their home and claimed that he had exerted pressure leading to two abortions and subsequent sterilisation. The dispute was settled in 1990 through an agreement that included a professional arrangement with Warner Bros.

Person targeted by the proceedings

Sondra Locke

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist not prosecuted

Dirty Harry sparked major controversy over its depiction of a police officer who circumvents procedural safeguards and resorts to violence. Influential critics saw it as an authoritarian or fascistic "fantasy", and the film became an enduring reference point in debates about policing and vigilantism.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

While married to Maggie Johnson, Eastwood maintained a long affair with Roxanne Tunis, with whom he had a daughter, Kimber. This branch of his family remained relatively unknown to the public for many years and featured in subsequent revelations about his parallel romantic relationships.

State of the evidence

Admitted by the person

Attribution

Personally implicated