Photo illustration by Slate. Kayla, without realizing it, has walked into a battle for her dignity. ", The film shows a competitive work environment at Fox News for female anchors and producers, many of whom rarely spoke or befriended each other. To play anchor Gretchen Carlson, host Megyn Kelly, and composite character Kayla Pospisil. She pulls the dress up higher, her hands trembling, until her underwear is exposed. Left: Rupert Murdoch. The objective: to ensure the films balance of levity and gravity in which strong female characters are shown accepting a baseline level of sexual degradation and coarse behavior to get ahead in the cutthroat, male-dominated world of cable news wouldnt turn off viewers. It wouldnt have been as sleek. She also launched and managed the sites virtual book club, #ReadWithMC. Roger Ailes attempted to force himself on Kelly three times early in her career, and she rebuked him. While Kelly and Carlson's characters are recognizable from the jump, Kayla Pospisil (Robbie) is a creation that initially feels so authentically Fox News that it seems like she must exist in real life. This character is another composite. Kidman looks quite similar to Carlson too, in a fuchsia sheath dress and the Miss-America-winner-turned-TV-commentator's signature blonde bob. When Robbie's Kayla begins a new on-air role, she arrives at her desk with pageant queen hair, garish stage makeup, and a black-and-white bodycon dress. Left to right, Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly, Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson and Margot Robbie as Kayla Pospisil in "Bombshell." (Courtesy Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/SMPSP) This article is more than . It is painful to watch. Roger Ailes, and John Lithgow as Roger Ailes. 2023 Vox Media, LLC. Kelly then comes forward with her own case of harassment, followed by more than 20 other women (via Vulture). I wanted the breathing to be unmistakably monstrous.. Get ready to turn that frown upside down. While you're still processing that Pospisil is fake, allow us to take a moment of appreciation for how much Theron and Kidman look like Kelly and Carlsonthe former Fox News anchors who actually helped take down Ailes IRL. 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Nazanin Boniadi (Homeland, How I Met Your Mother) portrays journalist and anchor Rudi Bakhtiar, who alleged that she was fired from Fox News for complaining about sexual harassment. There was an overwhelming consensus during asit-down discussion between Megyn Kelly, former Fox News host Juliet Huddy, former Fox News reporter Rudi Bakhtiar, and former "FoxNews Live" associate producer Julie Zann that the atmosphere that Roger Ailes created in the workplace was much more extreme than portrayed in "Bombshell." Wed heard how fatherly he could be, jokey, and a good coach. "All the women who filed complaints about him who havegone public have been really brave in articulating specifically what happened to them," Randolph says. Offline, shes likely watching a Heat game or finding a new coffee shop. That is ultimately unclear. Obviously, the blonde hair and characterization lends the character to an obvious comparison to internet-star-turned-conservative pundit, Tomi Lahren. Read on for a full account of whats fair, whats balanced, and whats potentially neither in the movie. We hear his breathing grow increasingly, discomfitingly labored. All rights reserved. Kayla is no more and no less than what Bombshell tells us she is. The camera lingers on Kayla, near tears, as he ordersher to inch it higher and higher, revealing her underwear. (L to R) Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, and Margot Robbie play Megyn Kelly, Gretchen Carlson, and Kayla Pospisil, respectively. This content is imported from youTube. The embattled Ailes asks thepolitician/attorney how to handle the fallout of his sexual harassment allegations. Fiction affords a kind of freedom. Perhaps one of the most infamous moments in the film arrives when Megyn Kelly isquestioning then-presidential candidate Donald Trump in 2015 on Fox News. More recently, The Guardian reported in July 2020 on new allegations of sexual abuse and assault against former national correspondent Ed Henry and a few other big Fox personalities. By Dustin Rowles | Film | December 21, 2019 |. She is basically an attractive, conservative, Jesus-loving Instagram influencer turned research assistant for Gretchen Carlson and later Bill OReilly. Good for them (and us!). It certainly was for me in the room. The movie is also faithful in its depiction of the relationship between Kelly and Gretchen Carlson, who kicked off Ailes eventual ouster by publicly accusing him of sexual harassment: The two were collegial but not friends. It was clear that Ailes was able to keep tabs on everyone he employed, and Camerota was informed by her agent that no more offers would be forthcoming. Right: Elisabeth Rohm. (In the movie, this is a dramatic third-act reveal.) Within the fiction of Bombshell, Pospisil is an associate producer who moves from Gretchen Carlson's program to The O'Reilly Factor. Malcolm McDowell portrays Rupert Murdoch, media mogul and owner of News Corp., whose many properties include Fox News. Ailes did have friends and allies, too, including Rudy Giuliani (played by Richard Kind in the movie) and his lawyer, Susan Estrich (played by Allison Janney), despite her background as a staunch feminist. questioning then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, former "Fox News Live" associate producer Julie Zann. As in the movie, Kelly really was violently ill that day, and she really did have to contend with competing agendas from Ailes and Rupert Murdoch, owner of the companys corporate parent, over how hard to question Trump. But it could never tip into exploitativeness, says Randolph, who claimed a 2016 Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for his work on the financial dramedy The Big Short. It is revealing that one of the main characters, in this film that has marketed itself as a retelling of the sexual-harassment story at Fox News, is a work of fiction. Related: Why is Fox News being sued again over alleged sexual harassment? The filmits pun of a title offers a hint at whats to comehas a kaleidoscopic quality. With the help of makeup and prosthetics, the actors were transformed into surprisingly accurate likenesses. By letting the abuse play out in real time, Randolph hopes male viewers, in particular, will feel uncomfortable but also feel greater empathy for victims. Maybe? Chloe is a News Writer for Townandcountrymag.com, where she covers royal news, from the latest additions to Meghan Markles staff to Queen Elizabeths monochrome fashions; she also writes about culture, often dissecting TV shows like The Marvelous Mrs Maisel and Killing Eve. He listens for a moment. It's Anchor Barbie," quips Jess. March 20, 2023 did kayla pospisil sleep with roger did kayla pospisil sleep with roger Roger Ailes is eventually forced to resign from his position at Fox News in July 2017, and dies the following year. Kellys decision to reveal that to the private law firm investigating sexual harassment at Fox News was the straw that broke the rapists back, but it didnt prevent dozens of episodes from happening in the years before Gretchen Carlson sued Roger Ailes. All the show tunes! (Carlsonwho was the first to come forward with allegations of sexual harassment against Ailesis something of the side character in the trio.) Why Does Kim Kardashian Do This to Christmas? To play anchor Gretchen Carlson, host Megyn Kelly, and composite character Kayla Pospisil respectively, the actresses were transformed with hair, makeup, and expert prosthetics. Gretchen Carlson, former Fox News anchor. Played by Connie Britton in the movie, Ailes wife, Beth, was by his side throughout the scandal, reportedly taking it just as personally as he did. It was just so clear this was going to be a team effort. In a week where a reality TV favourite finally addressed its known colorism problem, Netflix UK dropped The Strays (February 22) a psycholo, Over the decades, popular culture has created dominant narratives of the Dominican Republic that are most often synonymous with poverty, crime, or state vi, This story contains spoilers for Ant-Man: Quantumania. The software that cloned Drake and the Weeknds voices is easy to useand impossible to shut down. "Roger said, 'How dare you have a cup of coffee from a guy you don't know. "I wanted to show the bystander narrative. Short skirts were required and pants were banned." That is the challenging conversation in Bombshell, and like this season of Apple TVs The Morning Show, it goes to complicity. The scene between Kayla and Ailes is what roots the film as it explores the legal battle that led to Ailess ouster from the network. Thats in part because it is shot so unsparingly. Invented stories, he suggested, could be the most efficient way to talk about the things so many people wanted to be talking about when it came to those stories: the gray areas of consent; sex that is bad not in a criminal sense, but in another way. Ailes was more deferential of Trump than Rupert initially was, and this may have worked to the sons advantage in eventually pushing for Ailes ouster. However, as with any film rooted in reality, directors and writers are able to take creative liberties for the benefit of the story and take them they do. The actress who was nominated for an Academy Award for 2017's I, Tonya is . The inclusion of Kayla in the film as a composite allowed these other ex-Fox News workers to have their stories heard. Still, the decision to let Ailes off relatively easily in the end was what Rupert wanted in both real life and the film. Robbies performance is masterful, and Kaylas lack of specificity makes her an apt stand-in for the many people at Fox News who are not part of the story Bombshell is telling. Margot Robbie's character is an amalgamation of the many women that came out with allegations against Roger Ailes. Megyn Kelly, and Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly. Landing in theaters just as awards season nears its frenzied, Christmas release apogee, Bombshell has been steadily racking up the pre-Oscars accolades: a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, Golden Globe nods for Theron and Robbie in the Best Actress and Supporting Actress movie categories, and a Critics Choice Movie Award for Best Acting Ensemble among them. Would Laura Mulvey also have some things to say about it? Margot Robbie's character, a young and ambitious associate producer named Kayla Pospisil, is a composite character based on the stories of dozens of real women. "Bombshell" is a who's who of famous faces, including Malcolm McDowell ("A Clockwork Orange")as Rupert Murdoch, Allison Janney asAiles' legal counsel Susan Estrich, and Connie Britton ("Nashville") as Ailes'wife, Beth. Yes and no. *Sorry, there was a problem signing you up. Sam and Joel reach a new level of intimacy. Even though they sleep together, Kayla insists shes not gay, but the real scandal is that Jess Carr is a closeted Democrat working at Fox News. The film does an excellent job at chronicling the way Gretchen Carlson took full control of the situation by filing a lawsuit against Ailes after an extended period of inappropriate behavior at Fox News. All the nudity of porn, but with the plot and storylines of mainstream film. All contents Ex-Fox News reporter Juliet Huddy commented on this: "I was told 'no pants'," says Huddy. Megyn Kelly's Most Controversial Moments Ever (opens in new tab), Margot Robbie Wore Sharon Tate's Jewelry in 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' (opens in new tab). Kayla ends up having a one-on-one with Ailes (John Lithgow) to discuss her career path at Fox. Heres how to watch them host the events red carpet, together with Derek Blasberg and Emma Chamberlain. Robbie plays Kayla Pospisil, a fictional composite. The upcoming drama, which revolves around the Roger Ailes sexual harassment controversy and fallout at Fox, stars Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly and Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlsonand they're dead-ringers for their real-life counterparts. Robbie plays Kayla Pospisil, a fictional composite. The Slate Group LLC. Its understandable, in some ways, that the character doing that work in the film would be fictional. Ive never filmed anything as excruciating.. The above scene underscores both the ambition of the film and its inherent challenges. Former Fox News host Megyn Kelly revealed Thursday that she watched "Bombshell" with several other former Fox News staffers depicted in the film, which chronicles allegations of sexual harassment, and the culture of secrecy surrounding them, involving the network's founder Roger Ailes. The lawsuit filed against the men made its point clear, stating, "Fox News would have the public believe that it is a different place from the Fox News that was run by former disgraced Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes. The scene mostly works because who is not going to love pillow talk between a closeted lesbian played by Margot Robbie and a closeted Democrat played by Kate McKinnon (also, its impossible not to think of Bari Weiss at this moment). It was two years later that Carlson made her first statement against Ailes and the scandal spilled out into the public eye, leading to much more extensive coverage. Megyn Kellya Fox host who published allegations against Ailes in her 2016 memoiris played by Charlize Theron. Rattled, she later relays the incident to Roger, wondering aloud whether it was nerves or if the man tampered with her drink. Though the film did capture some of the situations of assault as well as the tense working environment, Zann emphasized that it was considerably worse when she was living through it. Its also true that there was longstanding tension between the brothers and Ailes, which is part of why they supported quickly conducting an internal investigation at Fox News.

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