Entertainment Weekly has apologized for publishing fake quotes attributed to actor Jonah Hill at a July BAFTA event, Gossip Cop reported. According to EW, the quotes were reported by a freelance reporter for the magazine and “Upon a review of the tape recorded conversation between the reporter and Mr. Hill, it is now clear Mr. Hill did not state the exact remarks attributed to him by the reporter and subsequently published by EW.com.”
Other quotes from that event have been called into question, as well, according to Gossip Cop. Actress Zooey Deschanel alleges her comments as quoted by USA Today have been taken out of context. Deschanel is quoted as saying “I just don’t want [Prince William and Kate Middleton] to see the worst of L.A.” She is also described as having expressed concern that the event was hosted in an “area…[that] might look shabby to the regal couple.”
Those quotes were used as the basis for this LA Times article by Patt Morrison, which criticizes Deschanel and labels her a “snobby cow.”
Deschanel responded in an open letter posted on her site Hello Giggles claiming that USA Today’s quotes were taken “completely out of context.” and that she “NEVER said that Downtown LA was the ‘worst of LA.'” She added that she did comment on a “parking lot adjacent to the theatre that had a lot of trash in it in an attempt to be humorous.” Deschanel criticized Morrison for the “character you’ve created of ‘me'” and for calling her a “cow.”
Morrison responded to Deschanel’s response noting that “I am happy to hear that she really does love downtown Los Angeles” with a link to Deschanel’s open letter. However, Morrison didn’t respond to Deschanel’s claims that her quotes were taken out of context or retract her comment that Deschanel is a “snobby cow.”