Toby Keith angry about Ethan Hawke’s Kris Kristofferson story
Oklahoma star Toby Keith performs Sunday night at the Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas. (Associated Press photo)
As strange as it sounds, actor/writer Ethan Hawke has angered Oklahoma country star Toby Keith with a Rolling Stone article about singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson.
According to the Associated Press, Keith blasted Hawke backstage at Sunday’s Academy of Country Music Awards for a story Hawke wrote for the latest issue of Rolling Stone. In the story about Kristofferson, Hawke wrote about a 2003 spat between Kristofferson and an unnamed country star who bears a strong resemblance to Keith.
Here is the full story of this convoluted controversy from the Associated Press:
Ethan Hawke might want to avoid crossing paths with Toby Keith in the near future.
The country star lit into the actor for an article Hawke wrote in the new issue of Rolling Stone about Kris Kristofferson. In it, Hawke refers to a blowup Kristofferson had with an unnamed country star back in 2003 that sounds a lot like Toby Keith.
But a furious Keith, speaking backstage at the Academy of Country Music Awards, said it wasn’t true, and added that Hawke did not name him in the story because he did not want to face him later.
“I don’t know Ethan Hawke. Ethan Hawke wanted to do some kind of superficial Rolling Stone article. And he did everything he could to make his story the greatest story ever in Rolling Stone,” Keith said. “And it was a fictitious (expletive) lie. O.K?
“He didn’t even call me by my name. … He called Norah Jones, Ray Charles, everybody else by name. Willie (Nelson), Kris (Kristofferson). Why didn’t he call my name? Why didn’t he say Toby Keithwalked through and said this (expletive)? Right? You know why. You know why. You know as good as anybody why. He didn’t want to (expletive) deal withthe aftermath.”
In the story, Hawke claimed he witnessed the confrontation backstage at Nelson’s tribute concert for his 70th birthday at the Beacon Theatre in New York. The article does not name Keith but says it was a country singer who “had a monster hit about bombing America’s enemies back into the stone age.” In 2002, Keith had the song “Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue (The Angry American)” that threatened retribution for the 9/11 attacks.
Hawkesaid the argument began with the “Star” telling Kristofferson: “None of that lefty (expletive) out there tonight, Kris.”
Hawke said Kristofferson then angrily confronted and asked him if he had ever served in the military.
“Have you ever killed another man? Huh? Have you ever taken another man’s life and then cashed the check your country gave you for doing it? No, you have not, so shut the (expletive) up,” Hawke recounted Kristofferson as saying. “You don’t know what the hell you are talking about.”
A spokeswoman for Hawke did not immediately return a message seeking comment. A Rolling Stone spokeswoman said that the magazine fully stands by the story and Hawke’s reporting.
Keith directed his anger Sunday not only at Hawke but at a reporter from the Tennessean who wrote about the Hawke article and asked Keith about it backstage.
Kristofferson, in a statement, said he did not recall the incident and tried to be diplomatic to all sides.
“I would like to state for the record that I am friends with Ethan Hawke, Toby Keith and Tennessean reporter Peter Cooper. Although I do not remember the events at Willie’s birthday party as reported in Rolling Stone, what does it matter?” he asked. “That was six years ago. I spoke to Ethan before I put out my statement and thanked him for the beautiful story he wrote for Rolling Stone and I also told him I did not recall the incident at Willie’s birthday party. This is the last statement I will put out about this nonsense.”
-3D
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Comments
Every story about this incident uses the words “furious” or “tirade” to describe Toby’s response. In reality Toby never raised his voice. He was asked the question about Ethan Hawke’s article and responded calmly.
I think that the ultra liberals should keep their opinions to themselves! This entire government has given power to the wrong people. Celebrities are not journalists. Celebrities are not politicians! (even if they they think climbing on the soap box to turn our young to their favor…) Stay out of it! Make your movies, Make your liberal TV shows, Feel sorry for the oppressed… Just do it in your own mansions, while you swim in your private pools or flying around the country in your private jets! Not everybody approves of the liberal lack of values. And doing something good in Chad for the overpopulated, uneducated, and underdeveloped governments does not make it better in my eyes!
Let’s not let this turn into McCarthy style witch hunts for those who don’t believe the same way someone else does!
I felt Toby Kieth handled it very calmly.. a heck of a lot more calmly than I would have!
I canceled my subscription to ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine because of their apparent political beliefs and articles. I purchase music magazines for music information, not how great Obama is.
vinny321 is right on could not have said it any better these ultra liberal actors should act and thats it most people dont care what they think.
[...] Ethan Hawke wrote on Kris Kristofferson in this month’s Rolling Stone, where Hawks tells of an altercation between Kristofferson and a country star who “a monster hit about bombing America’s [...]
I would not miss Toby Keith, should he ever decide to shut up his yap, hang up his geetar and crawl under the rock from where he first slithered out from… the man is simply a crude childish BULLY. His mouth opens and I cringe at the ignorance I know is a-coming. We all know a bully is mean no matter what topic and no matter if he know nothing about what he is talking of or not…. he gets his point across by being an agressive neandertal. Sounds like to me the event happened; it ended up making Keith look dumb (once again) so he tries to deny it and do a little bullying against Ethan to try and make Ethan and Rolling Stone look like the skinny boys at the beach. Ethan as a reporter could not confirm it, so he had to allude to the culprit. That is the LAW. It wasn’t done out of fear. Until certain confirmation can be made, Ethan can’t name him. Bluto has finally met his match.
PS- So Ethan likes to act, and he also like to write. It is called being multi-faceted and not a sin to be both a celebrity and to have a hobby. I am sure Mr. Keith has many other interests as well. Since he is a celebrity should he be forced to lock his horses up since clearly, as a celebrity he must be a fake cowboy who cannot ride, or run a farm? He may even like to cook, or play Wii (and he could be good at it). Why critize anyone for wanting to do more? For those who cancelled RS, are you afraid of others opinions that may be different than your own. Sometimes that is a good way to see both sides of an issue and get solutions. To cancel because you don’t get your way politically is very, well- immature. If you don’t agree with RS, argue your point. Don’t cave…
KR, Toby doesn’t have to deny anything, Kris Kristofferson commented that he didn’t even remember such an incident even happening, and quite frankly it is you who sounds ignorant! Toby does ride horses and well! He is a country music icon, actor, record producer, singer, sonwriter who has released over 10 albums, had 40 singles of which 18 went to number one and another 17 were in the top ten. He is also resturant owner and just recently released his own line of men’s casual clothes; not bad for a guy who got his start in the OKlahoma oil fields. He does not apoligize for being a patriotic American. Not only does Toby talk the talk, he walks the walk. He annually makes trips to the Middle East to bring emotional support and entertainment to out troops. Toby hosts a benefit golf classic each year to to help families of children with cancer. Toby is the real deal, what you see is what you get. A genuine person, heart and soul. He believes in God, country and family. If the rest of us could follow this example the world would be a much sweeter place.
Kris Kristopherson is a class act. I have a great deal of respect for him and his response just reinforces my opinion.