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'Powerful People' Tried to Block Release of Kennedy Film 'Chappaquiddick'

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The head of the studio releasing the new film “Chappaquiddick” about the 1969 incident involving the late Sen. Ted Kennedy and the death of a 28-year-old woman said “powerful people” tried to pressure him not to distribute it.

Entertainment Studios CEO Byron Allen told Variety he did not yield to those people, who apparently did not like seeing the Democratic icon from a political dynasty put in a bad light.

“Unfortunately, there are some very powerful people who tried to put pressure on me not to release this movie,” Allen said. “They went out of their way to try and influence me in a negative way. I made it very clear that I’m not about the right, I’m not about the left. I’m about the truth.”

He elaborated in an interview with Fox Business.

“Someone very powerful, top of the food chain, came to me,” said Allen. “Sat in my conference room with the president of my theatrical distribution and said, ‘Look, someone has come to them who is very influential and enlisted their help in what they could do to hurt the movie, stop the movie from getting distribution, and convince me not to support it.'”

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“I made it very clear that was not a conversation we were willing to have, and based on that conversation we were going to increase our commitment to make sure this picture got out there in a bigger way,” Allen stated. “So at that moment, I increased the ad budget.”

https://twitter.com/FNC_Ladies_Rule/status/979534692050497542

The Hollywood mogul was a supporter of and a major campaign contributor to former President Barack Obama, but did not shy away from critiquing him when he felt the chief executive was in the wrong.

Allen said Mary Jo Kopechne — who died in a car crash off near Martha’s Vineyard in July 1969 with an allegedly intoxicated Kennedy at the wheel — was one of the “original #MeToo victims.”

Do you think Kennedy should have been charged with a crime in the death of Kopechne?

Kennedy reportedly drove the car off a narrow bridge on Chappaquiddick Island into the water and managed to free himself from the vehicle. However, he then left the scene and did not report the accident until the following morning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayk_ZBgeB30

Kennedy, 37 at the time and married, was a senator in 1969 and considered a likely candidate for the presidency, perhaps as early as 1972.

There was evidence that Kopechne — who worked as an aide on Robert Kennedy’s 1968 presidential campaign — likely survived the crash and could have been rescued if the senator had reported it.

“Her story has never been told,” Allen observed. “What’s done in the dark, will come to light.”

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“These are very powerful people, who covered it up 49 years ago,” he added. “I was surprised when they wanted to cover it up today. This is a story they don’t want out.”

Jason Clarke, who plays Kennedy, said, “This is a seminal moment in American political history without a doubt.”

Co-producer Campbell McInnes stated the response after the Chappaquiddick incident was “really about protecting the Kennedy legacy and also protecting the potential for him to ultimately become president.” The senator faced the prospect of being charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Fellow producer Mark Ciardi said, “The story is about power and how it can be abused.”

Kennedy would run for president in 1980, but questions surrounding his actions on Chappaquiddick plagued his candidacy, even 11 years later.

“Chappaquiddick” opens in theaters nationwide on Friday.

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Randy DeSoto has written more than 2,000 articles for The Western Journal since he joined the company in 2015. He is a graduate of West Point and Regent University School of Law. He is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths" and screenwriter of the political documentary "I Want Your Money."
Randy DeSoto is the senior staff writer for The Western Journal. He wrote and was the assistant producer of the documentary film "I Want Your Money" about the perils of Big Government, comparing the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. Randy is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths," which addresses how leaders have appealed to beliefs found in the Declaration of Independence at defining moments in our nation's history. He has been published in several political sites and newspapers.

Randy graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a BS in political science and Regent University School of Law with a juris doctorate.
Birthplace
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated dean's list from West Point
Education
United States Military Academy at West Point, Regent University School of Law
Books Written
We Hold These Truths
Professional Memberships
Virginia and Pennsylvania state bars
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Entertainment, Faith




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