This is the (lengthy) Vanity Fair article on which the movie was based:
AMERICAN NIGHTMARE: The Ballad of RICHARD JEWELL | Vanity Fair | February 1997
And this is an article about Olivia Wilde's recent comments re: Kathy Scruggs:
"Richard Jewell" controversy: Olivia Wilde says she doesn't think "Richard Jewell" reporter traded sex for tips - CBS News
I was stunned at how closely the script followed the VF article. Lots of dialogue lifted verbatim. I thought some of the stuff in the movie had to be made up because I (naively) couldn't believe the FBI would actually do [whatever] but apparently they did!
The VF article also refers to Scruggs' reputation as a "police groupie".
Olivia Wilde says it was her belief that Scruggs had a pre-existing romantic relationship with the FBI guy and the CBS article (near the end) mentions her having relationships with various LE guys. As I watched the movie, in particular the scene where she tries to get info out of the FBI agent, it is clear that they already know each other but NOT (to me, at least) that they had any sort of previous "relationship". Just my two cents.
Settlements were confidential but it is believed that Jewell got ~ $500k from each of two news outlets as well as a big settlement from the college where he used to work. Too bad he didn't live long enough to enjoy it. He did buy his mom a house before he passed.
k.