Embattled Hollywood Reporter columnist forced out

Thu, 01 Nov 2001 00:07:00 +0000

George Christy, the Hollywood Reporter's longtime society columnist, has been forced out of the paper. Christy, a fixture on the Hollywood party scene for the last 26 years, was suspended with pay six months ago after allegations surfaced for the second time that he had received sham movie roles from producers he had written about in his column.

Christy is also under investigation by the Screen Actors Guild and by a federal grand jury.

A source says Christy was offered a financial settlement to leave. On Wednesday, the Hollywood Reporter released a statement saying that "George Christy has decided that he will no longer write 'The Great Life' column for the entertainment trade paper."

The statement also said that Hollywood Reporter publisher Robert Dowling "expressed his appreciation to George Christy for two-and-a-half decades of continual service."

In fact, the parting was anything but amiable. Shortly after he was suspended in May, Christy hired a team of lawyers and had threatened to sue the paper to get his job back.

Salon.com > David Robb

Embattled Hollywood Reporter columnist forced out