Toby Keith Rages At Ethan Hawke

LAS VEGAS — 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 Keith walked 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 with the 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.

Hawke said 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."

Comments

[HulaGirlatheart]

I agree with fastfreddy 57. I think that all of this has gotten out of control. I love Toby Keith, I love Kris Kristofferson. I love Willy Nelson. I LOVE GEORGE BUSH!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!! So there is some one going to attack me now becacuse I love George. People have a right to say what they want to say. People get so upset over the little things in life. Calm down live life so what if someone gets upset over an article. Toby has a right to express his feelings about it. So everyone that is bashing country music and toby keith your not true americans. Go live with the Dixie Chicks in Iraq or something and get out of our country.

[smithereen10]

"me thinks he doth protest too much"...

[ColoradoDan]

Toby represents just how goofy and piss poor country music has gotten lately.

Keith is also THEE hero for the stoopid.

[conchman]

If he's not insulting true county artists,he's stealing songs from Key West musicians.­..

[american-dolt]

Ethan, kick his Barbecue Nascar Arse!

[exile]

really tk sounds a little wound too freakin tight.

didn't i see a you tube video where he jumped off stage to push one of his concert going fans ??

futk

[lmvd3]

Does Toby Keith have cancer???

[marthainmaine]

Toby Keith and Brittany Spears ...bush stars. So fitting. Toby might say he is democratic but in this case some words speak louder than others.

[SoloThinker]

What does Kristofferson mean, "I don't remember?" He sounds as if he is scared of Toby Keith- whom is a big bully. If he isn't stroking fanatical Republicans in Texas then his music really doesn't have a purpose. I haven't liked him since he viciously attacked the Dixie Chicks for expressing their shame in Bush.

[onceler]

I think what he means is that he's so burnt out he can barely remember anything that just happened, let alone 6 years ago at a party for Willie Nelson of all people!

[angelv]

was there ever a reason to like toby keef? I mean, we're talking about extremely terrible music here....

[limber]

Oh, good grief. You're very macho, Keith. Now put it away, no one's interested.

And to be honest, while I wouldn't have read the article originally (Ethan Hawke's just another writer), and wouldn't have been induced to look it up after Keith's explosion (Keith is... well, Keith), I will read it now I've seen Kris Kristofferson's extremely classy and politic response. Well done, sir, and I am now interested enough to read whatever Hawke wrote about you!

[RRonin]

Last week, Stephen Colbert pointed out that Glen Beck owes his career to Sept. 11. Keith is another one. He really hit it big after Sept. 11, and his career has been sliding ever since. In a couple of years he'll be playing county fairs and appearing on "Celebrity Apprentice".

[Tracy Hale]

him and a half a dozen or so others...

I think they ought to write a big fat check to the service men/women they exploited.

[Ergon]

Him and all those cheerleaders who are too blind to see the price of their jingoism.

[tuffymama]

Well, one good thing to come out of this silly controversy is that more people might seek out and read the very cool RS story on Kristofferson.

Still, it's unfortunate that Toby Keith has to make it ALL ABOUT HIM, rather than letting Kris enjoy the positive attention such a story will bring him.

[HonestT]

I saw some footage recently where Toby went out into the audience and snatched a man up by the face and hair at one of his concerts. I thought, he may be pissed off and think he looks tough doing that but it was not cool. He had plenty of security to handle a situation like that and him doing that around tons of security and thousands of fans could have put people’s safety at risk.

He is a big dude but so what, big dudes are a dime a dozen and he might go off on the wrong guy and get sued, spanked or both.
How does he know Ethan didn't use his name and the editor decided to take it out?

Ethan Hawke is a small man, if the same article was written by Randy Couture or Brock Lesnor would he have said the same thing or anything at all for that matter?

[enjen]

This reminds me of when Eminem had a beef with Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. You have to be a real tough guy to threaten Ethan Hawke.

[vimmryan]

Who wins the fight between these two? I think that cowboy guy would probably win.

[Passenger57]

I think Kristofferson said it exactly right to Keith. I'd have liked to have seen Keith's face as Kristofferson tore into him.

[sueNaustin]

Exactly. Kris won the verbal smackdown, which is evident by Kris's gracious "not remembering the incident" and Toby's overly bombastic, vaguely threatening response to the Ethan Hawke article. What a class act, Toby.

[TimoteoMateo]

John McCane might be a real hero but, he's a Republican and he's way out of touch with Americans and what is going on in America...­Sound like your way out of touch also Freddy. We've had a Fascist government for the past 8 year and you can't see that. I like Toby Keith but, He's another Republican Chicken Hawk. We need the draft back and no deferments­....This will separate the Chicken Hawks from the Hawks... I'm a Hawk...Fre­ddy, if you were never in the military, your a Chicken Hawk.

[fastfreddy57]

I was in the military, so what? I am not any better than Toby Kieth, neither is Mr Kristofferson.
I like them both, this whole thing is out of control, but I guess liberals need something to cry about.