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

[Forester]

Not sure how accurate the Wikipedia entry is for TK, but it is interesting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toby_Keith

He claims to be a conservative dem and was reluctant to release "Courtesy of the R W and B". He is just a big bubba football player trying to make it in the biz after working in the OK oil fields. I don't think his music is too special, but IMO there are more odious country singers than him. I suspect KK probably over-reacted to an unfunny dig made by TK, and now it is all overblown. It does seem weird that EH would write a gossip item like this, and I would imagine TK took exception to a nerdy writer intruding on his humiliation behind the scenes.

Sorry to see such enmity for country music here, try Lyle Lovitt - he's county and great!

[peachesmahoney]

The human pork rind that is Toby Keith is an unintentional laugh riot!

[dameofdismay]

Friends United Together in Kindness (FUTK)

[surfcitysteven]

There is a country music award show on every other week. Was this one of the big ones? They like handing out awards for mediocre music. Makes them feel good about the crp they put out.

[InstantDogma]

Please folks...
Redneck is a slur against miners who stood up for themselves.
Please retire this term and use "cracker" instead.

[stepintothelight]

Not to mention

Mom
Cousin
Sister
Neighbors dog

... frackers!!!

[sheeshbrother]

My "crackers" are Keebler Town House and not at all derogatory thank you.

[dameofdismay]

Good to know. Thanks.

[Elabacki]

Anybody from Florida want to educate Mr/Ms Dogma on the history of the Florida "cracker"?

[BlackJAC]

Jeff Foxworthy defines "redneck" as "a glorious absence of sophistication," something that Toby Keith exemplifies and luxuriates in. Stereotypes and cliches don't come out of thin air.

[MarsAmbassador]

Toby Keith exemplifies everything about the Rethuglican attitude and their "turn it into a glass parking lot!" mentality. Anything that disagrees with them should be eradicated, with force. The concept of the 'soft sell' and the finer points of dipper-lomacy are for wussies!

[Mezcalero]

he's a dem

[BlackJAC]

So was Ron Silver; what's your point?

[icemilkcoffee]

The wrong kind of 'dem'

[oregonboy]

hes a dem

[hemnebob]

wow...
wonder what keith's large ego is substituting for...

something much tinier i must say...

besides, he is a has been.

[stepintothelight]

Never was as far as talent is concerned.

[chaostheory]

2,600 Americans were killed when those towers "collapsed", remember Mr. Keith?

The real "tough guys" are the firefighters. Ask them:

http://michaelfury.wordpress.com/2009/01/15/new-yorks-bravest/

[LaFlow]

Kris Kristofferson completed Army Ranger School. I think that whatever his political beliefs, this fact alone entitles him to them without anyone questioning his motives.

Toby should stick to writing more songs like "I love this bar"

[hdohighdesertobserver]

No, going through Ranger school does not qualify anyone to express his opinion. You have that right by birth in America courtesy of the Constitution.

[LaFlow]

I understand the Constitution, thank you very much. You failed to notice the clause "without anyone questioning his motives." And for the record, I believe serving in the Peace Corps also entitles the deference of not having your motives and sincerity questioned, as well.

I very much question the motives and sincerity of Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Ann Coulter, etc., etc., etc., and think everyone else should question their motives and sincerity, as well. These people are Chickenhawks hiding behind a kind of fake patriotism and preying on the worst and basest of fears of Americans to make money.

[RogerOThornhill]

Kris is a true renaissance man of the old school -- an American treasure I fear we'll not recognize during his lifetime. He's been a class act throughout his life, so I can understand and respect his wish for this to be let go...but dang Kris...sometimes ya gotta call a ******* an *******....
I can also understand why Toby Keith is so embarrassed -- there were a lot of Dems that became 9/11 Republicans during that era -- but he would have been better off saying "It was a joke" or "I've learned better since then".

[DocManhattan]

Odd, if Keith had just heard this story about an unidentified country singer and it really hadn't happened, then he would've just said "No, that wasn't me", because he never would have heard of such an incident, so he couldn't possibly know if it was true or not.

Instead, he publicly identifies himself as the unnamed guy in the story, THEN says it didn't happen, thus proving that it did.

Not the sharpest tool in the shed, is he?

[redhead61]

Thats the impression I got when I read it. Why would he respond if it wasnt him, to draw the 'drama' and make a spectacle of himself in the media.

I believe Ethan's story is true, just based upon the fact that Keith dost protest too much....where theres smoke theres some smoldering fire.

[gloriousbeing]

Everyone knew who he was talking about based on the "monster hit about bombing America's enemies back to the stone age".......he didn't really have to "out" himself. His music sucks and his patriotism sucks even more.

[oregonboy]

i like his music and he seems like a patriot to me

[Balzac]

Toby Keith sh!ts himself with rage.

[Diogenes08]

Come on Balzac, tell us what you really think.

[b1rd67]

Too bad he never ponied up and enlisted to go do something about it... Chickhawk piece of (expletive)! It's really easy to be outraged from the safety of your tour bus!

[gopgal]

Interesting that my post was removed. As I stated earlier, Toby voted for AND supported Obama.....just a bunch of ridiculous comments by you Libs.....

[StuartandKathren]

Well that's great , but it doesn't address the fact that Kris is a West Point graduate and genuine soldier, and Keith needs to show some damned respect.

[gopgal]

How did he not show respect????? The entire "incident" didn't even happen! My point was that people are assuming that because Toby Keith is a big country star, that he MUST have voted for McCain.....well, he didn't!

[slippery pete]

There is one thing you Republicans don't understand about liberals. We don't judge people based on their party affiliation, we judge based on actions and approach to issues we personally care about. I say "personally" care about because all liberals don't feel the same way about every issue. It is kind of the basis for liberalism.

[slippery pete]

Oops. I wasn't finished. Republicans on the other hand- as illustrated in the original post above- base their judgement of people solely based on the person's party affiliation. In other words, a person's actions are to be defended- regardless of how deviant- as long as they are a member of your party; all personal beliefs, assuming there are any, are to be put aside.

Though this approach is your personal right, it is this behavior that liberals feel is "ridiculous."

[BlackJAC]

By gop standards this should make him the very flipflopper you accused Kerry of being.

[FCBarca]

Gee, what a surprise...Consider the source, of course Keith said this...Stupid is as stupid does.

[MiniMogul]

Toby Keith is such a stereotypical, ignorant, hayseed. I'll take Kris the Rhodes scholar over this lucky yokel any day.

[gopgal]

Do you know what's pathetic.......the fact that NONE of you know anything about Toby Keith and judge him because he is a country singer.....the bottom line is that he pissed off a bunch of Republicans because he voted for and supported OBAMA! If you knew ANYTHING, you would know that!

[LaFlow]

a) If you go back and read the CMT.com interview, you'll find that Toby said that Obama had the best chance of winning the Presidency than any candidate since Clinton, he never said he supported or voted for Obama, and

b) If you actually knew any liberals, you would find that many of them are Country music fans. One of the most financially solvent Country radio stations in the country is in Boston. Case in point, I am probably a poster child for those nasty "East Coast Intellectuals" that are supposedly ruining America and I listen to Country (yes, even Toby Keith). I even happen to be a minority. What a country!

[cheesewiz]

I am a life-long liberal and a life-long lover of country music. Toby Keith is a good singer, but he is chronically angry, like a lot of country guys. True, he is a Democrat, but what is with that anger? He even hates the establishment people in country music.

[Masterbasser]

As a musician, as a Desert Storm vet.........I judge him based on his chickenhawk songs and chickenshit attitude.

[voyeur]

Your name alone makes me question what you write, but exactly how is it that you know Toby Keith? Are you 100 percent sure who Toby Keith voted for or what party he belongs to? Why do you feel such a need to defend someone that you likely never even met in person?

[RevengeIsNear]

Sounds like Toby Keith needs some internal "plumbing" work done by Joe the P, from the bottom up. Unthinking Rednecks all.