Did the Kennedy Family Try to Halt Production of Chappaquiddick Film?

By Inside Edition Staff

First Published: 6:13 AM PDT, April 7, 2018

Producer Mark Ciardi claims the distributor of the movie felt pressure "in a big way."

Did the Kennedy family try to put a stop to the new film "Chappaquiddick," which opens in select theaters this weekend?

The movie tells the scandal that erupted after Ted Kennedy drove his car off a bridge in Chappaquiddick, Mass., in 1969, an accident that resulted in the drowning of 28-year-old campaign worker Mary Jo Kopechne.

Kennedy escaped the accident, but failed to report it for 10 hours.

It's now being revealed by "Chappaquiddick" producer Mark Ciardi that the distributor of the movie, entertainment mogul Byron Allen, was being coerced to keep the film out of theaters.

"He didn’t go too much into it," Ciardi told Inside Edition. "He didn’t go into specifics, but he felt that pressure in a pretty big way."

Ciardi believes the film is an accurate portrayal of that fateful night.

"It is not a hit job on Ted Kennedy," he said. "It is more than that. I think it is a very fair and balanced movie."

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Producer Mark Ciardi claims the distributor of the movie felt pressure "in a big way."

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Did the Kennedy Family Try to Halt Production of Chappaquiddick Film?

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Producer Mark Ciardi claims the distributor of the movie felt pressure "in a big way."

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