Toby Keith gets his confrontation

Well I told you yesterday that Toby Keith was gunning for The Tennessean reporter, Peter Cooper, who wrote the article referencing the Rolling Stonepiece about Toby and Kris Kristofferson having words a few years ago.  Well last night during the ACMs Toby got his confrontation.

Here's what went down according to Hitflix writer, Melinda.  OK!s account here.  

Toby Keith came backstage and looked at Tennessean reporter Peter Cooper and growled "Are you Peter?" To his credit, Cooper admits he is and Keith just glares at him and goes back up on stage.

Now Cooper has already written a piece about how Kristofferson came forward and said nothing happened and the story is to run in today's Tennessean.  Toby does't take time to figure that out when he comes back to the press room. 

We all start asking Keith questions. Cooper, incredibly, raises his hand. Keith stares him down and lets him start, but quickly cuts him off and asks him if he's nervous. Cooper's voice is shaking a little. Cooper says he's alright. For the next seven minutes, he reams Cooper-he never raises his voice, but he's like a caged tiger and looks like he wants to leap off the stage and go for the jugular. He tells Cooper, "I'm not fucking okay" being in the same room with him. "You ran something s****y, you're in default. I'm struggling being here with you in the room. Ethan Hawke reported a fictitious story about me, Kris and Willie. You ran it and took it to supersize French fries and now you have to answer [for] it."

Cooper keeps his cool. He says he's heard from Kristofferson and will be running a story saying it looks like the Hawke story never happened. 

Keith isn't appeased and says to Cooper, "You've never shit in your f***ing ass like you have right now. Do you want to ask me another question?" 

At this point, perhaps to put Cooper out of his misery, Robin Leach tries to ask a question to defuse the issue. Keith ignores him. Leach has less significance at this moment than a gnat buzzing around the room. "It was a fictitious, f***ing lie," Keith says of what Hawke wrote. "He didn't call me by name...because he didn't want to deal with the aftermath...you took the story and ‘Moby Teethed' it." Keith goes on to say that Cooper basically "f***ed" him. Cooper, who never loses his cool, very calmly brings up Kristofferson's email and says he was asked to write about the Kristofferson Rolling Stonepiece and did so. That's about to be his fatal flaw. Keith pounces and says "Who supersized it?"

Cooper says, "I take responsibility for that."

And Keith backs down for a split second. He then goes back in for the kill-and the real crux of the matter for every one of us journalists in the room.

Keith looks at Peter and says, "Why did you not call me, or Kris or Willie and get a f***ing..."

At that point his publicist pulls him off the stage. All the air is sucked out of the room.

Okay, it's a press room, there has GOT to be some video.  I'll post some if any ever comes to light. 

Comments

[Larry]

Toby you will never have the class of Peter Cooper

[Justin M]

Oops. Make that "humorous" subtext (ha-ha).

[Justin M]

There is some humerous subtext here. Toby Keith is part of the giant, corporate, country/pop machine- the Britney Spears of country music. Peter Cooper can play AND sing honest county music (check out his new album with Eric Brace). Toby Keith has the all the money the machine can supply, but he as never garnered the respect of great musicians. Envy?

[cindy britten]

Hi Tobey
I am new to emailing people. This probably will not get to you/ Just wanted you to know that Conway Twittys vidios have got todays beat by a mile and then some

[kellie]

Way to go Toby!!!!! You took on Ted Koppel when he wanted you to change the lyrics to your song for the troops and it looks like you put Cooper in his place, maybe he needs a boot in his azzz. Thats the Okie way. Way to stand up for yourself. I thought all these writers stood on their high moral ground about verifying facts in a story?? Guess maybe he forgot to call you. lol Way to go Toby, Bless You!

[kerry]

i was at that show and i know nothing went down. good for Toby for standing up for himself. I am not a toby fan by any means so i am not taking his side because of fandom. lol