Kirstie Alley Confusion: ‘Christie Ally,’ Not Kirstie Alley, Pleads Guilty In New Jersey Bridge Scandal
Kirstie Alley had a few laughs Friday at the expense of the New York Times and some confused Twitter users who mistook her for a man described as a “Christie Ally” who pleaded guilty to a 2013 crime, MSN is reporting.
Kirstie Alley, the former Cheers star and Weight Watchers spokesperson, would like everyone to know that she has not pleaded guilty to any crimes, despite what a Times headline might suggest to people who haven’t had their morning coffee yet.
It all started Friday morning when a New York Times headline declared that a “Christie Ally” had pleaded guilty in 2013’s New Jersey bridge lane closures scandal. The “Christie” in the phrase refers to New Jersey governor Chris Christie, and the “Ally” is David Wildstein, a politically-connected Christie operative who pleaded guilty Friday to charges of fraud and civil rights violations in connection with the 2013 crime.
None of it has anything to do with Kirstie Alley, who for all anyone knows has never set foot in New Jersey.
Regardless, Twitter users weren’t quite so sure, and Kirstie Alley became a trending topic on Twitter Friday morning, according to WISN (Milwaukee), despite the fact that she’s mostly stayed out of the news recently, and most certainly was in no way connected to “Bridgegate.”
“The story was made more salacious–and dare we say, interesting?–by people mashing together a stunning shot of Kirstie Alley with the straightforward news story.”
It was either an unfortunate choice of words that look and sound similar to a non-caffeinated brain, or a deliberate attempt to drag Kirstie Alley into a controversy that has nothing to do with her, depending on whom you ask.
For her part, Kirstie Alley seems to have taken the controversy in stride, if posts made to her Twitter account are to be believed.
And THIS is how rumors once again get started…jeez…hasn’t even been a week since my last accusation…
— Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) May 1, 2015
Dear @nytimes, your GW Bridge scandal headline “Christie Ally” to plead guilty, is now trending as “Kirstie Alley” to plead..HELP!!!! — Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) May 1, 2015
Gotta say Im kinda lovin my power right now… I can add “Major Bridge Closer Downer” to my resume
— Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) May 1, 2015
The Times, meanwhile, is also having a little fun with the Kirstie Alley confusion.
“To Be Clear: Kirstie Alley Not Linked to Bridge Scandal. Any paparazzi heading to the federal courthouse in Newark might want to turn around. Unless they’ll settle for a photo of David Wildstein, the Christie ally in question.”
In September of 2013, according to this Inquisitr report, several lanes of the George Washington Bridge between New Jersey and New York City were closed for a “traffic study,” snarling traffic for hours and creating a traffic jam that delayed emergency vehicles, in a move that was later deemed to be an act of political retaliation from governor Chris Christie’s office. The scandal was later termed “Bridgegate” in the media.
Kirstie Alley had nothing to do with it.
[Image courtesy of: Getty Images/Robin Marchant]
